what is a terrorist?

This isn't one of those "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" arguments, nor is it one of those criticisms of the idea of a "war on terror." I have one simple point to make. In the recent flurry of not-in-my-backyard emotions regarding the Guantanamo closing (emotions that I think are in some cases political and disingenuous, in some cases the result of clever manipulation, but in many cases very real), I wonder what exactly the fear is. Even forgetting the question of whether all these people should even be in jail*—even assuming, for the sake of argument, that every single Gitmo prisoner is a dangerous al Qaeda terrorist—why is it so terrifying to imagine a terrorist's being transferred to a maximum-security prison geographically close to your own community...or even right next door to your house?†

I think there's a basic mistake here about what a terrorist is. The most dangerous terrorists are probably organizers, yes? I mean, if Osama bin Laden breaks out of a jail that is just down the block from where you lived, what do you think is going to happen? Do you think he's going to come into your home and steal and eat your children? Will he blow up all the houses in your neighborhood with his mind? The question of how effectively we imprison terrorists is a good one; the question of whether they're imprisoned nearby seems like something between superstition and sheer confusion. Folks, these are not supervillains. It's not like, "Whoa no, no way are you sticking Doctor Octopus and Magneto in a jail in my town, I don't want them picking up cars and throwing them at my school." Terrorists are dangerous and scary, no doubt, but it isn't about proximity; why is Osama bin Laden more dangerous to be near than a liquor-store robber or a rapist?‡

* I don't read the news or keep up with current events, but wasn't there some big question of people's being held indefinitely without charges being pressed? Or did I dream that?

† Why is that more terrifying than just having a prison next door to begin with, I'm saying.

‡ I guess you could argue that it's the suicide-bomber thing—maybe an escaped terrorist would be likelier to try to blow up your local nuclear-power plant than an escaped murderer—but (a) I doubt that people are being that rational about it, and (b) it's still not rational: do you really think that an escaped terrorist would then be able to do anything other than maybe getting out of town and meeting up with other terrorists somewhere else, very far away, if he's very very lucky?