The Marathon Bomber's Wife
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Yesterday's blog puzzled over the difference in treatment between Puerto-Rican American, José Padilla, who was sent to Guantanamo in 2002, waterboarded, drugged and tortured for "pal-ling" around with terrorists," and the wealthy Anglo wife of Marathon bomber, Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Understandably Katherine Russell Tsarnaev's lawyer, hoped to get public sympathy for his client and downplay the possibility that she might have been an accomplice. Thus, he portrayed her as a hapless dupe, who worked eighty hours a week while her husband sat at home taking care of their baby, and (unbeknownst to her) making pressure-cooker bombs. But, in truth, Mrs. Tsarnaev had a far more intimate relationship with a terrorist than the "pal -ling around" that sent Padilla to Guantanamo. And yet, the last I heard, the FBI was asking permission to interview her about her late husband's activities.
What is this really all about? I posited at first that race might account for the difference in treatment. But after further consideration, I've concluded that the real difference between the two situations was the matter of who occupied the Oval Office. President George Bush fueled public hysteria and the lynch mob mentality that made any semblance of justice for José Padilla, impossible. The constitution was trampled upon as was international law.
It is a relief to hear that President Barack Obama is upholding the deepest values that Americans share, justice, fairness, innocent until proven guilty. The surviving bomber, 19 year old DzhokharTsarnaev, was read his Miranda rights and will be tried as an American citizen rather than as an enemy combatant.
Time will tell whether the wife was as clueless as her lawyer claims. But in the meantime, constitutional guarantees will be adhered to; the wheels of justice (not lynch mob hysteria) will prevail. And the world will be watching.
RELATED POSTS:
Would FBI Be Asking for Permission to Interview Spouse of Marathon Bomber If. . .
Was FBI too Inexperienced in Global Politics?
Yesterday's blog puzzled over the difference in treatment between Puerto-Rican American, José Padilla, who was sent to Guantanamo in 2002, waterboarded, drugged and tortured for "pal-ling" around with terrorists," and the wealthy Anglo wife of Marathon bomber, Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Understandably Katherine Russell Tsarnaev's lawyer, hoped to get public sympathy for his client and downplay the possibility that she might have been an accomplice. Thus, he portrayed her as a hapless dupe, who worked eighty hours a week while her husband sat at home taking care of their baby, and (unbeknownst to her) making pressure-cooker bombs. But, in truth, Mrs. Tsarnaev had a far more intimate relationship with a terrorist than the "pal -ling around" that sent Padilla to Guantanamo. And yet, the last I heard, the FBI was asking permission to interview her about her late husband's activities.
What is this really all about? I posited at first that race might account for the difference in treatment. But after further consideration, I've concluded that the real difference between the two situations was the matter of who occupied the Oval Office. President George Bush fueled public hysteria and the lynch mob mentality that made any semblance of justice for José Padilla, impossible. The constitution was trampled upon as was international law.
It is a relief to hear that President Barack Obama is upholding the deepest values that Americans share, justice, fairness, innocent until proven guilty. The surviving bomber, 19 year old DzhokharTsarnaev, was read his Miranda rights and will be tried as an American citizen rather than as an enemy combatant.
Time will tell whether the wife was as clueless as her lawyer claims. But in the meantime, constitutional guarantees will be adhered to; the wheels of justice (not lynch mob hysteria) will prevail. And the world will be watching.
RELATED POSTS:
Would FBI Be Asking for Permission to Interview Spouse of Marathon Bomber If. . .
Was FBI too Inexperienced in Global Politics?
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