<Begin Segment 6>

FA: What did you think of the growing resistance in Heart Mountain before you left?

BH: Well, there was not a hell of a lot of it. As I say, we published material from Frank, Paul Nakadate and Frank Emi, I think, and some others. Very long pieces. And I felt that this was going to lead to trouble.

FA: What do you mean? You felt this would be trouble.

BH: Lead to trouble.

FA: Right.

BH: Yes.

FA: Why did you think that?

BH: Because you don't do much bitching in a concentration camp.

FA: Why not?

BH: You jeopardize the positions of other people. Isn't that a, isn't that a... what's the word? Well, it's an inconsistency. If you're docile, if you're quiet, everything is going all right, the vast majority of the people are going to be treated okay. In Tule Lake, in Manzanar, when there was violence, the people who really suffered were the innocent bystanders. The people in Tule Lake went through some very difficult times. They had, they wanted nothing to do with the demonstrators, they just wanted to be left alone. And I think this was true in Manzanar. The vast majority of the people wanted to be left alone. And anybody who was stirring up things made it difficult for them. And that is what I meant when I felt that there might be problems.

FA: You shared Mike's belief that we should "work for the greatest good for the greatest number."

BH: Well, in any society, I think it's important to consider the welfare of the greatest number, yes.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 1994, 2005 Frank Abe and Densho. All Rights Reserved.