There will be a day, in the not too distant future, when Americans, regardless of politics, gender, race, religion, etc., will view this country's mass incarceration of political prisoners at Guantanamo Bay as being akin to FDR's mass lockup of Japanese-Americans during World War II and other so-called "black spots" in American history.

The major heartbreak of this is, of course, that we, collectively, as Americans who supposedly honor God-given individual freedoms, have tacitly allowed a little man in the White House to so dishonor and disgrace historical American ideals. As we pilgrimage each Sunday to our respective houses of worship, drop to our knees and sing the praises of Christianity, brotherhood and mom's apple pie, each of us diminishes ourselves through indifference, complacency and self-serving rationalizations.

A small-minded little person with such truly un-American concepts has allowed us all to soil ourselves - again. Ain't it a cryin' shame.

George Starks

Salt Lake City