In Perspective: 'Terrorist' lawyer sentenced for helping 'terrorist' client

Monday 16 October 2006

'Terrorist' lawyer sentenced for helping 'terrorist' client

You know something is a bit odd when a lawyer of an alleged terrorist gets 28 months in prison for note-passing (as a notice, I am only pointing out the merits of the defendant's in this case, I don't really have two strong of an opinion and take things case by case; in this case I think the prosecution is using propaganda and fear-mongering and going a bit over the edge with that). Oh, did I mention that the 'terrorist' defendant was blind?

The man (and, to a certain extent, his lawyer) is labeled automatically as a terrorist by this and other news reports, in which case they should no longer, like with John Mark Karr, wait for full verdicts and even though the verdict had already been given, how can you automatically label someone a "terrorist"? (see CNN article) What classifies "terrorism"? She was sentenced on a terrorism charge, different from her client's charge. The more conservative-leaning, pop culture ridden new American news media seems to hype up charges before there is substance, and are more and more failing to point out what the free press is supposed: an objective, as close to all-around view as you can get while still keeping some perspective and wit to inform (and, with the latter, captivate) the reader.

I doubt President Bush and other religious right politicians would condemn the domestic terror-mongering of anti-African American, anti-Latino, or anti-non-Evangelical Christian (i.e. white, male, hotheaded Southern Christians, but not always Southern nowadays) groups.

I forgot to mention that this lawyer, named Lynne Stewart (a female, as you can guess by the name), is a fearless civil rights lawyer who defended people like anti-war activists in the days when they were silenced — often by force (e.g. Sen. McCarthy, FBI head Hoover).

As is found in this AP article:

Stewart, 67, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, smiled as the judge announced his decision to send her to prison for less than 2 1/2 years. She had faced up to 30 years in prison.

"If you send her to prison, she's going to die. It's as simple as that," defense lawyer Elizabeth Fink had told the judge before the sentence was pronounced.

Hell, maybe I am even a 'terrorist' for defending the 'terrorist' lawyer who did the same for her "terrorist" client!
This is all starting to seem just a bit Orwellian.