2007 top stories - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya - Well, I told you so. The top 10 of 2007 lists are pouring out. They are proving that journalists are as revisionist as everyone else. We tend to remember things as we want to remember them not as they actually are. When asked what the top stories of this year were we'll tell you the meaty hard news stories. But what did we really cover? Will we remember or admit that we spent our time and energy chasing down stories on Paris Hilton, Brittany Spears, Jamie Lynn Spears, and Anna Nicole Smith? Take a look for yourself. Here are 2007's top 10 stories, as voted by AP members:1. VIRGINIA TECH KILLINGS: Seung-Hui Cho, 23, who had avoided court-ordered mental health treatment despite a history of psychiatric problems, killed two fellow students in a dormitory on April 16, detoured to mail a hate-filled video of himself to NBC News, then shot dead 30 students and professors in a classroom building before killing himself. It was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.2. MORTGAGE CRISIS: A record-setting wave of mortgage foreclosures, coupled with a steep slump in the housing market, buffeted financial markets, caused multibillion-dollar losses at major banks and investment firms, and became an issue in the presidential campaign.3. IRAQ WAR: The "surge" that sent more U.S. troops to Iraq was credited with helping reduce the overall level of violence. But thousands of Iraqis and hundreds of U.S. personnel were killed nonetheless during the year, and Iraqi political leaders struggled to make meaningful progress toward national reconciliation.4. OIL PRICES: Oil prices soared to record highs, at one point reaching nearly $100 a barrel. The high prices, which burdened motorists and owners of oil-heated homes, nudged Congress to pass an energy bill that ordered an increase in motor vehicles' fuel efficiency.5. CHINESE EXPORTS: An array of Chinese exports were recalled, ranging from toys with lead paint to defective tires to tainted toothpaste and food. Despite the high-profile problems, America's trade deficit with China was running at record-high levels.6. GLOBAL WARMING: Warnings about the consequences of global warming gained intensity with new reports from scientific panels and a Nobel Prize to Al Gore for his environmental crusading that included the film "An Inconvenient Truth." Across the U.S., many state governments sought to cap emissions blamed for global warming.7. BRIDGE COLLAPSE: An Interstate 35 bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed during the evening rush hour on Aug. 1, killing 13 people and injuring about 100. The disaster fueled concern about possible structural flaws in other bridges nationwide.8. PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: In a yearlong drama with shifting subplots, large fields in both major parties battled for support ahead of the caucuses and primaries that will decide the 2008 presidential nominees. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama led among the Democrats; some polls showed five Republicans with double-digit support.9. IMMIGRATION DEBATE: A compromise immigration plan, backed by President Bush and Democratic leaders, collapsed in Congress due to Republican opposition. The plan would have enabled millions of illegal immigrants to move toward citizenship, while also bolstering border security. The issues remained alive in the presidential campaign.10. IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM: Worried that the ultimate goal is a nuclear arsenal, the United States and other countries pressed Iran to halt uranium enrichment. Iran said it never had a weapons program. A U.S. intelligence report concluded there was such an effort, but it stopped in 2003.

Young Indiana Jones - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya - I am enjoying repeats of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicals on the History Channel. I was a fan of the series when it first ran from 1992 - 1996 but didn't see all the episodes back then. As I watch it now I find myself saddened that it wasn't allowed to continue its run. George Lucas mapped out the entire life of Indiana Jones and wove together an intricate tapestry of brushes with historical figures. It was landmark infotainment combined with historical fiction. As a fan of entertainment and history I call it pure genius. Fortunately there is another Indiana Jones movie coming out next year. It wont quite fullfill all my wishes but will continue the life of a character who is dear to me. Thank you George. This makes up for all those silly Star Wars movies you made me sit through. Kent Ninomiya

