Boston.com : Amherst mulls resolution welcoming Guantanamo detainees.
The western Massachusetts university town of Amherst is mulling a resolution urging the Congress to release cleared Guantanamo Bay detainees into the United States and calling for the town to welcome those detainees into the community. The town's Select Board voted 2-1 Monday night to endorse a warrant article titled, "Resolution to Assist in the Safe Resettlement of Cleared Guantanamo Detainees."
"The United States has a long history of being a place of refuge and asylum for persecuted people. There's nothing new about this," said Gerry Weiss, one of the two selectmen supporting the resolution. "This is the tradition of the United States."
Mark Wootton, 60, of Worthington, owner of Amherst Books, said, "I agree with those who say this is outside of the expertise of the town, but I think it's a reasonable thing for the town to welcome or accept them if they were cleared by the courts and if they want to be here. They should be free to live here or anywhere else. Banning people from living in certain towns or places is antithetical to a democracy. They're free to live in Worthington, too, so far as I'm concerned."
Update: Amherst- Town Meeting approved it overwhelmingly on November 4.
Terrorists should not be banned from living in certain places, but ex sex offenders should be banned from living in certain places ?
