Now the hard part...

I have no doubt that the process of closing Gitmo will be a complicated one, to say the least. In fact, I anticipate it will be the source of endless tension and frustration across all levels of government. My mind conjures up wild scenarios of the heated dialogues and shady negotiations that will ensue. Given the possible repercussions and long road ahead, the author is correct in pointing out that the hard part is still to come.

However, the decision to close Gitmo was long overdue. This prison has come to represent the self-righteous arrogance and sinister (yet sadly banal) pits to which the US will stoop in its misguided (and futile) attempts to maintain itself as the center of the world. So long as the US allows the existence of this prison and other venues like it, our country will be compromising its own security and that of its citizens.

The degrading torture practices that were carried out in Gitmo, the unconscionable abuses that occurred within its grounds, the harmful ideology that this dark America institution has perpetuated…all of this and so much more that is associated with Gitmo ultimately serves to undermine any American efforts to realize peace and justice at home or abroad. Keeping Guantanamo Bay prison camp in operation breeds misunderstanding, hatred, and terrorism—much like any other fear-based American institution and policy.

I will be sure to keep informed of how this all unveils, of how the matter of relocating current detainees is handled and how the trials are pursued. For if the new administration is sincere in sending messages of change and unity…if it is determined in following through with gestures towards reconciliation with the global community…then the closing of Gitmo is a step in the right direction.

But how they plan to address the consequences of this decision is not only one of many testing grounds for our leaders but one for the American people, as well. Whether and how we decide to hold them accountable will be a measure of our values, character, and integrity as a nation.

Indeed, we have some ways to go yet.