Pearl Harbor and September 11th: almost the same attack, strikingly simmilar results
There are numerous paralells that can be seen between the terrorist attacks made on the United States on September 11th 2001 and the attack which was made on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the catalyst that sparked the United States’ entry into the Second World War. For one thing, both of these were unprovoked attacks on American soil which both caused the U.S. to enter a war. After these events occured, there was much predjudice against people of Japanese and Arab decsent; which of course there was bound to be as it was the Japanese and terrorists of mostly Arab descent who had attacked us in the first place. This state of mind, however, is absolutely wrong. There should not be any sort of prejudice against those citizens; just becasue they are of the same descent as the attackers does not mean that they are guilty of attempting to harm the United States. Unfortunately these feelings remained after pearl harbor and September 11th, which led to the creation of the Japanese Internment Camp, and the start of suspected terrorists being held indefinately within the walls of Guatanamo Bay. During the Second World War all citizens of Japansese decsent were taken out of their homes and sent to internment camps where they would live for the duration of the war, all becasue the American government suspected that just because they were Japanese, they were sending important information overseas and aiding the enemy. Families were torn apart, and innocent peoples lives were ruined just becasue of thier ancestory.
It was very embarassing for women especially. The parent actually lost control of the child. I had no parents, so I did as I pleased. When I think back, what happened to the Japanese family… (Terkel 27)
In present times, the institution of Guatanamo Bay exists to hold dangerous terrorists indefinately. This seems like a great institution that will protect us, but in fact it is strikingly simmilar to the Japanese Internment Camps of WWII. At Guatanamo Bay, terrorist suspects are held, but like the Japanese prisoners, they are unsure why they are being held in the first place. This lack of knowledge is due to the fact that the United States law does not allow the suspects to see the evidence that has been presented against them, so they are in fact literally without a clue of why they are being held indefinately. Looking back on WWII, regarding Japanese internment, we always say how horrible that was and how we should never let anything like that happen again, but in reality we are being hypocrites, becasue the same thing is occurring with Guatanamo Bay. Now, I am not suggesting that we let all the terrorist suspects out to run free, but if there is not any legitimate evidence against them, why are we holding them in prison? More importantly, if there is evidence it should be shown to them becasue in America we argue thatt everyone has rights to a fair and speedy trial regardless of religion or race. So why won’t we allow them to have one?
