GUANTANAMO.

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the opening of the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Somehow, this atrocity of justice has been glossed over by the media and raises marginal, if any outrage in American citizens. For a country that is supposed to stand for freedom and justice, a country that supposedly fights against tyrranical abusive governments around the world, turning a blind eye to such an obvious miscarriage of justice is unforgivable. The United Nations has called for the closing of Guantanamo, but much like mounting the Iraq offensive, we've continued our actions with complete disregard for world opinion.

Here, courtesy of Amnesty International, are some facts about Guantanamo:

No Guantánamo detainee has been convicted of a criminal offence by the USA in five years

3 men died at Guantánamo in June 2006 after apparent suicides. More than 40 suicide attempts in Guantánamo have been reported

Up to 17 detainees were under 18 years old when they were taken to Guantánamo; the youngest were as young as12 and 13 when they were arrested. To date, at least 4 are still detained. There was a 5th, but he was 1 of the 3 detainees who died

Only 10 Guantánamo detainees were charged. They were never tried, as the US Supreme Court ruled that to try them before military tribunals was illegal.

380 men have been released after years of unlawful detention without ever being charged or compensated

Nearly 400 detainees from 30 countries are still held at Guantánamo.

775 detainees have been held in Guantánamo since 11 January 2002. Their unlawful detention has forever affected their lives and those of their families.

Now, I'm in favor of preventing terrorism. But at what cost?

Can you imagine if some other nation, say North Korea, captured US citizens and said they were a threat to their nation and were being held as terrorists. Regardless of the validity of the charges, our nation would be enraged and quite possibly mount a military offensive to resolve the situation. But here we are, taking citizens of another nation and putting them in a military prison. No official charges filed. No evidence presented. No criminal convictions. Detainees are tortured, taken from their families and kept without justification. Just recently has a list of detainees been made public. It boggles the mind that the US acts with such ignorant impunity. I love this country. But how can we stand for truth, justice and the american way when black eyes like Guantanamo continue to exist?

Before you agree or disagree with me, just check out some of these articles:

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