"...They will know we are Christians by our love..."

Friends of Historical Accuracy regarding the ethnic Japanese Evacuation of 1942

"We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love..."

That's a nice song. We used to sing it regularly in church back in the '70s but not much anymore.

The song comes to mind after the latest round of hate mail to arrive at "Friends of Historical Accuracy". Boy, do we get hate mail!
The names have been removed to protect the innocent and the guilty. The profanity remains.

Not a Friend of Hisorical Accuracy:

"I am so sick of reading about your nonsensical bull shit – why don’t you move off the Island and relocate somewhere where your revisionist thinking bull shit might make sense. I’m the one who took down your levy signage and threw them in the garbage – not the city. I think you are a complete idiot!"

Friend of Historical Accuracy:

"Sounds like an anger problem...

As long as someone with your credentials thinks I am an idiot there is hope. Your sign vandalism was very effective. Thanks for all your assistance. Perhaps you should talk to COBI about their delusion they removed the signs!! You could make a guilty Mayor K sleep better at night knowing that it was you and not her enforcement people.

Not a Friend of Historical Accuracy:

"You are a first class nut and so is your wife. . . and I don’t have an anger problem – but I can spot a phoney form a mile away, and I don’t give one flying fuck if you were ever in the Coast Guard – the men were in the Navy so you were either a pussy or not good enough to get in the Navy. I’ll run into you again somewhere and I’d love to knock you on your ass. Anybody who still clings to a Captains rank in the Coast Guard like he was some kind of Rear Admiral in the Pacific Fleet is laughable. A typical rear action chicken shit – just like the moron for a president we have. I hope you get run off this island – you are a despised and frightening fruit cake and I’m pretty sure that looney wife of yours hears voices. Fuck off asshole."

Friend of Historical Accuracy:

"The guy's name, USN, author of other musings of a nut variety: "Please tell Ted Sampler for me that he is a wacko fruitcake who shouldn't be allowed on the streets unsupervised. This moron needs to be locked up. He's really a first class NUT!"

(This was after a bit of Googleing located a couple more quotes from the guy, this one on an anti-Bush web site.)

"I have referred this to BIPD. Keep your threats and rantings to yourself."

Not a Friend of Historical Accuracy:

"Fuck off you chicken shit prick – you and Ted Sampler were probably butt fuckin buddies somewhere along the line – he’s another chicken hearted pussy! Captain my ass – what row boat did you command! What a phony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Well, there it is. More tolerance from the supporters of the Sakai School Curriculum and the Japanese-American "Internment" memorial.

Being an inquisitive sort, I did a google on this guy and found that lo and behold, HE GOES TO OUR CHURCH! So I check out the church directory and he looks normal enough, lovely wife and three kids. He's an island newcomer lives in a newly built community here, a fairly young guy - to young to be the disgruntled Vietnam Vet I thought he was. Sounds like he's originally from Tennessee.

We have a city councilwoman on Bainbridge who is also a Tennessee transplant. Her most recent support for the "internment" memorial was to compare the 1942 evacuation to the Jim Crow laws of the south. That's a new one, even for me.

It takes courage to stand up and speak out for what one thinks is right. We know this history better than most Americans and believe strongly that our wartime military and political leaders are being unfairly villified. This history is being portrayed in a biased and one-sided fashion.

If you want to disagree with us, how about a debate on the historical facts? Sending flaming emails filled with profanity just makes you all look like a bunch of jerks.

If this guy really wants to do some ass-knocking, let's hope it's not when we all see each other Sunday morning at church.

"...and they'll know we are Christians by our love..."