Obama a Democrat, not a Socialist
Two of your Sidewalk Talk interviewees of March 4 classify our president as a socialist and one goes so far as to also call him a Marxist. By what authority are they using these terms?
Does trying to reform our health care system mean that Obama favors complete government control of all corporations and land? I don’t think so.
There is a difference between regulation and excessive government domination of resources. As the recent banking meltdown shows, government regulation is needed when free enterprise becomes tainted by greed and inefficiency to the detriment of our society as a whole. Otherwise, free enterprise should be left alone.
Finally, I have yet to hear Obama speak of government exploiting the masses in this country or creating a socialist, classless society. If you want to look for fault, blame the dark side of human nature which permeates all our institutions including corporations and government. However, in the meantime, please label the president by the right term: democrat. If you don’t believe me, look it up.
Mike Goodrich
Seal Beach
On Internment story
I read with interest your article on Remembering Internment in the March 4 issue.
Anytime the message can be given about that part of World War II history is greatly appreciated by all Japanese Americans who lived through that experience.
However, I must bring to your attention some errors in your article.
When you quoted President Gerald Ford that there were no camps in Hawaii, this is an incorrect statement. There were more than 1,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned in eight camps scattered throughout Hawaii.
There was a bill introduced by Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii in April of 2009, that called for a study to determine if the WWII internment campsites in Hawaii can be listed as historic sites under the National Park Service.
These sites include Honouliuli Gulch, Sand Island, U.S. Immigration Station on Oahu, Kilauea Military Camp on Big Island, Haiku Camp and Wailuku County Jail on Maui, and the Kalaheo Stockade and Waialua County Jail on Kauai.
In addition to Japanese Americans, about 100 local residents of German and Italian ancestry were also imprisoned at the Hawaii camps. The Honouliuli Gulch and the Kilauea Military Camp are under that National Park Service now and work is progressing on research and planning for honoring the site.
The other error is the pay of the imprisoned people. If one had a college degree or was a professional, the pay was $19 a month.
This included doctors, teachers, architects, lawyers. The clerical workers, secretaries, nurses, were paid $16 per month, and laborers or unskilled were paid $12 a month.
We were also given a clothing stipend of $3 per month.
Since we could not cook in our units and had no running water, food was served in Mess Halls three times a day.
Later on, when it was determined by the administration that if we were loyal Americans, after signing loyalty questionnaires, we could apply for permission to leave, and provided that we did not return to the West Coast, we were given a one way ticket to wherever we wanted to go and $25.
On May 20, at the monthly Seal Beach International Friendship Association meeting, I will be presenting a talk on my experience in Manzanar at the Senior Center, with dinner at 6:30 p.m.
There will be a short video and then a slide show with my narration.
This is the talk I have presented to various groups in Southern California and classroom at high schools and middle schools. In May I will also be going to March Air Force Base to present my program.
Joyce Okazaki
Seal Beach
Public eyesore in Huntington Beach
The new pedestrian bridge at the Bolsa Chica is an eyesore that blocks the view of the natural environment.
The high sides are unnecessary and are truly ugly.
If that same bridge had been installed by a developer, people would be screaming for its immediate removal!
Roger W. Hodges
Huntington Beach
