<Begin Segment 16>

TI: So let's, let's switch gears a little bit, and let's now talk about schoolchildren and what you would like them to kind of take away from this. I mean... I'm trying to think of the question to ask. When, I think we've talked about how it's important for schoolchildren or anyone to be able to think for themselves, I mean, to be given information, different sides, and for them to then be able to, to digest it a little bit, learn, and then make their opinions. And so what's the best way for that to happen? How can we use kind of this historical event, something that happened, and do that? Do you have any ideas?

DK: Well, I think it would have to be like you're doing, or figuring on doing on the internet. That's probably the most, fastest and best way to get knowledge out. And as long as that's, that is done in a way where it balances, there'd be a lot of, lot of kids that would look at it and say, "Well, my country made a mistake, but they made it right. Let's go on." I mean, I don't, I especially don't want to live in a place where, where our country does something and doesn't make it right. I mean, this is the last place, in very few places left where that's happening. It's either some kind of dictatorship or man, you see what the people of Afghanistan, they hadn't voted in years. They voted in record numbers, and Iran, the same way. That shows freedom is wanted.

TI: So here's, here's a question that I think the United States is going to have to kind of grapple with. The United States is changing; it's evolving, and as you're saying, it makes mistakes. But part of these demographic changes, I mean, it's becoming a country that was more sort of Western European-centric in terms of Britain, France, Germany, in terms of making up the majority, and I've read numbers, and someone just shared, they said by the year 2040, so maybe in, like, thirty-five years, there will be no majority. That, in fact, there will be no sort of racial group that will be the majority anymore. There will be, everyone will be a minority, essentially. And in a democracy where there needs to be dialogue, there needs to be discussion, how do you see that working? Do you think our country can survive that? The diversity of people coming from different backgrounds, different cultures and different beliefs, religious beliefs, different political beliefs. And into this wild mix we have this discourse, this discussion to try to form a democracy, in some cases. Can our country survive that?

DK: Well, I would certainly hope so, and it's going to take everybody's effort. I mean, it has to be cooperation and an example. If we start treating human beings wrongly, there'd be an uprising. I mean, this is a country that's been for freedom all of these years, and like I say, to see the difference in 1941 and the average person was, was inspiring. I mean, they, they wanted to help, they wanted to know how they could help. Retired people, women and riveters and welders and everything you could think of, because they wanted freedom. I mean, I didn't want to learn Japanese or I didn't want to learn German or Italian or what. I mean, that's, that's something that either you were, your patriotism either is, you're born with it, I guess, a certain amount, maybe your environment, whoever you're raised around. Your patriotism is something you can't buy, and it's something you can't learn in books. It has to be, come from the heart. And with the Lord's help, anyone can get it. I mean, it's, it's a... I suppose from that point, it's an inherited virtue, maybe. [Laughs]

TI: So it's almost innate. You're born with some, some degree of patriotism. And what determines that? I mean, what determines who gets more or has more patriotism than someone else?

DK: Well, it comes down to whatever you do, you're responsible for it. You'll be judged on whatever you do.

TI: So it's almost like you're... are you, is it sort of like patriotism is similar to, like, character? Is that what you're...

DK: Right.

TI: And so people are born with or without some sense of character, and that is the, is the sort of building blocks of things like patriotism.

DK: Right. I mean, and the process isn't easy, and it isn't short. It's a lifetime.

TI: So you mentioned things like church and school, are those kind of the institutions where things like this need to be learned? I mean, that's, those are the places that, that as communities, as groups come together, that's a place where this happens?

DK: Right. I mean, we know that there's lot of homes where neither one of that is very prominent, and it takes a community then to show it. I don't, I don't mean go out there and catch every kid by the ear and tell him he's doing wrong and do right, that's not the way to do it. You've got to build relationships and get it across.

TI: That and I think this is, the group process is powerful, I think, and what I find, because I travel around the world talking to people -- not around the world so much, around the country talking to people. And what I'm always amazed or appreciative is, is as sometimes we think of our country as sometimes as being divisive, my sense is there is really more common ground that we have as, as Americans, than people really know or understand. And yeah, we have our differences, but I think sometimes we focus too much on our differences and not so much on, on what is common. And that, I think, is -- and I'm not sure where it's coming from -- but a failure of our country, and that's what strikes me in doing this interview with you.

DK: I think that you got to have education, and as far as faith, you gotta have that to live it out. And every morning, I mean, us guys who are not going to be around too long, every morning that sun comes up, that's a glory, and you see it go down at night. Last night we, or night before that we were coming back from Boise, we seen the moon up and the sun going down. So, I mean, that's, when you get our age, you kind of appreciate that more, don't you, Darrell? [Laughs]

TI: Well, good. So I'm... is there anything else? Or John, or is there anyone that wants to ask Daryl a question as we're finishing up? I mean, I finished my questions. Is there anything else? Okay, well, thank you. This was, this was enjoyable, and I think it was an excellent interview, so thank you very much.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2005 Densho. All Rights Reserved.