Let's just put it this way, we here at Blue Crab Boulevard do not have any respect for the "his upbringing made him do it" defense that gets used all to often these days. What happens to you in childhood may effect how you develop – either in a good or a bad way – but can never be an excuse for acts you commit by choice later in life.
Which of course brings us to the Moussaoui death penalty phase trial. His lawyers are presenting evidence that Mr. Moussaoui grew up in a neglectful household where his father beat his mother. Oh and spent time in orphanages. And he was taunted. And bullied, he was bullied.
Boo-freakin'-hoo.
Let's get this quite clear, with the exception of the orphanage bit, Mr. Moussaoui's childhood sounds remarkably like my own. I have not yet taken flying lessons (while skipping the landing lessons). I don't expect sympathy for things that happened long ago. I chose how to live my life despite what happened in my childhood, not because of it.
Moussaoui conspires to hijack an airliner and murder as many Congressmen and Senators as possible, and his lawyer comes up with the “abuse excuse.”
We shouldn’t be so hard on poor little Zack, he’s had such difficult childhood, don’t you know.
Priceless. For all his bluster, I’ll bet he cries like a little girl when they strap him down.