Western Courier

Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: Opinion

Skylar Patridge/cartoonist

Recent proposals concerning individuals who are held in Guantanamo Bay being transferred to a prison in Thompson, Ill., located 150 miles from Chicago, have stirred the emotions of many Illinois politicians and citizens.

However, we believe that bringing alleged terrorists from Guantanamo Bay is not a danger to Chicago and the surrounding areas. It could potentially do more good than harm.

U.S. Representative Mark Kirk wrote a letter to President Obama regarding the relocation proposal for the detained individuals.

Kirk wrote, "If your administration brings Al Qaeda terrorists to Illinois, our state and the Chicago Metropolitan Area will become ground zero for Jihadist terrorist plots, recruitment and radicalization."

The WC believes that Illinois will not be in any more danger than it already is. In the eyes of a terrorist, Chicago and the metropolitan area are already great targets. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States. Also, it is home to one of the world's tallest buildings, Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower. Just those two components put Illinois at a high risk for terrorist actions. Bringing prisoners to Illinois would not increase the risk anymore than it already has; in fact, this is an idea that could generate more jobs.

Senator Durbin said, "A decision by the White House to choose Thompson would result in nothing short of a major economic impact on the region. With up to 3,000 jobs on the line, this could be the biggest jobs creator in northwest Illinois since I've held elected office."

Also, according to the Illinois Government News Network, the analysis estimates that federal operation of the facility would generate between 2,340 and 3,250 ongoing jobs. These would include both direct, well-paying federal jobs at the facility, as well as indirect jobs in the surrounding region.

Overall, the earnings of area residents could increase by as much as $223 million annually on an ongoing basis. The analysis estimates that the overall injection of funds into the local economy would be between $790 million and $1.09 billion over the first four years.

In today's economy, job opportunities and projects like this don't come around often. Bringing those detainees to Illinois could potentially help citizens more than harm them.

Kirk also states, "The United States spent more than $50 million to build Guantanamo Bay detention facility to keep terrorists away from U.S. soil. Al Qaeda terrorists should stay where they cannot endanger American citizens."

With the recent Fort Hood massacre, it is hard to say that anywhere in the United States is safe. One cannot assume that the presence of a certain person in a certain place would attract any more danger than what already exists. The WC believes it is better to have these prisoners in a prison on American soil than have them returned to their own backyards.

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