How far away is Standish, Michigan?
During my recent visit to Standish, Michigan, where I had been invited to advise and assist citizens who are opposed to relocation of Guantanamo detainees to Standish Max prison, I had the opportunity to speak with county and town officials at an open meeting.
One gentleman, obviously frustrated by Standish’s freefalling economy and desperate for the economic salvation promised by federal authorities with relocation, accused me of "ignorance and fear-mongering" when I spoke of the lure Gitmo terrorists would present for jihadists inside and outside of America.
Beslan, Russia, I had told the attendees, stands as a stark example of the lengths to which terrorists will go to make their nefarious point. They seek soft targets like schools, churches, and hospitals. "Can Standish or neighboring communities really afford such a terrible risk for the false promise of economic gain?" I asked. It is well to remember than Usama bin Laden himself has said that two million American children must die to atone for imagined transgressions against Muslims.
"Don’t be silly," one of the residents told Kelly Kimball, one of the members of the Michigan Coalition to Stop Gitmo North, when she heard these warnings. "That kind of thing could never happen here."
Oh, really?
