Too putrid to reside in our prisons.

Come now, fellow Americans. Let's not be scaredy cats. That's what we sound like when we say we don't want terrorist suspects now housed in Guantanamo transferred to prisons on American soil. Because they may be too dangerous. Because they may pose a security threat. Good lord. That's ridiculous. We've already magnified the terrorist threat to the U.S. By over-reacting to 9/11. We're dealing with a bunch of thugs. Criminals. These aren't enemy combatants. Let's treat them just like any other suspected criminal. Give 'em a fair trial in a court of law. And if they're found guilty, put 'em in prison. Somewhere in America. Maybe in Leavenworth in Kansas. Or Florence in Colorado. Where we have maximum security prisons. Fortresses. They ain't gonna escape. We Americans are experts at imprisonment. And at sadistic treatment of prisoners. Including torture. Many of our states even have death penalties. Unlike many civilized countries. We Americans know how to be inhumane. Downright cruel to our prisoners. We even imprison people addicted to drugs. For non-violent crimes. Rather than get them in for treatment. To hell with a cure, I guess. That's far too humane, isn't it? Far too decent. Yes, we like to wage war. A war on drugs. A war on illegal immigration. A war on terror. Yes, we're war-mongers. We like to use shock and awe. And the heck with collateral damage. If tens of thousands of innocent civilians die in the process, so be it. Yes, we believe in retribution. But still, these alleged terrorists -- well, they scare us, don't they? They might escape from escape-proof prisons. Because they are bad guys. The worst of the worst. That's why it's all right to torture 'em. Let's pull out their finger nails and toe nails. Let's bring them to the brink of drowning. Let's deprive them of sleep for 10 or 15 days. Let's make them stand naked in awkward and uncomfortable positions. Let's stick vicious dogs on 'em. And let's hang 'em upsidedown, by their heels. Let's taunt them. Let's deny them all the basic human rights. And let's tell them we're the good guys. God's favorites. And they are the bad guys. Scum. Unfit. Even too putrid to reside in American prisons. --Jim Broede