Thursday, February 19, 2009

Time for a rant...Close Gitmo now!

Let's face it. I'm an unapologetic liberal. I believe that everyone has a right to a trial, all legitimate citizen claims should be heard, and the purpose of a government is to better allow said rights of the citizenry. To some, that's like saying "everyone poops" or "the Minnesota Vikings will never win the Super Bowl". Obvious stuff that most prefer not to directly address unless it's in a book for kids (look for my upcoming kid's book "Vikings Pillaged Your Village - They Are Thereby Doomed"). But this is a blog for adults. Or dogs posing as adults to post anonymously without fear of getting a newspaper smack on the snout. Regardless, I've got a beef to cook up.

The always hilarious (usually without intent) Huffington Post today offers up a lament from a Yemeni man torn asunder during the period of extraordinary rendition overseen by the Bushies. It is exactly what you'd imagine - horrible, embarrassing and unintentionally all over the rest of our faces. This ain't journalism. But that doesn't matter. In short, as Dubya loved to continually evade real questions - "history will judge". Well, I want to say that we've already seen enough to judge. More details come forth every day. And as much as I support President Obama's difficulties in keeping as many balls in the air as he's been tossed, this program and the damning sore that is Gitmo simply must be exposed for what they were. A mistake. Just like the Japanese internment camps during WWII. Just like slavery. Just like not giving women the right to vote. Sometimes leaders screw it up. Dubya did on this issue. Put those poor bastards on our antiquated base in Cuba in a real military brig and give them a real military trial. If they did something wrong, put them in a federal prison. If the government can't prove it, let them go. And then let's move on. If we possibly can.

Hope your own delicious pumpkin muffin isn't soured by the taste of national disgrace today. Rock on.

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