This Sunday, April 5, 2009, the National Geographic Channel is airing a brand new documentary titled “Explorer: Inside Guantanamo” which offer an in-depth – very in-depth – portrait of life behind the razor wire confines of the prison.

Today, when you hear “Gitmo” instantly images of torture, Koran flushing, and other notorious, evil, and despicable deeds come to mind. The anti-war baffoons in this country have successfully turned a well-meaning and justified camp into the bane of our existence. And as you know, President Obama swept into office under promises to close the camp, which he did within 48 hours of taking office (with or without a plan).

Inside Guantanamo is a fairly unbiased representation of what life is really like in the Cuban island confinement center for this nation’s worst enemies. For three weeks, the crew from National Geographic were offered unprecedented access to areas and personnel long off-limits to the media. The result is a GREAT piece that will anger and elate everyone, regardless of where you stand on the issue.

Those ardently in objection to the camp will be happy to see that some of what they’ve suspected is admitted by official representatives. Those same people will not be happy to know that the worst incidents of abuse ended years ago and that the camp has run without issue for a LONG time.

Supporters of Gitmo likewise will be happy to see that they are justified in their opinions that Gitmo is necessary. They will see the blurred faces and hear the voices of people that want us dead. They will witness the verbal, mental, and sometimes physical abuse of our troops at the hands of these “innocent” men held there. They will also not be happy that NGC is giving some recently released prisoners plenty of opportunities to spread their messages of hate across our airwaves.

All in all, I think anyone even remotely interested in Gitmo one way or the other should watch this special. Despite the glare of media and blowhards like Michael Moore for his film “Sicko”, little is known about daily life at Gitmo. The documentary follows the daily life of one dual-military couple stationed at the base and what they do day in and day out. It also informs viewers from the prisoner standpoint what life is like living in an 8′x12′ cell for years on end.

Part groundbreaking historical documentary, Inside Guantanamo observes up close the daily events, both dramatic and mundane like Soldiers smoking after a shift or shopping at the PX. When a detainee is found unresponsive in his cell, a “Code Yellow” is called and a medical team rushes to the scene. Elsewhere, troops offer detainees a choice of books to read, with choices from the Koran to Stephen King’s “It”. “What’s a clown?” asks one prisoner after the troop offers the book as a possibility. You will sit in on a Battle Update Briefing, where troops review detainee behavior and possible threats – the first time this has ever been filmed!

The film’s director, Jon Else, says, “So much of what defines us as a nation in the last decade is crystalized at Guantanamo.”

As I said, the film is quite unbiased in its portrayal, but I just shake the fact that it’s still going to get a bad rap. Regardless of what people think about the camp, Gitmo isn’t causing terrorism. As the commander of the camp notes in the documentary, “terrorists didn’t have Gitmo in 1998 during the Kenyan attacks. They didn’t have Gitmo during the 1993 WTC bombing. They certainly didn’t have it on 9/11.” Unfortunately, that wisdom will continue to fall on deaf ears.

Again, Explorer: Inside Guantanamo will air on the National Geographic Channel this Sunday, April 5th at 9pm ET/PT. I strongly urge you to check it out. You might learn something!