Lawmaker's defense of internment called `preposterous' and `ignorant'

SJ Mercury News ^ | 2/6/03 | Cecilia Kang

[NormsRevenge]

Comments by a North Carolina congressman that he agreed with the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II sparked outrage Wednesday by San Jose Rep. Mike Honda and Bay Area Japanese and Arab Americans.

Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., who heads a homeland security subcommittee, made the comments Tuesday on a radio call-in program when a listener suggested that Arabs in the United States be confined.

[Nagual]

Shut Up! We won you lost. Get over it. We helped rebuild Japan from ruins, not from our doings. It was the Japanese that attacked us. Just like the Arabs. They will lose Too.

[LibWhacker]

He said the internment of Japanese-Americans has ``already been deemed unconstitutional . . .

Just not by the Supreme Court.

[sailor4321]

I guess the Congressman is not entitled to his opinion if it differs from the PC view that the relocation was about racism and nothing else?

My view is that just as the people at the Tule Lake Relocation Center were entitled as a matter of free speech to hold a flag ceremony for the flag of Japan (I've seen the pictures), so too is the Congressman entitled as a matter of free speech to state his opinion without the need to apologize to anyone.

[aristeides]

David D. Lowman, Magic: The Untold Story of U.S. Intelligence and the Evacuation of Japanese Residents from the West Coast during WW II .

[sailor4321]

That's where I saw the picture!

The point of the book is that there were substantial security reasons to proceed with the relocation as a matter of national security. Both the initial curfews and subsequent relocation were found by the Supreme Court to be constitutional. Honda is an ignoramus.

[John H K]

Shut Up! We won you lost. Get over it.

A large number of the interned were US citizens. Which is the point. They WERE "We".

[Grampa Dave]

Norm, please go to the link that Aristeides provided in hisreply #5, "David D. Lowman, Magic: The Untold Story of U.S. Intelligence and the Evacuation of Japanese Residents from the West Coast during WW II." 5 posted on 02/06/2003 8:21 AM PST by aristeides

Norm, I just finished reading this book, and there were big time security reasons for what was done. We had cracked the Japanese Embassy codes before Pearl Harbor.

The Imperial Japanese had set up and financed an incredible network of spies and potential agents from Canada to Chili.

If we arrested just these spies and agents, they would know that we had cracked their embassy codes. So basically every country from Canada to Chili rounded all the Japanese and moved them away from prime coast areas. It was not just the evil USA that did this to survive.

The treatment of the Japanese by Canada, Mexico and Chili made our internment camps look like Scout camps. One of the best kept secrets is the response of Canada, Mexico and Chili. The trial lawyers and the lobby that have made billions from this don't want that fact known. Nor do they want this book's data and the facts from the broken codes known.

Every conservative should read this book.

I want to thank Swarthy Guy for recommending this excellent book to me.

[John H K]

were found by the Supreme Court to be constitutional.

Umm, since when on FR has the Supreme Court been assumed to be correct?

[sailor4321]

Actually, the vast majority were American citizens. However, until 1924 "overseas" Japanese were also Japanese citizens --- and "overseas" Japanese born in the US after that year could become Japanese citizens simply by registering with the Japanese consulate which many did for a variety of reasons. You do the math regarding who were automatically considered "duel citizens".

[sailor4321]

I'm not assuming they are. In fact, the Supremes have pulled some massive bonners (e.g., Rowe v. Wade, U.S. v. Miller, etc. etc.). My point is that Honda simply ignores the fact that the constitutionality has been addressed.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for the ping!

[Stone Mountain]

It was the Japanese that attacked us.

Yes, not Japanese-Americans. Surely you understand the difference?

[aristeides]

The decrypted messages in MAGIC make it clear that Japanese-Americans were providing the Japanese with military information (ship movements and the like).

[happygrl]

Thanks for the links. Hey swarthyguy, you should put a booklist on your homepage here on FR. I'm always seeing you refer/recommend some book that is superb. Please ?

[A2J]

Comments by a North Carolina congressman that he agreed with the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II sparked outrage Wednesday by San Jose Rep. Mike Honda and Bay Area Japanese and Arab Americans.

Any time Bay Area liberals speak against you, it means you're saying or doing something right.

Go North Carolina!

[Stone Mountain]

It's unbelievable to me that people would attempt to justify the internment of American citizens for no other reason than what race they happened to be. The majority of Japanese immigrants came here and did all the things that "good" immigrants were supposed to do. They learned the language; they assimilated; they worked hard and thrived; they educated their children to be good Americans. And yet, they found out that when the chips were down, they weren't really Americans - just a bunch of Japs who didn't deserve the same rights and priveleges as other Americans. And even after the most decorated unit of WWII, the 442nd comprised of all Japanese-Americans fought so heroically, they still had to come back and listen to bigots like this idiot who apparently still thinks it's a good idea to imprison American citizens solely on the basis of their race. How sad.

[A2J]

A large number of the interned were US citizens. Which is the point. They WERE "We".

However, for the majority, they were Japanese expatriates who had become U.S. citizens. There was fear in the U.S. that because they may have harbored a deep love for their mother country and could have undermined the security of the U.S..

Right or wrong, but if the U.S. and China ever tie it up, I would have no problem removing many Chinese "Americans" for fear of espionage.

[A2J]

Do you honestly believe that all of the Arab "Americans" who have pledged allegiance to the U.S. and yet have criticized President Bush and the U.S. position on Iraq are good Americans?

[Grampa Dave]

Read the book that is cited here in these replies before you brand a lot of people as biggots.