Gitmo to Thomson??
The story is about a week old, but there’s a good chance if you live in the Midwest, people will still be talking about this topic at your next get together – the prisoners from Gitmo are scheduled to be transported to the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois. President Obama’s plan is to close the prison in Guantanamo Bay that you have read about in previous Dinner Topics posts.
When there was a public outcry from some liberal groups about the need to get rid of Gitmo, this wasn’t exacly what they had in mind. Their point was that it is unethical to hold people as prisoners who have not been charged with any wrongdoing and have not received a fair trial. The move to Illinois is akin to your spouse telling you that he/she hates the blue sedan you own because the transmission keeps failing and you respond by painting it yellow. But honey, you said you hated the blue sedan!
In fairness, only about half (100) of the prisoners from Guantanamo will be moved to Illinois with a few getting trials and the rest being sent back to their respective countries.
Thomson, Illinois is about 150 miles west of Chicago. When the federal government buys the existing land and prison from Thomson, there will still be plenty of rebuilding to done, so no one’s moving in tomorrow. Still, if there’s one hot button topic you want to invigorate a boring cocktail party, get some liberals and conservatives together and shout out “Gitmo!”
Read on:
USAToday.com – Plan to move Gitmo detainees to Illinois sparks concerns
USAToday.com – Gitmo debate vexes Illinois town
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