Bhutto assassination - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is predictably throwing Afghanistan into turmoil and further destabilizing West Asia. What was not so predictable is the relative apathy demonstrated by network news organizations. None of the big three network news anchors bothered to return from their vacations to cover the assassination and fallout much less travel to the region to field anchor. I can only imagine that they concluded it just wasn't important enough to the American audience. The reality is... the story is important to Americans... they just don't realize it. Few would argue that the war in Iraq impacts us all. We spend billions of our tax dollars there and our soldiers are dying in a conflict with no apparent end. What happens in neighboring Afghanistan impacts Iraq. Any withdraw or peace in Iraq would involve our reluctant friends in Afghanistan. Supporting Benazir Bhutto was our government's attempt to bridge the gap between Pervez Musharraf's hard line authoritarianism and our democratic ideals. The Bush administration hoped to plant a democratic seed in Afghanistan that would take root and someday spread to neighboring Iraq. She was quite literally our only hope. There is no one else of her stature or influence who could have pulled it off. Many of our government's democratic dreams died with Benazir Bhutto. The assassination may have doomed us to a longer and more bloody involvement in the Iraq war. Add to that the mystery of who killed Bhutto and why... and you have a intriguing story that impacts us all. So why didn't the networks dispatch their top dogs to the scene? I believe that it is the job of journalists to put stories in context and explain why people should care. Most Americans believe Benazir Bhutto's assassination has no impact on them. We should help them understand why it does. Kent Ninomiya.

why so rare? - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. On Sunday night a man drove his minivan into the street side studios of WLS-TV during the 10 pm broadcast. No one was hurt but the anchor practically wet his pants when the minivan crashed his show. Police suspect the driver did it intentionally. My surprise isn't that the incident occurred, it's that it hasn't occurred more often. Since the Today show pioneered street side studios decades ago, stations all over the country have tried them. They're fun and allow fans a peak at how the news is put together. However, there are a lot of crazies out there and most of them have access to guns and cars. Considering how close they can get to live television broadcasts and the fame associated with disrupting them, why don't more disturbed people try? I worked for WLS for five years at a time before they installed the ground level studio. Even then we were all very concerned about security. Working the streets of Chicago is a dangerous thing. You drive around in giant vehicles with circle 7's painted on the side. Everyone knows who you are but you don't know who the psychos are. You learn quickly to keep your eyes open for trouble. Security guards at WLS take their jobs seriously and are always ready to deal with troublemakers. As a result incidents are rare, but they can't do much about a car hurling toward the building without warning. So again, I am surprised things like this don't happen more often. Maybe it's time to add cement barriers outside studios similar to the ones around government buildings. Just a suggestion. Kent Ninomiya

Merry Christmas Everyone! - Kent Ninomiya

Since I can't send a Christmas card to everyone, i'd like to use this blog to hand out my best wishes to all of you this holiday season. Thank you all for your support and interest. May you have a happy and fruitful new year as well! Take care, Kent Ninomiya

Christmas message - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. I'd like to pause and take a moment to reflect on this holiday season. As I get older I gain a greater understanding of the importance of Christmas as a family experience. Young adults tend to discard the ritual of family gatherings and togetherness for independence. However, once new children enter the equation the holiday regains it's place. Christmas is all about the children and how their faces light up when they open their gifts. That look is the parents' gift. There are also important lessons in Christmas. Delayed gratification is perhaps the most torturous of the lessons for kids. Waiting to open gifts is both painful and rewarding for them. Gratitude is another lesson. That's a tough one. With the bounty of gifts before them it's hard for children to think about others. They just want the presents. It's the parent's job to link the two together. It's not always an easy task. Of course the most important lesson of all is family. The act of doing everything together is what Christmas is all about. So enjoy the holiday everyone! Merry Christmas! Kent Ninomiya.

