What it's all about

When we celebrate Independence Day, it's good to remember how tenuous our independence really is. Here is an amazing picture with an intriguing story.

You are looking at a pleasant view of a newborn baby, a skilled nurse, and a proud mother. These three people have some amazing things in common. They are all US citizens, none of them have committed a crime, none of them have been charged with a crime, and none of them have stood trial for a crime, yet all three are imprisoned. The child was born a US citizen, imprisoned at his birth. This is not a scene from some distant land, but occurred in the United States.

While today this appears almost unthinkable, it happened at the outbreak of World War II. Fear and distrust led US authorities to round up and imprison US citizens of Japanese descent. They were placed in prison camps in California. They were not given a trial, and were not even given the opportunity to put their businesses in order before being detained. They were detained simply based on their race and heritage.

The picture represents tough choices that were made in tough times. It was a terrible thing that American Citizens were denied there freedom, and something we must make sure never happens again.

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