Response and Position to JWL and the ACLU Lawsuit
I feel that as an American Citizen, John Walker Lindh should be punished for his actions and associations with the Taliban. Although he didn’t have the fairest trial, actions against our country is ultimately why I feel that his 20-year sentence was justified. Joining a group that has particularly bad blood with the United States raises some red flags, and rightfully so. I don’t think of it as an attack on his rights to freedom of religion but rather a response to his actions and allegiance to an enemy of the state as a citizen of the United States. Think for a second that if he committed this crime being a citizen from Pakistan or Afghanistan, he would be killed without question. 20 years maximum in retrospect is definitely more reasonable and with our legal system today, getting a reduction off his sentence is more than a possibility. As for his trial, I feel that he could have been treated a little better, although his rights were waived. He deserved a fair trial, and the way the media involved itself obviously put JWL at a disadvantage.
The ACLU trial to me seems a little unnecessary. I think we’re being pretty reasonable giving inmates time at all to worship. I’m all about our basic freedoms, including freedom of religion, but in prison you don’t get the same rights. Now I’m not saying they shouldn’t be allowed to pray because I do believe they should, however, they need to accept the time they have been given. If they didn’t want to make sacrifices, they shouldn’t have got themselves thrown into prison.