Eighty-four years ago today, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, which was the strategic American naval base in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was a bold and reckless move which awoke the sleeping U.S. giant—which previously had been trying its best to ignore the March of Fascism in Europe. This unexpected, early-morning onslaught ignited a succession of actions which (for good or bad) would define America (and the World) for decades to come. Within 24 hours of the bombing, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress, asking them to declare war on Japan. Legally, Congress (not the President) has the sole discretion of authorizing war—a constitutional fact which FDR observed.
FDR began his address—broadcast nationwide—with, "Yesterday, December 7th, 1941—a day which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." His full speech was brief, clear and compelling—under seven minutes long. The Senate quickly voted unanimously to declare war. The House also voted unanimously, with the exception of one member, Jeanette Rankin, a Montana Republican and the first woman to be voted into Congress.
"Infamy" is a wonderful and compelling word. America's history is littered with infamous dates, infamous actions and infamous leaders (sometimes elected). "Infamy" is defined as "being famous for bad qualities or deeds." One need not search too far to find infamous dates, actions and leaders (sometimes elected).
I am born and raised in Hawaii—a place highly-populated with Japanese-Americans and steeped in Japanese culture. I was born in Honolulu a short 22 years after the Pearl Harbor attack (a shocking realization). And, yet, what a different world Hawaii had become by the time I arrived. I am so grateful that anti-japanese bigotry (in Hawaii) seemed minimal, at least to my eyes. On the mainland, however, Japanese-Americans experienced a far more treacherous landscape (which included incarceration in concentration camps).
Today, let's remember the young American sailors slaughtered in their bunks on a quiet Sunday morning in Hawaii . And let's pray that world leaders—ours and others—will always take the moral high road when viewing helpless souls within their sights.
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