Although many historians credit President Franklin Roosevelt as one of our overall, best presidents, in 1942 he signed Executive Order 9066 that allowed the United States military to incarcerate over 110,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps. Japanese Americans were incarcerated on the basis of race and because of so-called "military necessity." They were imprisoned, even though two-thirds of them were American citizens. Even the semblance of "Due Process" was ignored. Certainly, history proves that our presidents are capable of making wrong decisions, which have had monumental consequences.

Consider this: both the FBI and Naval Intelligence were on record as having opposed President Roosevelt's decision for evacuation based on the Munson Report. Curtis B. Munson was a special representative of the State Department assigned to investigate the Japanese population in Hawaii and the West Coast, to ascertain their loyalty to the United States. His findings: there was a remarkable, even extraordinary degree of loyalty among this group.

Yet, this highest level "double checking and confirmation of favorable intelligence consensus--that there is no Japanese problem," was to become one of the war's best kept secrets. Even to this very day, the significance of these findings has been strangely ignored.

In January 1944, when the military began drafting Nisei from the camps, I was 27-years-old, married and the father of two small children. I was not eligible for the draft. However, I became an outspoken resister of the draft being implemented into the concentration camps, because I was angered by the government's audacity to draft Americans who were wrongly imprisoned and denied their constitutional rights.

Eventually, 85 Fair Play Committee members resisted, were tried for draft evasion, convicted and sentenced to three years.

We appealed their convictions to the Appellate Court, but it upheld the lower court's decision. However, one appellate judge declared, "Two wrongs do not make a right," implying that the government was also wrong. Then, in 1947, President Truman pardoned the resisters with restoration of all civil and political rights.  The second trial involved the seven leaders of the Fair Play Committee. We were indicted on conspiracy charges. We too were tried and convicted and sentenced to four years; however, on appeal, our convictions were reversed by the Appellate Court. The Court said that we had a right to challenge the constitutionality of a law we felt was illegal. Still, we were imprisoned for 15 months pending the result of our appeal because the War Relocation Authority had requested that all Nisei resisters be denied parole or release on bail.

Who stood up for us, we who languished in camp for years? Who in this country spoke out to defend us and protest our unconstitutional treatment? Very, very few. In the huge religious community, only the Quakers did. Of this nation's civil rights organizations - only one or two chapters of the ACLU. The national ACLU did nothing to uphold and reaffirm our constitutional rights. They publicly denounced us. The wartime JACL crucified us.

And, only a courageous few stood up and fought in the courts for Japanese Americans: Wayne Collins, Tex Nakamura, Ernest Besig, Fred Okrand, A.L. Wirin.

Some of us stood up and challenged the government: examples include Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi, Min Yasui and the resisters of conscience. Yasui later became active in the JACL and turned against the resisters. Those who stand up to the government are often labeled as traitors, cowards and worse. The Nisei draft resistors, resistors of conscience and the no-no boys were ostracized and shunned by many in the Japanese American community during World War II. The animosity against us still exists today among a few groups.

Then as well as now it would seem that to some loyalty is defined by complete obedience to government dictates no matter how wrong those commands might be.

What might have happened if more people had protested the treatment of Japanese Americans? At the very least, many in the camps would have taken comfort and encouragement from that support and knowledge that not all Americans thought that we were disloyal or potentially so. At best, the camps might have closed sooner and the transition to normal life on the West Coast made easier.

After the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the same type of fear and ultra nationalism occurred. Even the U.S. Congress voted to support extensive Presidential authority and for the War against Iraq. Few Congresspersons protested or challenged President Bush's executive power.

But now, the tide, we hope, is finally beginning to turn. The Democratic majority in Congress since the November election and the 70% rate of Americans who are against the Iraq war are testament to our belief that President Bush is wrong. But only after what cost? Over 3,000 American soldiers are dead and over 660,000 Iraqi civilians, 40% of them children, have been killed. Thousands of other Americans and Iraqis are maimed and wounded.

In March, 2003, many members of NCRR and the Asian Pacific Islanders communities joined thousands of protestors and marched in the pouring rain against the Iraq war. And since that time, NCRR has joined with Muslim Americans to educate others and ourselves about the Muslim and Islamic communities.

NCRR supports Lt. Ehren Watada, the first officer to refuse deployment to Iraq. His courageous stand against the war has caused an uproar in this community. His actions have rekindled the anger of those who believe in blind obedience to the military. But the military itself is having a hard time building a case against Lt. Watada because they know that it is the duty of an officer to follow his conscience, which may mean disobeying an order he or she believes to be illegal or immoral. 

We also support Agustin Aguayo, a soldier who turned himself in to military authorities after going AWOL when his conscientious objector status was denied. These brave men have met with a similar anger and outrage as did we, the Fair Play Committee/Resisters of Conscience.

The military depends upon complete obedience. So, it requires that the President be extremely judicious in his actions in deploying troops. The obvious miscalculations of entering into the Iraq war have led to countless tragic deaths, thousands of soldiers going AWOL, crimes against humanity, and the need to hire 100,000 mercenaries to fight in Iraq. All paid for by our U.S. tax dollars.

What would happen if more people protested this executive action? If our actions help to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and prevent the death of any person, American or Iraqi, our protest and the subsequent criticism will be well worth it. 

Please join us by writing letters in support of Lt. Ehren Watada and SPC Agustin Aguayo and by contributing to the fundraising efforts for them. Retired Army Colonel and diplomat Ann Wright resigned her position with the State Dept. in protest over the war in Iraq and stands behind the soldiers who have spoken out. But she asks that we not allow the soldiers to be punished for doing what we the American public really should be doing - speaking out and taking a stand.

Thank you