YouTube makes history - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. Queen Elizabeth II will give a Christmas Day speech over YouTube. In just two years YouTube has gone from nothing to world wide legitimate communication medium used by royalty. Wow! I remember a few years ago, a general manager telling me that he didn't want to put resources into the station web site because it would compete with our on air product. Huh? What legitimate television station doesn't have a state of the art web site today? In many ways the public didn't take the internet seriously. It has revolutionized the way we exchange information. On the other hand the internet has not taken over our world as many predicted. Remember all those dot com businesses that failed? We are not living our lives on line after all, and the internet did not kill television. Instead it's turning out to be a bridge of convenience. It's something used in tandem to television not as a replacement. These days the internet is seen as a great cross promotion tool. It's more of an interactive link for the one way medium of TV. Who can imagine the ways it will grow from there? Whatever happens it will be unexpected and fast. Kent Ninomiya
(AP) Just call her Queen e-Lizabeth. The 81-year-old British monarch launched her own video site on YouTube Sunday, featuring old news reels and film snippets of daily royal life. Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II keeps up with new ways of communicating with people and was hoping to reach a wider, and younger, audience through the popular video-sharing Web site.The palace began posting archive and recent footage of the queen and other royals on the official Royal Channel on YouTube on Sunday, with plans to add new clips regularly.The queen will use the site to send out her annual televised Christmas message, a tradition that she began 50 years ago."The queen always keeps abreast with new ways of communicating with people," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "She has always been aware of reaching more people and adapting the communication to suit. This will make the Christmas message more accessible to younger people and those in other countries."The royal page — which bears the scarlet lettered heading "The Royal Channel - The Official Channel of the British Monarchy" — features a picture of Buckingham Palace flanked by the queen's Guards in their trademark tall bearskin hats and red tunics.Palace officials said the queen's Christmas message this year will urge people to care for the vulnerable and those excluded from society. She will also pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the armed forces.The queen chooses a different theme for each annual address, the one occasion in the year when she writes her own speech without government advice.In a preview of this year's speech, the monarch is seen standing in Buckingham Palace, watching black and white footage of herself delivering her first televised broadcast.Dressed in an apricot colored dress, the queen can be seen walking into the palace's opulent 1844 Room, which is filled with lights and production equipment, and preparing to start her address.The speech remains confidential until it is aired, both on TV and radio, on Christmas Day.YouTube, which allows anyone to upload and share video clips, was founded in 2005 and bought by Google last year.

WWI Vets - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. I had to opportunity to interview a American World War I veteran once. It was the early 90's and I remember being shocked that there were any WWI vets alive. I did a little research and at the time there were a few hundred left. Now there are only two.

(AP) J. Russell Coffey, the oldest known surviving U.S. veteran of World War I, has died. The retired teacher, one of only three U.S. veterans from the "war to end all wars," was 109. Coffey died Thursday at the Briar Hill Health Campus in North Baltimore, where he had lived for the past four or five years, said Gaye Boggs, nursing director at the nursing home. No cause of death has been determined, she said Friday. His health began failing in October.
"We're sure going to miss him," Boggs said. "He was our most famous resident, that's for sure."
More than 4.7 million Americans joined the military from 1917-1918. Coffey never saw combat because he was still in basic training when the war ended.
The two remaining U.S. veterans are Frank Buckles, 106, of Charles Town, W.Va.; and Harry Richard Landis, 108, of Sun City Center, Fla., according to the Veterans Affairs Department. In addition, John Babcock, 107, of Spokane, Wash., served in the Canadian army and is the last known Canadian veteran of the war.
Interest in World War I survivors grew over the past year as their numbers dwindled. The last living links to the war, the U.S. veterans received honors and did a flurry of interviews. In May, Buckles was a grand marshal of the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., riding in the back of a car.
But Coffey once confided to his daughter, Betty Jo Larsen, that he wished people would remember his contributions rather than his old age. "He told me 'even a prune can get old,'" she said last spring. She died in September.
Coffey had enlisted in the Army while he was a student at Ohio State University in October 1918, a month before the Allied powers and Germany signed a cease-fire agreement. He was discharged a month after the war ended.
His two older brothers fought overseas, and he was disappointed at the time that the war ended before he shipped out. But he told The Associated Press in April 2007: "I think I was good to get out of it."
Born Sept. 1, 1898, Coffey played semipro baseball in Akron, earned a doctorate in education from New York University, taught in high school and college and raised a family.
He delivered newspapers as a youngster and would read the paper to immigrants, his daughter said. "That was the beginning of him being a teacher," she said.
Coffey returned to Ohio State University after he left the Army and received two degrees there.
He said he loved teaching. "I could see results," he said. "I could see improvement."
He taught junior high and high school in Phelps, Ky., and Findlay. He then taught physical education at Bowling Green State University from 1948 until 1969.
He had a remarkable memory and was independent, his daughter said. He drove his car until he was 104, and lived in his own home until a year later. He was a swimmer and credited healthy eating and exercise for his longevity.
His wife, Bernice, whom he married in 1921, died in 1993. Larsen was their only child.
Among the other World War I veterans who died this year were Emiliano Mercado del Toro, 115, who ranked as world's oldest person for the last weeks of his life, and Charlotte Winters, 109, the last known American female veteran of the war.

