America is making some minor strides in getting messages to the Obama administration. It is a battle, though. Ideas seem to be starting at the grassroots level, but just are not quite making their way up to the president.
Here in Illinois, for instance, the battle still rages over whether or not to hold terrorists in the Thomson Prison Center. In New York, the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will not take place in civilian court, as the president planned. But the administration is now very confused as to where to put Mohammed as well as the detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
How about holding them on an island 90 miles away from being able to hurt anybody? In a place where they have decent cell space, respectable recreational facilities, special religious considerations and an ocean view? Wait, we already had that.
And how about trying them in a system that the U.S. Congress reviewed and deemed fair? A system where dangerous information is not made public, so that our enemies could find it? A system that provides legal counsel, rights and a reasonable trial? Wait, we already had that.
It seems that the only reason the president dislikes the ideas of Guantanamo Bay and military tribunals is that President Bush did them first. Change purely for the sake of change is usually counterproductive. It is time to move past the president’s self-conscious need to avoid any and all comparisons to his predecessor. Even the most stalwart leftists in America could admit that President Bush did not get everything wrong. President Bush also believed in the greatness of America and its people. Does President Obama wish to dispute this as well?
Overwhelming public opinion in New York went against Mohammed’s trial, once the billions-of-dollars price tag was revealed. Mayor Michael Bloomberg did an about-face on the issue almost immediately, as he originally backed the idea of having the trial close to ground zero. But the independent mayor needs to heed public opinion carefully, as he does not have a partisan machine to fall back on come election time. City officials also oppose the excessive cost, despite the creation of a $200 million dollar fund in the president’s new budget, designed to offset terror trial and security costs to American cities.
As for Thomson and Gitmo, a mere 33 percent of the American people back the idea of moving the terrorists to the U.S. mainland and trying them here, according to a Rasmussen Reports opinion poll released Feb. 2. Meanwhile, 67 percent of Americans support military tribunals for suspected terrorists, according to the same poll. Moreover, 74 percent are against giving terrorists rights comparable to those of US citizens.
At least the ideas are finally starting to work their way up the ladder. In a press briefing Feb. 1, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters, “Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is going to meet justice and he’s going to meet his Maker.” Frankly, although I cannot claim to speak for the Deity, I sincerely doubt that Mohammed will be headed even remotely in that direction. Nevertheless, I certainly can echo the sentiment.
mcoyne1@luc.edu.
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