From TPM Reader JB …
In regards to the “controversy” of where to incarcerate Gitmo detainees, I can’t help but think that we and our representation are missing out on the bigger picture. Congress and pundits are up in arms about the relocation of Gitmo detainees using the “not in my backyard” argument. Of course the public safety concerns of this argument are ridiculous. SuperMax in Colorado is as secure as any prison in the country. Do people really think that detainees are going to plot the greatest prison escape in American history and then rampage through sparsely populated Colorado with their prison-made shivs? Unlikely. But, I think there is a bigger point to all of this. I think as a country, we’ve been desensitized by the keyword “9-11”. The Bush administration used this keyword for justification to every argument they made. Because of that, I think that the actual event of 9-11 has lost some significance. I can’t believe that our representatives are fighting to keep detainees out of their state instead of fighting to have detainees relocated TO their state. If all goes to plan, we will release unjustly detained Gitmo detainees (a separate can of worms) and try detainees with legitimate US legal cases against them. In this case, we are seeking to domestically incarcerate Gitmo detainees with just legal cases against them. These charges accuse them of direct involvement in the planning or execution of 9-11 or deadly acts against our soldiers abroad. I fail to see how a representative would refuse this responsibility for their state. In the weeks and months after 9-11, would any representative have refused to incarcerate someone linked to the perpetration of 9-11? I, as a Coloradan would be proud for my state to undertake such a responsibility. Additionally, beyond the patriotic obligation, our representatives should be clamoring for the political capital gained from volunteering their state to house Gitmo detainees. On one hand, a representative could claim that they are promoting their state’s commitment to the defense of the nation. On the other hand, a representative could claim that they are compromising to bring an end to Gitmo detention and mainstream the process for trying alleged terrorists. Appearing strong on defense while revitalizing the American commitment to the rule of law seems like a win-win situation for so many representatives facing re-election in a newly skewed political landscape.
