Close Guantanamo Now!

Dear Members of Congress: 

As people of faith, we are very aware of the importance of symbols in one's spiritual life. So, too, are symbols important in the spiritual life of a country. 

Guantanamo is the symbol of our country's violation of our deepest values. Regardless of how it is operated now compared to how it was operated in earlier years, it stands in the minds of hundreds of millions of people in our nation and around the globe as a place where America broke faith with itself and used torture as an interrogation technique. Torture is immoral, illegal, and never justifiable -- without exception. 

Our government must close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay now to help us heal spiritually and to put an end to this dark and errant chapter in our history. For those detainees that must continue to be incarcerated, we believe that appropriate alternative sites can be identified. We ask that you do everything in your power to help close Guantanamo -- now! 

In faith,