BRAVO TO people of Amherst for taking a brave step forward for our nation (“To Amherst, via Guantanamo Bay: Town will consider welcoming detainees,’’ Metro, Oct. 21). Like them, more localities need to come forward to redress wrongs and rebuild our credibility in the eyes of the world.
Closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay is crucial to reestablishing our credibility after the last eight years spent losing it. While the United States continues to keep Guantanamo open, the perception of human rights violations continues, whether they are currently taking place or not. This is not what we want as a country, and not what I want, as the daughter of a victim of Sept. 11, 2001, in memory of my mother, Roberta Bernstein Heber.
The United States took prisoners to Guantanamo, and it is this country’s obligation to rehabilitate the prisoners who are found not guilty. We stand as hypocrites if we do not step up to the plate. If we don’t take the first step, the message sent to the rest of the world is: We made hideous mistakes, but you have to clean it up.
Robyn Bernstein, Bolton 
