A question for my rhetoric class
My rhetoric class is now reading articles about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. The topic is very intriguing, and many in class have professed a wonder about how they had never heard much about the subject growing up through their education, largely public. Hmm! Little coverage of the enslavement of a certain classification of people by the government in government schools? Shocking!
Today we are to listen to a professor from my university who, as a three-month-old child, was interned with his family. I plan to ask him the following question:
Sir, the internment of Japanese-Americans is very disturbing and an unfortunate history. I have been fascinated reading the thoughts of certain Japanese-Americans, such as Mike Masaoka, who have written on and described their experience during the time. In a piece we read for class from They Call Me Moses Masaoka, Mr. Masaoka explains the willingness of many Japanese-Americans to comply with the American government's harsh and unjust curtailment of their constitutional, natural, and inalienable rights. This willingness occurred, in part, because of the want to be seen as loyal and faithful to the American government. Many faithfully believed they would receive their property after the end of their internment, and would, in the end, be treated properly. Such was not the case. Now, in the War on Terror, we have seen many strikingly similar moves on the part of the American government to pass legislation severely curtailing the liberties of people and many unjust incarcerations of so-called enemy combatants. Yet many continue to put stock and faith in the actions of the American government that it is only doing what is safe, right, just, and proper. But history shows the exact opposite, for when a government grabs excessive power it does not relinquish it easily and satisfactorily. Many people do not believe the recurring problem resides with government itself but merely the inadequate elected to government. My question, for you, then, is: Why do people continue to blindfully believe in the just and proper exercise of government when it continually displays an egregious attitude for injustice?