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The timing could not have been worse. I had just left the theater, stunned and speechless, having relived the trauma of September 11, 2001, by watching "United 93." As I drove home, I heard the news that the jury in the case of Zacharias Moussaoui had decided to give him life instead of death. I literally screamed at my car radio in disbelief.

There is now no crime sufficiently heinous to merit a sentence of death in America. This is a man who confessed to his involvement in the infamous attack on the United States. He attended flight school to learn how to pilot a jumbo jet, just like the other 9/11 hijackers. In fact, Moussaoui and Richard "Shoe Bomber" Reid, were supposed to be in control of a plane aimed at the White House that day. Thankfully, Moussaoui was arrested prior to 9/11 because of suspicions over his flight training. He later confessed to being a part of the plot.

I have heard all the rationalizations about how much worse it will be for this evil, hate-filled fanatic to spend the rest of his life behind bars. I don't buy it. All we have to do is look at Moussaoui's statement after the life sentence was handed down: "You lost, America!" he taunted as he was led laughing from the courtroom. Now, he says he made it all up and wants another trial. All that proves is that this murderer is also a liar.

Next time you have a few hours to waste, try entering the phrase, "death penalty," into an internet search engine. You will immediately be bogged down by pie charts of statistical records concerning race and the death penalty, percentage of interracial murders resulting in death sentences, as well as the misnomer "hate crimes." You will learn about the socioeconomic difficulties of murderers and their painful upbringing. There are countless theses on the level of effectiveness of the death penalty in deterring futures crimes. And statistics on juveniles and women and the mentally handicapped and you name it. Endless equivocations as to why the death penalty is flawed and unfair and biased and should be abolished in every circumstance.

And here is why they are wrong.

Zacharias Moussaoui conspired to murder thousands of our fellow citizens. He trained for it. He educated himself in the art of mass murder. He bowed toward Mecca fives times a day and prayed for it to be so. It was his singular wish.

And the only reason he did not carry it out was because our government had him in custody. And his lawyers used that one fact to get him a potential 50-year extension on his life. Think about that. The fact that we were successful in stopping him was used as his defense. His lawyers said that he was only peripheral to the conspiracy, "a minor player" and did not even carry out any plans. People like Zacharias Moussaoui are the very reason why our Founding Fathers realized that they must enable our government to end a life via due process of law.

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