Does anyone in DC remember the Marielitos?

Kim Priestap has a great post over at WizBangBlog regarding a proposal to detain the Guantanamo Bay facility and replace it with a US-based detention facility at Quantico, Virginia. As Kim states:

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Democrat: Bring Guantanamo Detainees to the US

What a stunningly bad idea. James D. Moran (D-VA) wants to bring the worst, most dangerous terrorists this world has ever known, whose goals are to kill as many Americans as possible, to America. Some of these detainees are still in Gitmo because they are so dangerous that their own countries don't want them back. Yet, Moran thinks it would be a great idea to hold the Gitmo detainees in Quantico.

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

A Virginia Democrat seeking to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, would favor bringing detainees to secure East Coast locations, including Quantico Marine Corps Base.

Rep. James P. Moran, D-8th, said yesterday that he favors bringing Guantanamo detainees who have been charged with offenses to military brigs in the jurisdiction of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"That's the most conservative circuit court" in the nation, said Moran, a senior member of the House defense appropriations subcommittee. "So nobody can charge [the detainees] won't get a speedy and disciplined trial."

The ideas he floated provoked attacks from Virginia Reps. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, the chief deputy GOP whip, and Jo Ann Davis, R-1st, whose district includes Quantico.

Virginians are not happy with Moran's idea, either, and I don't blame them one bit:

However, some residents near Quantico were taken aback by the possibility. "Nobody wants that kind of stuff here. Would you? Leave them where they are," said John Rogojan of Stafford County. His home along state Route 610 in northern Stafford is across the road from the Marine base's border,. The base includes land in Stafford and neighboring Prince William County.

It doesn't matter how secure Quantico is.The whole concept of having terrorists like those at Guantanamo who want to murder Americans on a massive scale here in our country is scary and dangerous.

House Republican Eric Cantor responded to Moran's idea:

"Virginians neither want nor need hundreds of terrorists with connections to 9/11 groups like al-Qaida in our commonwealth," Cantor said.

"This shocking lack of judgment demonstrates that liberal Democrats do not understand that these terrorists want to kill Americans and destroy our way of life. These dangerous, terrible people should not be allowed into our country."

He's absolutely right. Not only do the the Democrats not understand the terrorism threat, but I really question if they believe there is a terrorism threat.

Congressman Moran is on Fox and Friends now and is explaining how important it is to provide these evil, murderous terrorists due process. That's really his biggest concern? He thinks providing these terrorists due process is more important than protecting Americans from these terrorists by keeping them out of this country? He also said the jihadists use Guantanamo as a recruiting tool, but that's complete bunk. There weren't any Islamic terrorists in Guantanamo prior to 9/11, yet Khalid Sheik Muhammad had no problem recruiting hijackers for the 9/11 attacks. Nor were there any terrorists in Guantanamo when terrorists struck World Trade Center the first time. Or when they attacked our embassies in Africa. Or when they struck the USS Cole.
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As for myself, I see a clear correllation between this idea and the situation the U.S. found itself in 23 years ago. It's funny how this asshat (Congressman Moran / ed.'s note: change that "a" to an "o" and the irony is perfect!) doesn't remember the riots caused by disenchanted (& imprisoned) Cuban Marielitos.

For those of you who don't recall, in 1984 Fidel Castro opened up the Cuban port at Mariel, and told everyone who wanted to leave to, essentially, "get out while the gettin's good." Not just political dissendents were allowed to leave: Fidel opened the doors of the prisons and institutions for the criminally insane as well. Those who weren't convicted felons or (violently) mentally ill were allowed to stay in the U.S., but the doors that had been opened by Castro closed as soon as the boats left Mariel, and the U.S. was left to deal with those who were denied immigration status yet could not be sent back to Cuba.

Need I tell you that riots ensued in the institutions (in Louisiana and Georgia) where the disallowed Marielitos were housed, and that these same people had to be housed in Level 4 prisons on 23-hour lockdown? Need I also tell you how expensive this has been?

Let's face it: Guantanamo is cost efficient, legal and the conditions are probably superior to where these detainees will be housed once in the U.S., Quantico included.

In the end, I do believe Guantanamo will be closed as a political statement. With that in mind, I will enjoy hearing the Dems explain why they are spending ten times the amount of money to house these detainees here the U.S. they spent to keep them in Guantanamo.

I also eagerly await their excuses when the burden of this "humanitarian gesture" is to be shared by the municipalities in which these detainees are imprisoned (and I believe it will be in multiple locations, not just in Virginia). Imagine the uproar as those same Dem's contituents realize how there is now less money to go to them.