"America, you lost ... I won"

So said Zacarias Moussaoui as his sentence of life without parole was handed down.

I believe this sentence is the correct one. I'm opposed to capital punishment, but besides that, it doesn't allow Islamic extremists another martyr to hold up and use as a recruitment tool.

What is even more telling is the message this entire trial sends to America haters who consider the country and its inhabitants as lacking compassion. Consider the following:

Some victims' families said he got what he deserved. "I do know the jury made the right decision," said Abraham Scott, who lost his wife Janice Marie Scott in the attack on the Pentagon. "Justice has been served today."

Rosemary Dillard, whose husband Eddie died in the attacks, said of Moussaoui: "He's a bad man, but we have a fair society." She said of terrorists: "We will treat them with respect no matter what they do to us."

Moreover:

The jurors were divided on the 23 mitigating factors in the case, from whether the defendant's role in the Sept. 11 attacks was only minor — three said his role "if any" was minor — and whether the Moroccan was subject to racism as a child — three said he was.

The closest the jurors came to unanimity in finding mitigating factors was on two questions. Nine found that Moussaoui's father had a violent temper and physically and emotionally abused his family. Nine also found that his unstable early childhood and dysfunctional family resulted in his leaving home.

Even this abhorrent and maniacal man was found by average Americans who sat on the jury to be someone whose circumstances deserved some consideration. I think that speaks for itself, don't you?