In May 1943 the German forces in North Africa, almost 300,000 troops, surrendered to the Allies. Thousands and thousands of those enemy troops were loaded on Liberty ships and brought to the U.S.
By the end of the war we had about 500 POW camps in 45 of the 48 states. The Geneva Convention on war prisoners was honored. Prisoners were treated so well that some inmates stayed after the war and became American citizens.
Now we have Guantanamo. In total 779 men and boys. Now down to 172. In May 2009 the Senate voted 90-6 that Guantanamo prison should remain open indefinitely, and none of the prisoners could be brought to the U.S.
In January 2011 President Obama signed a defense appropriations bill that had been amended to block funding for any transfer of Guantanamo prisoners to the U.S.
Home of the brave? We sure have come a long way from the country that defeated Mussolini, Hitler, and Tojo, haven’t we?
I support our President, but this is one area where I feel he is wrong. These prisoners deserve a swift and decisive trial.
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