Quick trial, firing squad for three men provoke fury

The Miami Herald ^ | 4/12/2003 | ALFONSO CHARDY

[Luis Gonzalez]

"...to get what I want..."

Your statement would carry more weight if you had gone with the full thought, and tried to convince me that you have limits in what actions you would undertake to obtain freedom and a future for your children, instead of the obvious dodge above.

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

"Castro murdered another three individuals, without due process, and the world justs shruggs, and says well what did they expect? "

Whose due process? Does every country on earth have to run all there 'due process' criminals through the US judicial system--I sure hope not, as a taxpayer I can't afford it. These thugs and pirates initiated their international capital punishable crimes in Cuba, Cuban authorities tracked them down and apprehended them, returned them (logically) to Cuba, tried them, the Cuban Supreme Court heard their appeals and upheld the lower court decisions, and the sentencings were carried out. What part of this doesn't sound like due process to you????????????? Note the plurals in this last statement--the sentences ranged from 3 yrs. to the death penalty. Not exactly what I would expect from a tyrannical 'kangaroo court' out to make a point with dissidents!!!!!!

[Luis Gonzalez]

"...the Cuban Supreme Court heard their appeals and upheld the lower court decisions."

And they did it all in under eighteen minutes.

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

"Did these particular Cubans commit a crime? Yes.
Did they deserve death? Absolutely not."

Ah--your liberal underpinnings are starting to show through. Terrorism, piracy, hi-jacking and the taking of hostages are ALL capial crimes according to INTERNATIONAL LAW. Fortunately, we have you and Luis to keep reminding us that international law can be ignored if you and he say it often enough and loud enough.(Sarcasm still full "ON".)

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

"...the Cuban Supreme Court heard their appeals and upheld the lower court decisions."
"And they did it all in under eighteen minutes."

That's right Luis--when there is NO defensible position, 18 minutes is plenty of time to reach and accord.

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

sorry---"reach an accord

[Luis Gonzalez]

I love it when you exhibit your ignorance.

[sarasmom]

Give it a rest.
Are you even noddingly familiar with the Cuban / USA immigration/refugee laws?

I have seen no evidence that you have a clue about the current situation regarding Cubans and the USA.

You seem to be arguing that everyone,everywhere deserves to die if they break any law of any country.
Where are you from?
Why are you here?

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

Sorry-- 'and' / 'an' --your right, it was an ignorant typo.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I've got to side with Cuba on this one.

20 posted on 04/12/2003 9:58 AM EDT by republicofdavis

Let me tell you what I believe in.

I believe in Freedom, and that it is a gift from Our Maker.

I believe that Freedom in being a gift from Our Maker is an inalienable right of every human being on this planet.

I believe in Justice as defined in the Institutes of Justinian, nearly 2000 years ago, and as it felt and understood by all who understand human relations and human rights:

"Constans et perpetua voluntas, jus suum cuique tribuendi."

"The constant and perpetual will to secure to every one HIS OWN right."

From the onset of this thread, you stated that you sided with the Government of Cuba on this one, and have argued that the individuals who hijacked the ferry violated the rights of the other passengers to go about freely, and endangered them.

You further argued that this danger could come as a result of the reaction of the Cuban government to this hijacking, that the possibility may have existed of Castro ordering violent action against the ferry that could result in the loss of innocent lives.

Others have argued that the swiftness of the trial and punishment process is something that would even be welcomed in our system of Justice.

There is no system of Justice in Cuba, there is neither a system, nor is there Justice.

The rights of all the individuals involved here should be considered before taking such a stand, as approving the execution of three men for committing a crime where no one came to any sort of discernible harm.

In the ferry, there were two sets of people…the hijackers, and the hostages.

You argue that the hijackers violated the rights of the passengers by holding them against their will, and that they also placed the passengers in danger of suffering harm, by creating a possible confrontation with the Cuban authorities. I say that whatever harm may have befallen the passengers due to the actions of the Cuban government, as described by you, would have been the sole fault of the Cuban government.

On the other hand, the Cuban government violated the inalienable rights of the hijackers to Liberty, and Justice by placing the rights of the State above the rights of the citizens.

These men, as do the vast majority of the people of Cuba, are sentenced by crime of birth to live in a society where their inalienable right to speak freely is violated, we saw that in the arrests of the dozens of opposition leaders by the Castro authorities this past week.

These men, as so all Cubans, had their inalienable right to pursue happiness violated by a government that believes it has the right to keep people from doing something as basic and simple as going to live elsewhere.

These men, as do all Cuban citizens, are denied their right to participate in their own governance, or to choose their own destiny.

These men were denied the very basic right of staging a defense against their accusers.

They were denied their right to a defense, because their defense would have constituted of accusing the regime of placing them in a position where they were forced to commit a crime, in order to exercise an inclinable right, a right taken from them by the very system that sentenced them to death.

No one bothered to try and secure these men their own rights.

That’s what you stand with.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"...your right, it was an ignorant typo."

I'm sure you meant to type "you're right"...

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

"Are you even noddingly familiar with the Cuban / USA immigration/refugee laws?"

Huh???--I thought this thread was about INTERNATIONAL LAW and TERRORIST PIRATES. I'm pretty sure that Cuban/USA immigration/refugee laws at no point try to void international law--which is exactly what you and Luis seem to be advocating.

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

NO--I meant it just like I typed it--after three days of your ramblings I just can't force myself to say 'you're right'.

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

"Where are you from?
Why are you here? "

If you can't answer the question---question my right to be here????

[Luis Gonzalez]

You've been carrying on about "International Law" for days now, could you please show where International Law calls for the execution of hijackers?

Could you also detail where the Castro government, that notorious supporter of International Laws, is prosecuting the person or persons guilty of downing two light civilian aircraft in international airspace?

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

"...International Law calls for the execution of hijackers?"

I never said it 'called' for execution--only that it allows for it. If it called for execution, they would have had no choice but to execute ALL of these thugs.

[sarasmom]

Are you French? or French Canadian?
You are obviously "not from around here".
You attempt to debate Luis, but you seem to be entirely out of any actual factual basis for your viewpoint.
But you feel so strongly.......
Did you think the obvious was a secret?
Did you think extraneous calls for summary executions would be wildly popular here?
When was the last time you had an original thought?
You appear to be logging on to the wrong internet site.We debate things here, we do not worship dictators nor do we worship willfull ignorance.
Have a nice life!If you stay away from thoughtfull people, you may make it a happy one.

[RyeWhiskeyJoe]

"....is prosecuting the person or persons guilty of downing two light civilian aircraft in international airspace?"

???Luis--I thought this was a simple ferry hi-jacking--who the h--l brought in the airplanes????

[Luis Gonzalez]

"...only that it allows for it."

Then you can show me that section of International Law that allows for the execution of hijackers.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law."---Martin Luther King, Jr.

The laws under which these hijackers were tried are unjust.