<Begin Segment 21>

AI: Well, some people have mentioned that when the redress campaign efforts were going on for Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II, a lot of people were saying, "Well, we're -- we would like to see this redress happen as a lesson for our country so that it's not repeated." And when you think back to that time about redress, and in fact the redress legislation did pass, in -- but now in the present time we're, we may be seeing a repeat of this. What's your thinking on that?

JY: Yes, we are seeing a repeat of it, and certainly if there, if there are terrorists in this country we need to dig them out. But I think, you know, if due process is not taken care of at the same time, we're gonna lose the whole thing anyway. It just doesn't -- to, to do away with due process and the Constitution and so forth because of national security, which is what they said during the Second World War, is, is something that we should have learned, and that, yes, we must, you know, capture people who are going to do harm or perhaps may be doing harm, but at the same time we can't do it by giving up the constitutional rights of everybody. And, and I think that's the, the most important thing I can think of in this, in this, the current times that I would -- it just upsets me when, when I hear things about, you know, the fact that, "Well, we're in a time of crisis, and in a time of crisis you gotta give up certain civil liberties," and that kind of thing. It's bothersome to me.

AI: Is there anything else that you'd like to add?

JY: No, I don't think so. I think we've covered quite a bit in the time that we've had. [Laughs]

AI: I really appreciate your time and your thinking and all the information that you've shared with us. Thank you very much.

JY: You're welcome. Glad to be here.

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 2002 Densho. All Rights Reserved.