Prisoner swap: Gitmo to Illinois

America needs to close its spectacularly successful terrorist recruiting tool in Guantanamo, and Illinois is $9 billion dollars in debt.

Let's make a deal. The Land of Lincoln should agree to incarcerate all 200-plus bad guys in return for Uncle Sam assuming our red ink. For some bizarre reason America has lost its nerve and its spine when it comes to confronting a monstrous injustice visited upon their fellow man, even those suspected of terrorist activity. The Senate, bowing to a deluge of fear and loathing, voted 90-6 to deny President Obama funds to begin closing Guantanamo.

But Illinoisans are better than that. We wouldn't fret over a few of these folks busting out of an Illinois jail, buying some box cutters and using them to hijack planes to crash into our precious buildings. You couldn't even devise and sell a video game based on such a ludicrous premise.

There must be one stipulation, however. Illinois should take no person who is not convicted in a real court by real evidence not tainted by torture or other illegal means. The guy resting in Oak Ridge Cemetery wasn't martyred so his land could do crimes against humanity. That's Uncle Sam's job.

Walt Zlotow

Glen Ellyn