"Not under the control or power of another; having liberty of independence" (Agnes, Michael). Freedom is a concept we Americans can use with pride and to so many America is known as "the land of the free." We are a nation founded by people who left their homeland for the chance to live in a nation where a government could not take away their personal freedom, a place were they would be the ones that dictated the way they would live out their lives. Freedom has always been the entire concept behind out nation and our democratic government, but what happens when the government is the one who takes our freedom away? What happens when the very President who has sworn to protect the citizens of our free nation is the one who takes away the rights and liberty of its people? What you are about to read is proof that as Americans we really aren't as free as we think we are.
On December 7, 1941 the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor by Japan. This was the beginning of America's involvement in World War II, but it also set off a chain of events that would eventually became one of our government's biggest mistakes. Citizens of the United States became increasingly afraid of more attacks by Japan, and pretty soon every one of Japanese decent became a target of discrimination. The fear spread as time went on and eventually leaders in California, Oregon, and Washington .
Ritzert 2.
demanded that all residents of Japanese ancestry be removed from their homes along the coast and relocated because of the possibility of their connection with Japanese intelligence. As a result of this pressure, on February 19, 1942 President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which would allow the evacuation and relocation of those of Japanese decent (Noe, Michael).
With a stroke of a pen President Roosevelt signed away the freedom and liberty of 120,000 people of Japanese decent, most of whom were natural born citizens of the United States (Noe, Michael).
