I have heard a great deal of...incredibly silly argument surrounding the prospect of moving Gitmo detainees into detention facilities in the US. I was particularly taken aback by the appearance of Sen. Bond on "Hardball" yesterday.
He said a lot of things that bear refutation, but he led of with this little gem (and notice the self-satisfied smirk when he completes the statement): "People in Missouri and Kansas believe Gitmo is just fine. Folks in San Francisco want it closed--I suggest you put [the detainees] in Alcatraz."
I wrote to his Senate Office, but being from North Carolina, I doubt they care.
Thus, a copy of the text of that letter, now An Open Letter to Senator Bond is provided.
This message regards the Senator's appearance on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" on January 22, 2009.
I was taken aback to hear Sen. Bond make the following statement: "People in Missouri and Kansas believe Gitmo is just fine. Folks in San Francisco want it closed--I suggest you put [the detainees] in Alcatraz."
I live in North Carolina: a "red state", a military state, and a diverse state. The issue of the dentention facility at Guantanamo Bay is quite dear to me, and to many people I know in North Carolina: some who have moved here from points North and South and West, and some who have lived here their entire lives and are now quite old; civilians and veterans and members of our Armed Forces; blacks, whites, Latinas and Asians; businessmen and farmers and the unemployed.
I suspect that the Senator will find that Missourans and Kansans (to say nothing of San Franciscans) do not appreciate being painted with so broad a brush any more than my fellow North Carolinians would. I would humbly ask that the Senator take note of the spirit in which his President wishes to move forward: a spirit which rejects artificial divisions and prizes clear thinking over tired rhetoric. And I would submit that the Senator will find himself, not on the wrong side of the issue, but in the wrong paradigm, if he persists in a line of argument that sets Missouri against San Francisco. I write in good faith, with the sincere hope that those who love their country, as I do, and as I believe you, Senator Bond, surely must, can put aside that which has divided us and move forward in service of our country.
Respectfully submitted,
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXX
I would ask that Missourans, if they find it appropriate and timely, make their feelings known to Senator Bond as well. Our leaders must know that the people will no longer tolerate this culture-war hackery in an Obama administration.
In his inaugural address, President Obama presented what I have been calling "post-paradigmatic politics": a righteous kick in the pants for those who are still fighting yesterday's unwinnable and poorly marked battles:
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation. But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness....The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works....Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill....As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.
We all must fight, in our own way. I fought in the campaign, in Johnston County, North Carolina, but for over a year I have been suffering with an illness that has not even been diagnosed, because I have no health insurance. And until that issue is resolved I cannot teach children or build bridges or make money to give to anyone but my debtors. But I can write, and I am asking you to join me. Not to fight old battles in the old way, but to remind our leaders on both sides of the aisle that our President has invited all of us to join him in forging a new one.