The Gitmo Boys

So as you probably know Obama wants to close Gitmo, for what should be obvious reasons, unfortunately they still haven't resolved what to do with the prisoners until their trials. I want them to come to New York. We have a Maximum security prison in my town that I would be more than comfortable having these guys at. (actually we have two but Southport is more secure than the hill although they did recently increase security their after a couple guys escaped, I don't think anyone has ever gotten out of southport) Unfortunately it's not a federal prison so it probably can't happen. But we have federal prisons in this state and I think it would be perfect if NY the site of 9/11 was the one state that steps up and says we're not scared of them, and despite the fact that these men may have had something to do with the attack on our state we still think they deserve to be treated humanely. Then again the humanity of a super-max can probably be questioned seeing as the isolation there is quite extreme as well. I've been told that Southport is locked-down 23 1/2 hours a day, the prisoners getting half an hour to walk in the "yard" which is basically a somewhat larger room without a roof. But thats getting into a much bigger question about our legal system when right now we just need to worry about the issue at hand.

If we really want to be symbolic we should send them to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. It's tough enough to handle Bernie Madoff I'm sure it can handle people driven insane at Gitmo.

I'd be curious to hear a good reason against bringing them to NY. I personally already e-mailed Gov Paterson telling him that as a New Yorker I'd be proud to show the strength of our state by bringing those who (maybe) attacked us, and treating them like people. That is real strength.