Letter to the Editor

Guantanamo Bay

On his first full day in office, President Obama ordered the closure Guantanamo Bay. This displays, for me, that Obama’s actions are coinciding with his words early on in his presidency. Lofty promises were spewed during this most lengthy campaign and I almost tuned out his hopeful rhetoric. Not because I disliked Obama or didn’t trust him, instead because our government has reacted so poorly and too many promises were abandoned.
To his credit, former President Bush did follow through on certain policies, but I don’t think they were in line with what his people wanted. He made pact to stop terrorism, yet he condoned torture and the killing of thousands of innocent people in Iraq.
The closure of Guantanamo Bay says that the U.S. is ready to lead again. And, our leader is prepared to do so in a lawful and humane manner. It is time for our government to follow the constitution and international laws. Because, after all, war does not constitute betrayal of international expectations and does not give global governance to one leader.
I realize that the process of closing prison camps can be lengthy and arduous, but I also understand that just taking the step toward ending torture is more telling than the time it will take to disband Guantanamo.
Being a large and powerful country, U.S. leaders should set an example for the rest of the world. This may sound idealistic, however if terrorism is illegal in the U.S., it should not be executed in our camps. I praise Obama for acting so quickly and ending tempering the level of hypocrisy our government has displayed for so many years.