While countries around the world, in virtual lockstep, refuse to accept the relocation of their own citizens– suspected terrorists–from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a House-Senate panel of the Illinois legislature will consider Governor Quinn’s (and the Obama Administration’s) plan to sell the Thomson Correctional Center,to the federal government to house the Gitmo detainees. The panel will meet in northwest Illinois, where the correctional center is located.
But not so fast. There are residents in Illinois who are outraged by the Obama Administration’s plans for their backyard and they are holding a rally to tell lawmakers “Not here.”
“This is America and our government is supposed to be of the people, by the people, for the people, and we the people were not even consulted about this decision to bring suspected terrorists to Illinois.” Beverly Perlson, founder of the Band of Mothers, and one of the rally organizers, said during a phone interview.
The rally, organized by the Illinois Tea Patriots and the Band of Mothers, has been in the works since November when the Obama Administration’s plans initially surfaced. It is scheduled to be held three days before Christmas, on December 22, outside the State Officiated Public Meeting at Sterling High School, Sterling Illinois, at 1:00 pm.
Watch:
President Obama’s campaign pledge to close Gitmo appears to be on the fast track to becoming a reality. What voters may not have known and what was not disclosed during the 2008 Presidential campaign was that then-Senator Obama’s plans would include relocating the suspected terrorists to U.S. soil.
As biggovernment.com exclusively reported yesterday, a memo allegedly from Eric Holder’s Department of Justice to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, specifies in part: “The Attorney General shall as expeditiously as possible acquire and activate the TCC [Thomson Correctional Center) as a United States Penitentiary, which the Attorney General has determined would alleviate the Bureau of Prisons’ shortage of maximum security cell space and could be used for other appropriate purposed… to accommodate the relocation of [Guantanamo] detainees by the Secretary of Defense…
Read report here.
For Perlson, an Illinois resident, whose son served four deployments with the 82nd Airborne in Iraq, this is personal. She is dedicated to keep suspected terrorists off U.S. soil. “This cannot be allowed to happen,” she said. “Out of respect for my Son’s brothers who didn’t come home, and out of respect for my son who fought to keep us all safe here, if Senator Richard Durbin and Governor Pat Quinn get their way, the sacrifice of all these brave warriors will be in vain.”
“This is the ultimate slap in the face and Governor Quinn should not support this,” Perlson continued during our interview. “If he wants to make the Thomson facility productive and create jobs, take the prisoners from California that are being turned out into their streets and bring those prisoners here.”
However, both Senator Durbin and Gov. Quinn, appear equally committed to bringing suspected terrorists to Illinois. The elected officials praised the justice department memo reported on biggovernment.com
In a joint statement, they said: “Even though the final decision has not been made, we are encouraged by this development,” Durbin and Quinn said. “We will continue working with the White House, the Defense Department and the Justice Department to address important questions regarding security and job creation, and finalize this agreement.”
But Perlson and the Illinois Tea Patriots do not agree. She implores her fellow citizens to, “Please understand, if they come here, they will be released here, sooner or later, after your tax dollars are spent feeding them and defending them. My son fought hard to keep these butchers from hurting his family and his country, I intend to fight hard to honor his service and keep our family and our country safe. As far as I’m concerned, the line in the sand is drawn, and I stand on the side of our Soldiers and our country, not on the side of the terrorists. Please come join us on December 22nd and let our government know “not here!'”
For more information on the hearing and rally click here.
Cross-posted at marinkapeschmann.com
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