We get letters....
We get letters here at Friends of Historical Accuracy.
In fact, a head BIJAC representative, (the little twerpy outside agitator one) sent a flurry of hateful comments just after the 4th.
When faced with historical facts he could only resort to personal attacks and attempt to play the race card. So typical.
I find no reason to repeat such outburts of hatred and intolerance, even if the attackers are employed by the county.
On occasion though, some letters are worth repeating.
One such exchange I had with a Japanese citizen living in Japan. His candor gives me hope that in both Japan and the United States, the 100% truth will prevail.
"You are really opening my eyes to the truth regarding the Japanese American redress.The more I know about it, the more I find it was not necessary and most likely was done to appease ethnic Japanese, which is also a different knid of racism....
Problems arise when people like Mike Honda uses EMOTIONS and RACE to gain sympathy from the innocent majority who are more or less indifferent or ignorant of the issue and to silence opposing views.
Newspapers, schools, books and TVs had also brainwashed me to believe the Japanese American relocation as a great injustice and tragedy, since I had no interest in it and I didn't seek any further info beyond what I heard passively.
But come to think of it, the majority of them were not US citizens and they also had the option to move, either back to Japan or somewhere else.
Many Americans, Japanese and other Asians were dying and starving at that time, when they were safe in the camps, though I can see it was a demeaning and miserable experience.
Mike Honda and others seem really trying to expand the coalition of victims, using EMOTIONS and RACE.
I'm glad someone like you care about truth and go for more depth and details, rather than a precious sight of some old women weeping with joy."
Thanks for the nice comments!
It is always heartening when I get through to another person the complexity of this history.
Over the last fews years I have received other such letters from Japanese (even Japanese Americans) regarding my endeavor for the historical truth that are positive and supportive.
Thank you for the support!
Your letters of encouragement are gratefully accepted and encouraged, especially considering the barrage of wingnut letters we receive hurling accusations of "racism".
posted by Friends of Historical Accuracy @ 5:48 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Honorable Bainbridge Historian -- yes, we do get mail on this subject and much of it is like the former Inslee staffer/monument front man writes. Of course I am referring to Clarence Moriwaki.
Please look this letter over and see if you see any semblance to the letters you received from Moriwaki around the 4th of July. I find a striking resemblance in style and 442nd data justification and presentation. However this person writing under a pen name appears to be a person deeply chemically impaired or just deeply troubled.
Not sure what his beef is with the named Mr. James Owen but Mr. T has to work on both his facts and angst. And what gives with his annotomical references: Don't ask -- don't tell, no doubt.
Thanks for helping to solve this mystery. Perhaps Mr. T will be a regular commentator for the special interest.
Taken from Kitsap Sun blog: Bainbridge Conversation hosted by Rachel Pritchett. 8/11/07. The post was in response to the article on Japanese relocation. Up to this letter, the conversation was spirited but civil.
"Mr James Owen. First, since this is America lets please try speaking proper english.
concentration camp –noun
a guarded compound for the detention or imprisonment of aliens, members of ethnic minorities, political opponents, etc., esp. any of the camps established by the Nazis prior to and during World War II for the confinement and persecution of prisoners.
[Origin: 1900–05, applied orig. to camps where noncombatants were placed during the Boer War]
Source :: Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved August 10, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/concentration camp
concentration camp n.
1 A camp where civilians, enemy aliens, political prisoners, and sometimes prisoners of war are detained and confined, typically under harsh conditions.
2 A place or situation characterized by extremely harsh conditions.
Source :: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved August 10, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/concentration camp
So in english over 120,000 American citizens of Japanese decent were forced at gun point into concentration camps.
Second. When you said quote "The clear and incontrovertible historical fact is that the Bainbridge Japanese-American Memorial ignores Second World War wartime realities and evades honest discussion of extensive West Coast espionage, sabotage and strong loyalties to the Divine Emperor of Japan. Before the flawed and biased history is etched in stone, become knowledgeable." end quote Do you have a source for your slanderous, racist fabrication? Or did you simply pull it out of your inbred rectal passage? Try to get past your self loathing race hate and try having your pea brain accept the verifiable facts. There was not one single conviction of a Japanese American for espionage, sabotage or treason during or following WWII. To my knowledge NO Japanese American has EVER committed espionage, sabotage or treason against the United States. However, Japanese Americans did prove their undying loyalty to their country. While their loved ones and families were in American concentration camps the all Japanese 442nd proved to be the most heroic fighting unit America has ever seen. Based on Department of Defense statistics the average Japanese American solider serving with the 442nd was wounded 2.22 times. Suffering the highest casualty rate in US history the all Japanese 442nd became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history.
The 442nd received
▪ 7 Presidential Unit Citations (5 earned in one month), and its members received around 18,000 awards, including:
▪ 21 Medals of Honor (the first awarded posthumously to PFC Sadao Munemori )
▪ 52 Distinguished Service Crosses (including 19 Distinguished Service Crosses which were upgraded to Medals of Honor in June 2000)
▪ 1 Distinguished Service Medal
▪ 560 Silver Stars (plus 28 Oak Leaf Clusters for a second award)
▪ 22 Legion of Merit Medals
▪ 15 Soldier’s Medals
▪ 4,000 Bronze Stars (plus 1,200 Oak Leaf Clusters for a second award; one Bronze Star was upgraded to a Medal of Honor in June 2000)
▪ 9,486 Purple Hearts
Mr Owen if it appears I have taken your insults personally I have. My grandfather was killed in one of your concentration camps. He and my father so loved this country that at fifteen my dad became one of those kids that enlisted in the 442nd serving the United States Of America during two wars. He instilled in me a great love for confronting mouthy lying low life bigots. I for one am not buying your phony fascist filth. Honor, honestly, integrity, courage is what makes this the greatest nation in the history of man. Our proven capacity to openly confront our imperfections and in some small measure correct them is what makes this nation shine. The memorial is a tribute not to the interned Japanese Americans but to the honor and honesty of every American who made this monument possible. It will stand as proof that We the people never have and never will tolerate slimy sulking slithering revisionist cowards creeping around in the darkness of their dirty little secrets perpetrating foul festering sores of hatred and deceit. By acknowledging our mistakes do we grow and shine in the eyes of our Creator and our fellow man. I for one will not stand by and allow your kind to diminish the beauty of what the good people of Bainbridge have done. Shame on your for trying."
Couldn't tell you who wrote this one, but the historical inaccuracy and uncivil tone of the letter is representative of mail we receive from our detractors.
They can't debate the facts.
They have no desire to confront the 100% truth.
They believe hurling accusations of racism is enough to silence those who disagree with them.
The medal counts provided by this poster are overinflated. You can read about it here.
http://www.internmentarchives.com/specialreports/smithsonian/smithsonian2.php
Read about the affirmative action upgrades for MOH here. Of course white soldiers were excluded from Senator Akaka's upgrades. Who are the real racists?
http://www.internmentarchives.com/specialreports/medalofhonor/medalofhonor1.php
As for this person's grandfather being killed "in one of the camps", he provides no specifics that can be verified, which is typical.
This is a good read on disturbances at the Relocations Centers.
http://www.internmentarchives.com/showdoc.php?docid=00073&search_id=27221
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