Today marks the 67th anniversary of the last day that America would truly feel safe. Today is Pearl Harbor Day, “a date that will live in infamy.” (President Franklin Roosevelt)
About 2,400 Americans were killed and 1,180 injured when Japanese fighters bombed and sank 12 naval vessels and heavily damaged nine others.
We learned a lesson that day that somehow faded into forgotten lore over time – we are never safe. We can be attacked from without or within at any time. The events of 9/11 should not have been such a shock – it had happened before.
We can build that border wall along our Southern border. The Russians used a similar wall in Berlin to great effect.
Our government can listen in on our conversations and read our writings and train others to help them – Hitler had great success with his Hitler Youth and a similar plan.
Our country cannot afford to go around responding to perceived threats with knee jerk reactions based in hatred and ignorance. In the end, we will do more harm than good and we will be no safer than we are now.
On Dec 7, 1941 our country went to war. We had no choice; we had to defend ourselves and our allies. What we didn’t need to do was inter thousands of Japanese-Americans, many of whom had been born here. A knee jerk reaction that did great harm.
On this day, I want to remember and thank each and every military man and woman who has served honorably, with great courage and compassion in the protection of our country and its citizens. Your sacrifice and the sacrifice of your families is remembered and truly appreciated.
To our leaders I would like to say, you are in charge of some very precious lives – please consider your moves carefully and take every care not to waste those lives.
About 2,400 Americans were killed and 1,180 injured when Japanese fighters bombed and sank 12 naval vessels and heavily damaged nine others.
We learned a lesson that day that somehow faded into forgotten lore over time – we are never safe. We can be attacked from without or within at any time. The events of 9/11 should not have been such a shock – it had happened before.
We can build that border wall along our Southern border. The Russians used a similar wall in Berlin to great effect.
Our government can listen in on our conversations and read our writings and train others to help them – Hitler had great success with his Hitler Youth and a similar plan.
Our country cannot afford to go around responding to perceived threats with knee jerk reactions based in hatred and ignorance. In the end, we will do more harm than good and we will be no safer than we are now.
On Dec 7, 1941 our country went to war. We had no choice; we had to defend ourselves and our allies. What we didn’t need to do was inter thousands of Japanese-Americans, many of whom had been born here. A knee jerk reaction that did great harm.
On this day, I want to remember and thank each and every military man and woman who has served honorably, with great courage and compassion in the protection of our country and its citizens. Your sacrifice and the sacrifice of your families is remembered and truly appreciated.
To our leaders I would like to say, you are in charge of some very precious lives – please consider your moves carefully and take every care not to waste those lives.
And I want to remind my fellow Americans that what we do and what we say still counts in the world. Many look to us as a beacon of light and so we have a great responsibility to the world to light the way. I don't want to leave my grandchildren a legacy of hate and war. I want them to know we lived, we learned and we changed...
If I recall correctly, it was the "date" that was supposed to live in infamy, but since we live at a time when it seems hardly anyone remembers what it was about, when it happened, who the combatants were and what the word infamy means, it's important to remember.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to commend those Japanese who continue to fight a dangerous and uphill battle to get their government to admit to some of the world's most heinous crimes and allow the history to be taught in schools.
Fogg, as always I can count on you to make sure I get my facts straight - one word, a small matter, perhaps but one that should be corrected if for no other reason than to ensure the quote isn't furthered diluted over time, not unlike that old game "telephone".
ReplyDeleteYour observations about the Japanese people serves to remind us that when we speak of countries, many times the people of that country and the government of that country can be of two very different minds.
Rocky - what a good post. Very thoughtful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Squid. I think we must always hear the words in our heads, "Never forget!"
ReplyDeleteTo remember honors those who did not make it through as well as those who survive.