A Visit to the ‘Only The Oaks Remain’ Exhibit
On a recent Saturday 10 of us from the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Verdugo Hills toured the new exhibit about the Tuna Canyon Detention Station currently on display at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. The “Only the Oaks Remain” exhibit tells the story of the detention station that stood on the grounds of what is, for the moment, the Verdugo Hills Golf Course.

Among our group was Frances Kuraoka, whose father, a prominent Japanese-American citizen, was detained for several months at Tuna Canyon. Francis pointed out his name to us on the honor roll portion of the exhibit. Her face told the story of a sad and avoidable tragedy in our national history.

It is chastening to remember the wartime internment of Japanese-Americans, a racist crime for which our government has tried to make amends, in this time when the United States of America is discriminating against refugees fleeing oppression on the basis of their faith and ethnicity. It seems that we haven’t learned the lessons of past tragedies as once again racism is being imposed by executive fiat.

The words of the late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii, a decorated WWII veteran, caught my eye during my Museum visit: “If this democracy, with her extraordinary Constitution, could imprison people only because of their ethnic background, it could happen again. And it could happen to anyone – black, brown, yellow or white.”

To honor Sen. Inouye, and all those who suffered the crime of internment, we must strive to prevent such a tragedy from recurring today.

“Only The Oaks Remain” will be on display at the JANM through April 9. It can be viewed again this summer at Bolton Hall July 9 – Aug. 9. For more information see http://tinyurl.com/jkmm72r.
David L. Hostetter, Ph.D.
Vice President, Unitarian Universalist Church of the Verdugo Hills

Has ‘Ill Feeling’ Reading Letter
I read the letter on “undocumented workers” dated Feb. 16. My reaction was an ill feeling, and a reminder of the evils of atheistic Marxism. Basically this was disguised in new speak, for example, “Americans who support a prohibition on family planning aid have some responsibility for over population.” In other words, support taxpayer funded abortion on demand through Planned Parenthood abortion mills. The person managed to include open borders, legalizing drugs and a condescending lecture to not cause further misery to the “working people.” I know that the Sierra Club president says, “Abortion is the keystone to a sustainable population.”

The people illegally crossing our southern borders for the most part are Christians; they are not likely to kill their babies in the womb, they are more than eager to give birth to an anchor baby.
So how does that square with your logic?
Robert Perry
La Crescenta