Valley Forge - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. On this day back in 1777, General George Washington and the Continental Army began a winter encampment at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. As I cower with my family inside my heated home looking outside at the snow, I can't imagine what it was like for them. Their winter must have seemed eternal as they battled the British, frostbite and starvation with no end to their plight in sight. Remember, they were considered traitors to the British crown. There was no American country or identity at the time. They were rebels with everything to lose. It was literally victory or death. So the next time you enjoy living in America or find yourself complaining how tough your life is... just remember George Washington and the soldiers at Valley Forge 230 years ago today.

Kent Ninomiya

Japanese American internment - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. On this day in 1944, more than 110,000 Japanese Americans who had been relocated from the West Coast shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor were told they would be allowed to return home on January 2, 1945. They spent more than 3 years in American concentration camps. Their crime: being of Japanese ancestry. Most were American born, many didn't even speak Japanese, some didn't even know they had Japanese ancestors before they were rounded up and locked up behind barbed wire. It is one of the most egregious mass violations of civil rights in the history of the United States. Yet the entire incident is barely recognized by our history texts and rarely discussed in any detail in our schools. I believe this to be a travesty. There are many chapters of American history that we are not proud of. Certainly slavery, oppression of women, and the genocide of Native Americans are on this list with the Japanese American internment. We should all learn from our mistakes. We can't do that as a people and a nation if we forget what happened. That means teaching our children our history. Few people know that there is a memorial to the Japanese Americans who were interned. This description from http://www.scu.edu/SCU/Programs/Diversity/memorial.html.

On March 5, 1994 a panoramic bronze memorial dedicated to Japanese Americans interned during World War II was unveiled by it's sculptor, Ruth Asawa, in the east plaza of the Robert Peckham Federal Building, only half a block away from the original War Relocation Authority Building for Washington, California and Arizona. The sculpture was commissioned by the San Jose Public Art Program and was initiated by the Commission on the Internment of Local Japanese Americans. This commission was established by the City Council in 1983 with the goal of educating the public on the internment of local Japanese Americans through a number of public projects. These included the Japanese American Internment Memorial, as well as the Japanese American Resource Center and a new scholastic curriculum in schools. The memorial was created with funds of $170,000 from the city transit mall art fund and $42,000 raised by the local Japanese American community.
The bronze panoramic memorial stands 5 feet high and retells the history of Japanese Americans in narrative panels. From Asawa, who was interned at the age of 16, this memorial holds both autobiographical memories and memories of the approximately 110,000 other Japanese Americans who were interned. The memorial begins with a summary of the "Immigration and Pre-War Life" of Japanese Americans. The history starts with the arrival of Japanese in America by ships such as the Taiyo Maru and goes on to portray the first immigrants' steps out the of the immigration office and their dificult struggle to find success as laborers in the fields. The gradual success of the Japanese Americans' lives are seen through portraits of the Buddhist Church and other important buildings in the Japanese American Community.
Then, like Asawa's father, we see a man being taken away from his crops by the F.B.I. Next to this scene, a family is burning books, clothing, photos and letters that may connect them with Japan. At the end of this panel, one of the major symbols of the Japanese Americans' hard earned prosperty, Japantown, is being deserted as Japanese American families board buses to evacuate. In the foreground, a soldier posts signs notifying the Japanese Americans of their orders to sell or give away all they had worked for and evacuate to internment camps. This side is finished with a copy of Executive Order 9066 which called for the evacuation of all Japanese Americans.
On the smaller side panel, a copy of the Relocation Instructions is presented, as well as a map of the locations of the internment camps are given, and the population of each camp.
The next panel begins a summary entitled the "Hysteria of War" and continues with a pictoral of Japanese Americans boarding the train to the Santa Anita Race Track where, like the sculptor, Asawa, they were held in horse stalls for approximately 6 months until permanent camps were built. In the the center of this panel is a watchtower from which guards looked over the camps to ensure that none of the Japanese American would escape. Around this camp life takes place: people eat in the mess hall, children play baseball and volleyball, a mother receives a medal for her son who has died in battle and a paper plane flies out of the barbed wire fence representing the only thing that was free enough to leave the camps. Included are also pictorals of the life of Japanese Americans who were outside of the camps, but were still very much affected by the war. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team is portrayed cooking rice in a helmet over a campfire in a background of grave stones. The pictoral ends with the fight against the injustice of the internment which is represented by the portraits of such Japanese American leaders as Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi and Minoru Yasui. This side ends with a summary of "Camp Life and Post War".
Surrounding this monument are mon, Japanese family crests, which Asawa collected from the local Japanese American community of the Santa Clara Valley. These mon futher emphasizes the dedication of this memorial to the local Japanese Americans who were interned.
The memorial is completed with a side panel summarizing redress and a pictoral of three plants that are symbolically significant in the Japanese culture and have a number of different meanings. Matsu, the Japanese Pine can symbolize endurance; take, bamboo can symbolize strength and cherry blossoms, sakura, can symbolize friendship.

Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya.
Thank you to everyone who wrote to me with words of support. I am back and new posts will appear on my blogs starting tomorrow. Thank you for your backing and patience.
Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya.I want to thank everyone who wrote to me concerned about my family emergency. I appreciate your words. Just know that it is not a matter of life or death. I am just taking care of some business. My blogs will be updated in the next few days.Thanks again,Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. I regret to report that due to a family emergency there will be no posts on this blog for the next several days. I apologize for the inconvenience. New posts will be back by next week.Thanks,Kent

Internment info - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. My high school history book has one paragraph devoted to the Japanese American internment. One paragraph. America doesn't like looking at its messes. There is plenty of information out there for people wishing to learn more about this American tragedy. Today is Pearl Harbor day. Within hours of the attack the American government started rounding up Japanese Americans. Within months virtually all Japanese Americans would be behind prison walls. Their only crime was their ancestry.

Many Mountains by Brian MinamiThe Japanese American Legacy Project from DenshoHeart Mountain Relocation Camp from the Heart Mountain Wyoming FoundationA Japanese American Memorial for All from Japanese American VoiceThe Nikkei Page by Russ NakatsuHeart Mountain Digital Preservation Project from HMDPPJapanese American Exhibit and Access Project by Theresa MudrockInternment Experience, an On-Line Exhibit by Erin KimuraThe Museum of the City of San Francisco by Gladys HansenWRA Camps in Arizona, 1942-1946 from the University of Arizona LibraryNikkei Heritage Online from the National Japanese American Historical SocietyConscience and the Constitution from Frank AbeChildren of the Camps by Kim InaRabbit in the Moon from Emiko and Chizu OmoriJapanese American Internment Experience by Miki FujuwaraInternment of Japanese Americans by Vernellia RandallManzanar Ringo-en by Ray DeLeaGo For Broke National Education Center by Ryan YokotaThe 442nd Go for Broke by Michael Furukawa
-->European American Internment by A. D. Jacobs and J. E. FallonJapanese-American Veterans' Association from JAVAAn Abridged History of The United States by William M. BrintonHirasaki National Resource Center from the Japanese American National MuseumCivil Liberties Public Education Fund from CLPEFJapanese Relocation during World War II from the National ArchivesFort Missoula, Federal Detention Center from Target Range SchoolPoston Arizona Gallery by Scott HopkinsManzanar Relocation Camp from EarthSunManzanar Project by M. Leck and D. LockettOur World, Manzanar by Diane Yotsuya HondaAnsel Adams: Born Free and Equal by Emily MedvecJapanese Farmers in California by Ingolf VogelerFurther and Further Away from The Journal of San Diego History-->Japanese American History by Greg H. LeitichMothers Who Think: Breaking the Silence with Rahna Reiko RizzutoDorothea Lange from The Library of CongressExecutive Order 9066 by Don Nakanishi
-->Japanese Internment 1942 - Military Justification? from Colorado VerdeBeyond Heart Mountain by Lee Ann RoripaughAn Internment Experience from Pasco High School
-->Construction & Destruction by C.N. LeThe Japanese American Network at mailto:JANet_Mail_List@ltsc.orgManzanar National Historic Site from The National Park Service

