War Crimes:Those Responsible for interring Japanese Americans, should we try them?

James · #1 01-18-2003, 02:21 PM

I was just thinking. We seem all fired eager to put people on trial all over the worls for War Crimes, sometimes to maybe just makea point, or have a seemingly legitimate reason to take them out.

Should we put those responsible for he interring of Japanese Americans during WWII on trial? The dead ones in Abstentia?

Japanese Americans were put in concentration camps for no crime and many suffered hardships or even died.

Wouldn't it be fair?

sigmagrrl · #2 01-18-2003, 02:26 PM

I think it's fascinating how little is known about "America's Holocaust". So few people are aware of the fact that we had our own concentration camps here in the US during WWII. I feel that the fact that such a good coverup has been done in hiding the fact that these camps existed is proof that the government knows it did something atrocious. Will there ever be trials held for these war crimes? I doubt it, but I do feel they were warranted.

DeltAlum · #3 01-18-2003, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by James
Should we put those responsible for he interring of Japanese Americans during WWII on trial? The dead ones in Abstentia?

Wouldn't it be fair?

By today's standards, probably yes. But times, beliefs and politics were different 60 years ago -- not saying that's right, just a fact.

moe.ron · #4 01-18-2003, 03:55 PM

in principle, yes, in reality, no. We just have to learn from the mistakes of the past and make sure it's not going to happen again. This is why I'm nervous bout the INS registration.

CanadianTeke · #5 01-18-2003, 03:57 PM

Nazi war Criminals are still tried all over the world, 12 men were put to death by hanging in Nuremburg in 1946, for the Nazi war Atrocities. As far as i know (correct me if i'm wrong) No American or Canadian (we interred the Japanese as well) has ever been, charged, tried or convicted of these crimes. I think the best the Governmnet had done is issue an official apology to the citizens who were held. There is a huge difference however between holding somebody illegally for National Security and commiting an act of genocide out of hatred.

Honeykiss1974 · #6 01-18-2003, 05:42 PM

I doubt it too. We (meaning the US) are always at the forefront of other (as in countries) issues,but never our own.

Most of the time people who have been wronged, merely want an apology or some type of acknowldegent that what happened was wrong, yet, that rarely happens (until someone brings forth a lawsuit). Unfortunately, "moneys talks and bullsh*t walks" is the name of the game here.

DeltAlum · #7 01-18-2003, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CanadianTeke
Nazi war Criminals are still tried all over the world, 12 men were put to death by hanging in Nuremburg in 1946, for the Nazi war Atrocities. As far as i know (correct me if i'm wrong) No American or Canadian (we interred the Japanese as well) has ever been, charged, tried or convicted of these crimes. I think the best the Governmnet had done is issue an official apology to the citizens who were held. There is a huge difference however between holding somebody illegally for National Security and commiting an act of genocide out of hatred.

You're right, I think. The winners seldom try themselves, do they?

Munchkin03 · #8 01-18-2003, 05:55 PM

The least that we could do would be to issue an apology.
Didn't Clinton issue a national apology to those who were imprisoned at Manzanar and other concentration camps for Japanese-Americans? If one hasn't been issued at this point, don't hold your breath, especially with this administration.

RACooper · #9 01-18-2003, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CanadianTeke
Nazi war Criminals are still tried all over the world, 12 men were put to death by hanging in Nuremburg in 1946, for the Nazi war Atrocities. As far as i know (correct me if i'm wrong) No American or Canadian (we interred the Japanese as well) has ever been, charged, tried or convicted of these crimes. I think the best the Governmnet had done is issue an official apology to the citizens who were held. There is a huge difference however between holding somebody illegally for National Security and commiting an act of genocide out of hatred.

While that is true.... about NAZI war crimes; here in Canada we did try I believe 2 or 3 soldiers for the Somalia Incident. I don't know if it was a charge of war crimes (as no war was declared), or a charge of mruder and human rights violations.

CanadianTeke · #10 01-18-2003, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RACooper

While that is true.... about NAZI war crimes; here in Canada we did try I believe 2 or 3 soldiers for the Somalia Incident. I don't know if it was a charge of war crimes (as no war was declared), or a charge of mruder and human rights violations.

Somalia Report: CBC

According to this one of the offenders in the Somalia affair served 5 years in military prison (probably charged with something along the lines of deriliction of duty) the other tried to kill himself by hanging and rendered himself mentally incapacitated so he was never tried. In the subsequent inquiry (the same type of inquiry that is ongoing in the "friendly fire" incident) the military was found at fault, and the officer who had already been court marshelled should have been charged criminally not militarily. As a result the Airborne Regiment was disbanded. However the Commission was not able to finish a report because the government closed the inquiry before blame could be placed on the government.

sigmagrrl · #11 01-19-2003, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum

You're right, I think. The winners seldom try themselves, do they?

VERY true statement! When we succeed, we very rarely look back and "debrief" what we could have done better. The goal was to win and we did, right? SO, therefore, everything we did along the way to winning (no matter how atrocious) is justified. The end justified the means....

How observant you are...

Kevlar281 · #12 01-19-2003, 12:42 PM

The winners of the war don’t get put on trial for war crimes; it’s the unwritten rule.

carnation · #13 01-19-2003, 03:38 PM

Given that this occurred around 60 years ago and that the people who decided to do it were probably older anyway, I'd imagine they're dead now. Anyway, reparations were made some time ago...granted that that can never repay the Japanese-Americans for what they'd lost but nothing can make up for that.

jonsagara · #14 01-19-2003, 05:44 PM

I don't see any good that can come of it except for appeasing some high-minded idealists. I know that in my family the camps were rarely, if ever, talked about. All but a few of my questions about them were ignored. All they wanted to do was get on with their lives and forget about that terrible episode.

Reparations were made and an apology was offered. No, a monetary gift doesn't make up for what happened to them. They lost *everything* when they had to relocate themselves. For instance, my grandpa has just bought his first car, and then had to sell it dirt cheap because he had to report to the camps. However, after the camps they came back and rebuilt their lives very successfully. I think that in itself means more than any forced apology.

There have been two unsuccessful lawsuits brought against the gubment concerning the camps, but I believe these were both pre-reparation/apology. Given that the gubment has recognized what it did was wrong, I don't see the need to take the issue any further.