Our safety more important than money

Ours is supposed to be a government of the people, for the people and by the people, is it not?

Yet today we have a president who plans to bring some terrorist prisoners at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to the U.S. for civilian trial and wants to transfer others to prisons in the U.S. We have told him through our representatives in Congress that we do not think that is wise. The states in which such trials are held or prisons are located could become targets of other terrorists living among us and any that escape would be out among us rather than still being on an island surrounded by water as they are now in Cuba. Alcatraz was secure because of that.

It is also particularly alarming to us in Illinois to hear that a prison in Western Illinois is at the top of the list being considered for holding such people; and it is disappointing that Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. Pat Quinn plan to "sell" us on the idea of bringing these prisoners to Thomson prison in western Illinois because of financial gain for the area and state. Our safety is more important than money.

Donald B. Abbs

Elgin