G. Eldon Smith, Author
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Thoughts and Opinions

10/18/2015

 
Quotes
"There shall be no solution to this race problem until you, yourselves, strike the blow for liberty."
~Marcus Garvey

“I may not be my brother's keeper, but I am my brother's brother.”
~Jeffrey R. Holland

"I knew the shame and dishonor of race hatred. I grew to despise it because it threatened the happiness of you and you and you."
~Governor Ralph Carr

Executive Order 9066

Executive Order  Authorizing the Secretary of War to Prescribe Military Areas

Whereas the successful prosecution of the war requires every possible protection against espionage and against sabotage to national-defense material, national-defense premises, and national-defense utilities as defined....

Thus after minimal discussion in the U.S. Congress, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an Executive Order that was designed to remove all people of Japanese ancestry, both citizens and non-citizens, from the west coast of the U.S.

Ten weeks after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the removal of any or all people from military areas “as deemed necessary or desirable.” The military in turn defined the entire West Coast, home to the majority of Americans of Japanese ancestry, as a military area.

By June, more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were relocated to remote internment camps built by the U.S. military in scattered locations around the country. Near Granada, Colorado, Camp Amache housed 7,000. In October of 1942, it reached its peak capacity of more than 7500 evacuees, two-thirds of whom were American citizens. During the course of World War II, 10 Americans were convicted of spying for Japan, but not one of them was of Japanese ancestry.

In the midst of fear-triggered-hysteria and out and out racism one Colorado hero stepped up. Governor Ralph Carr spoke about the injustice to the Japanese and welcomed them to the state and urged Coloradans  to do the same.

For example, in one speech to a large and hostile audience (made up primarily of worried Colorado farmers), Carr said of the evacuees, "They are not going to take over the vegetable business of this state, and they are not going to take over the Arkansas Valley. But the Japanese are protected by the same Constitution that protects us. An American citizen of Japanese descent has the same rights as any other citizen... If you harm them, you must first harm me. I was brought up in small towns where I knew the shame and dishonor of race hatred. I grew to despise it because it threatened [pointing to various audience members] the happiness of you and you and you."

His stance probably ended Governor Carr's political career.

When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn  ~folk song of the 60s

The Last Word
We are all time travelers moving at the speed of exactly 60 minutes per hour

If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?

Just about the time when you think you can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends.

Comments
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Get college paper link
10/27/2015 11:15:51 pm

The nature of that Executive means that President Franklin Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Japanese ancestry and Entire West Coast.


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    G. Eldon Smith Author

    I write mysteries set in early Colorado. The protagonist is  Andrew Coyle Esq.

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