Elevating the Debate Surrounding Guantanamo Bay

Believe me when I say that I understand why manyAt this point, it is clear that releasing prisoners from
people oppose the very existence of theGuantanamo Bay is a risky practice. In fact, there
Guantanamo Bay prison. I understand that it violateshave been several reports which have highlighted the
that rights of the American citizens who arehundreds of cases in which a terrorist has been
imprisoned there. I understand that it tarnishes thereleased from Guantanamo Bay, only to go on and
reputation of the United States in the internationalmurder innocent people. Further, the Obama
community. I understand that government needs toAdministration is delaying the release of the current
have restrictions on military power in order to avertprisoners in Guantanamo, because these prisoners are
all forms of tyranny. However, at the same time Iconsidered to be the most dangerous and the most
believe in the most foundational purpose oflikely to commit more acts of terrorist in the future.
government: to protect the lives of the innocentClearly, the prisoners of Guantanamo are dangerous
citizens.criminals, who will pose a serious risk to the safety of
In this article, I do not intend to engage in a debateinternational community if they are released.
about the validity of the Guantanamo Bay detentionThe fundamental criticism of those who would close
center. Rather, my intention is to simply uncover theGuantanamo has always been that it would endanger
fundamental reason why Guantanamo exists.the American people. In our present political
The debate surrounding Guantanamo is a fierceenvironment, terrorist organizations have
debate that is far from being resolved. But manydemonstrated that they are the biggest security
people debate the issue with out fully understandingthreat to the America. Defeating terrorism, therefore,
the purpose of Guantanamo Bay. Those of us whoshould be the highest priority for the Federal
support the prison, and those who oppose it, shouldGovernment in defending the security of the United
first understand the reason why it was createdStates. It is imperative that the Federal Government
before we begin to debate its merits and flaws.ensure that those detainees that they release from
The Guantanamo Bay detention center is not aGuantanamo Bay will not go on to take the lives of
diabolical attempt to get revenge through torture;American soldiers or the American public.
rather, it recognizes that many of the terrorists thatIn the end, there ought to be a seriousness
the military has captured during the War onsurrounding the debate over Guantanamo Bay. The
Terrorism are very dangerous criminals.decision that we make concerning the detention
While it is clear that American citizens should not becenter could mean the difference between dozens (if
held in Guantanamo (for that would be fundamentallynot hundreds or thousands) of innocent lives
unconstitutional), and also that there has been a fewprotected or lost. Already, we have evidence that
instances of innocent people being held inthe government has failed by releasing prisoners
Guantanamo, the evidence shows that the militaryfrom Guantanamo Bay who have gone one to
has valid reasons for indefinite detention of many ofmurder innocent people. We cannot let that happen
the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.again.