I have stopped at Mazanar on the way home from Mammoth Lakes. It is a beautiful site where a great wrong was done. Manzanar was site of one of the camps of the forced relocation of Japanese-Americans in WW II.

This racist act was done by people to gain power. Earl Warren was a major driver of this and used his leadership in pushing for internment to become Governor of California in 1942. (Note: He did repent of his actions and went on to be a major driver for civil rights. See quote later).

We are at the end of a nasty presidential campaign. One candidate (Trump) has used fear of others as one of his themes.

I am sad. I thought that our country had made more progress in the 75 years since this black stain on America happened. The sacrifices and honors of the 442nd (All Japanese American) regiment should have been enough to remove racism from our country. The actions of the Tuskegee airman who flew their fighters between my Dad’s B17 and the Nazi fighters to protect him and so many others, should have been enough to eliminate racism. The peaceful civil rights protesters who remained non-violent while being attacked by clubs, dogs and water cannons should have been enough to eliminate racism.

What happened America? How did a campaign that used racist language make it this far?

On Sunday we turned our clocks back an hour. On Tuesday let’s not turn our country back 75 years.

Perhaps good will come of this uncovering of the darkness that is still a part of America.

Earl Warren would not of become the great man he became if he had not eventually looked at himself in the mirror and said “What have I done?”

He wrote that he now “deeply regretted the removal order and my own testimony advocating it, because it was not in keeping with our American concept of freedom and the rights of citizens…Whenever I thought of the innocent little children who were torn from home, school friends, and congenial surroundings, I was conscience-stricken…[i]t was wrong to react so impulsively, without positive evidence of disloyalty”

— The Memoirs of Earl Warren (published 1977)

I know this note will change no ones mind, but as a man of faith I must be true to the words of Jesus in Matt 25:34-40.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

This is what matters to me as a man of faith. So tomorrow, this life long republican – who not too long ago became an independent – will vote against Trump and then fall on my knees and pray for the country I love.