“I LOVE GITMO” CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
Well, I am home. It was a great trip, saw a portion of this beautiful land of ours I never had a chance to see, and met some great people. There's a ton of mail in the Demarche inbox (thanks!), so I'll spend the weekend getting through that, and should have a new post up by Monday. In the meantime, here is a press release that I found at the top of the pile-o-email. This, I am sure, is going to rub some folks the wrong way. Click the link to visit the site and see the bumber sticker that goes with this campaign.
Begin press release:
“I LOVE GITMO” CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED BY MOVE AMERICA FORWARD(SACRAMENTO) – The non-profit group that supports our troops and the war against terrorism, Move America Forward (website:
http://www.moveamericaforward.org/), has launched a campaign to rally public support for the Detention Center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The “I LOVE GITMO” campaign will take to the airwaves in the form of paid commercials urging Americans to support the men and women operating the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
The commercials will target those individuals who have put forth false charges about the operations at the facility so that their constituents can know about their “Blame America First” antics. One example is Illinois Senator, Dick Durbin who said GITMO and those running it had created an environment akin to the "Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime -- Pol Pot or others."
“GITMO is a key arsenal in the fight against terrorism, and Americans must stand behind the heroic men and women of the Armed Forces who serve proudly there,” said Howard Kaloogian, Co-Chair of Move America Forward.
The campaign to support GITMO was launched on Thursday with the release of the “I LOVE GITMO” bumper sticker. Thousands of these bumper stickers have been sold in the first 24 hours they were available online at
http://www.moveamericaforward.org/“These terrorists detained are not common criminals; they are enemy combatants in our war against terrorism. They are not entitled to all of the rights that someone arrested in this country gets. Just like we held German and Japanese prisoners of war during World War II, we have to confine enemy combatants so they stop killing Americans serving their country in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Kaloogian added.
On the website Move America Forward notes that the food served to the terrorist detainees and terrorist suspects held at GITMO is better in many cases than the food being served to our troops in the Armed Services. Congressional decree prevents the military from serving MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat – vacuum packed sealed food bags served to U.S. troops) to detainees because it would be considered “abuse.”
Instead, in the past week the anti-American terrorists and terrorist suspects held at GITMO have been served:
*Orange Glazed Chicken
*Rice Pilaf
*Steamed Peas & Mushrooms
*Fruit Roupee
In addition, on Ramadan the terrorists held at GITMO are served lamb, dates and honey as part of their religious observance.
GITMO detainees also are provided prayer mats and prayer oils and are allowed to pray five times per day – something that even U.S. schoolchildren are forbidden from doing.
“In recent days we’ve seen certain liberal politicians have the audacity to undermine American troops by falsely accusing them of torture and misconduct, including bogus charges of desecrating the Koran” said Melanie Morgan, Co-Chair of Move America Forward.
“These shameless individuals, interested in selling magazines or rallying their leftist political followers, are willing to denigrate the important mission being conducted by our troops in Guantanamo Bay.
“By falsely provoking anti-American sentiment overseas, these domestic enemies who have fanned the flames of a ‘Gulag at Guantanamo’ are jeopardizing the lives and well being of our servicemen and women stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Morgan.
# # #
***NOTE*** This release has been posted online at:
http://www.moveamericaforward.com/index.php/MAF/MAFNews FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 17, 2005 CONTACT: Mark Washburn, Executive Director – Move America Forward(916) 441-6197 or
Mark@MoveAmericaForward.org(END OF POST)