Magna Cartas - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. It's a monumental convergence of history. LONDON, (Reuters Life!) - Four 13th century copies of the Magna Carta, considered to be one of the most important documents in the history of democracy, go on public display next week for the first time in nearly 800 years.
The four, three of which date from 1217 and one from 1225, are held by Oxford University's Bodleian Library and represent nearly one quarter of the surviving 13th century Magna Carta manuscripts in the world.
"These three 1217 charters are a unique historical collection," said librarian Sarah Thomas. "No other institution can boast such a concentration of Magna Cartae."
The Magna Carta was signed by England's King John at Runnymede near Windsor just to the west of London in 1215 under intense pressure from rebellious barons who had captured London in protest at his exercise of arbitrary power over them.
In return for the concessions granted in the charter which effectively assured the barons of their feudal rights, the barons pledged allegiance to the English throne.
While it contains few sweeping statements of principle, it did establish in writing for the first time that the power of the monarch did have limits.
As such it is considered to be one of the cornerstones of democracy despite the fact that in restating feudal laws it has little or nothing to do with either human or equal rights.
Only four copies of the original charter dated 1215 survive, of which two are held by the British Library.
But the document was reissued regularly by or on behalf of succeeding monarchs, and only 17 of those dating from the 13th century now survive.
Apart from the four held by the Bodleian Library -- which houses more than eight million books and many other manuscripts -- the others are held at nine locations in Britain, Australia and the United States.
The Bodleian's collection will go on public show for just six hours at Oxford's Divinity School on Tuesday December 11. ahead of a sale on December 18 by Sotheby's in New York of a copy of the Magna Carta owned by Ross Perot and priced at up to $30 million.

Prohibition repealed - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. On this day in 1933 prohibition was repealed. Some would argue that this is a good thing since it should be the individual's right to decide whether to drink. If that's true then why not legalize recreational drugs and let the individual decide? Some would argue that making alcohol illegal led to organized crime getting it to the people anyway. The drug argument applies here as well. Some would argue that alcohol sales are good because they power the economy, finance sporting events, etc, etc. All these arguments distract from the real point. Alcohol is responsible for a long list of ills in our society. Alcoholism, date rape, drunk driving deaths. How do we justify that? I do not drink at all. I haven't in more than 30 years. There are those who will point to that fact and claim that I don't understand the benefits of alcohol. Well, if there are benefits to alcohol I don't see them. It's a drug (yes a drug) that alters consciousness and decision making ability. It's addictive and it can kill you. I don't drink and I don't miss it. In fact, if I did miss it, I would have an alcohol problem and shouldn't drink anyway. The truth of the matter is we accept alcohol because it's everywhere and we're used to it being around. There is no reasonable argument for keeping it around other than people like having it around. Disagree with me if you like but you know I'm right. Kent Ninomiya

Japanese American internment - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya.

Pearl Harbor day is Friday. As President Roosevelt told the nation, "a date which will live on in infamy." It was the begining of the American involvement in World War II. The event changed our world. What is not often discussed is the American government's treatment of some of its own citizens in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack. Over the next few entries I will explore what happened with the Japanese American internment and how the civil rights violations sanctioned by the American goverment were brushed under history's rug. Here is how it is described on wikipedia: Japanese American internment was the forced removal and internment of approximately 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans (62% of whom were United States citizens) from the West Coast of the United States during World War II. While approximately 10,000 were able to relocate to other parts of the country of their own choosing, the remainder – roughly 110,000 men, women and children – were sent to hastily constructed camps called "War Relocation Centers" in remote portions of the nation's interior.
President Franklin Roosevelt authorized the internment with Executive Order 9066, which allowed local military commanders to designate "military areas" as "exclusion zones", from which "any or all persons may be excluded." This power was used to declare that all people of Japanese ancestry were excluded from the entire Pacific coast, including all of California and most of Oregon and Washington, except for those in internment camps. In 1944, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the exclusion, removal, and detention, arguing that it is permissible to curtail the civil rights of a racial group when there is a "pressing public necessity."
Some compensation for property losses was paid in 1948, but most internees were unable to fully recover their losses. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation which apologized for the internment on behalf of the U.S. government. The legislation stated that government actions were based on "race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership", and beginning in 1990, the government paid reparations to surviving internees.

Kent Ninomiya. More later.

Napoleon - Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya. On this day back in 1804 Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of France. He crowned himself because he said there was no one on Earth worthy of crowning him. Most people remember Napoleon for being a funny looking french guy who stuck his hand in his shirt. However, Napoleon helped shape the map of Europe and his influence is seen today. Did you know there would be no Poland without Napoleon? He reformed the country that was carved up and absorbed by Germany, Russia and Prussia years before. If he had not done that where would Hitler have marched into to provoke the allies to go to war with him? Maybe WWII would never have happened or maybe something worse. Either way, Napoleon was important. Kent Ninomiya

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