Cue the smoke machine and spooky lights: Fox News is raising the specter of terrorists living in people's "backyards."
Honestly, we expected this to happen. President Obama makes good on a campaign promise by signing orders to close Guantanamo and end torture—and really, when's the last time you remember a politician doing that?—and his detractors pounced practically before the ink dried.
Senators are saying that bringing detainees to the U.S. "will endanger American lives." Rush Limbaugh is spreading the totally unsupported claim that 61 already-released detainees have "returned to the battlefield." And, naysayers continue to make claims that our criminal justice system is incapable of prosecuting terrorism suspects. We've already debunked both claims, here, and here.
As my dad would say, don't piss on my foot and tell me it's raining.
You can help spread the truth about Gitmo and why we should close it. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to get the facts out. Make it clear that you and countless other Americans support President Obama's actions to restore our nation's commitment to justice and the rule of law.
Don't let Fox, Limbaugh and company have the last word. So flex those fingers, and start typing. President Obama has taken those first crucial steps. But he needs our support to get the job done.