Eugene was kind enough to invite me to guest-blog here today and tomorrow, and with the publication this week of Michelle Malkin‘s book “In Defense of Internment: The Case for ‘Racial Profiling’ in World War II and the War on Terror,” it looks as though I’ll have plenty to write about. About which to write, I mean. (How many times did my father drill into my head the rule that prepositions are incorrect words to end sentences with?)**
The last couple of days have been a bit of a whirlwind. It isn’t every day–or every decade, frankly–that a high-profile person like Michelle (syndicated columnist, frequent FOX News contributor) elaborately defends the eviction and incarceration of some 70,000 American citizens of Japanese ancestry from 1942 to 1945 as a military necessity. I got my blog started some 16 months ago when Rep. Howard Coble blunderingly offered his view on a radio program that Japanese Americans were justifiably rounded up because “it wasn’t safe for them to be on the streets”–a long-discarded justification for the government’s program that Michelle does not see fit to defend in terms (although she generally sticks up for Coble anyway–see page xvii of her book). I would have loved to get a review copy of the book from the publisher, as some bloggers on the right and some warbloggers did, but I didn’t. And it’s strange that I didn’t, given that (a) I’m the only person in the blogosphere who regularly blogs about the government’s wartime treatment of Japanese Americans, (b) Michelle wrote yesterday that it was my lengthy exchanges with Sparky at Sgt. Stryker 16 months ago that inspired her to do much of the research for her book, and (c) Michelle cites my work, both approvingly (where, on page 352, she speaks of my “thoughtful” analysis in this article on racial profiling) and disapprovingly (where, on pages 110 and 334, she faults my book “Free to Die for their Country” for “exalting … belligerent draft resisters” in the camps). Fortunately, my local Barnes & Noble here in Chapel Hill had a copy on Monday, and I was able to read it yesterday, so I’m in a position to say something about it now while the blogosphere is abuzz about it.
I plan to post my reactions to the book serially today and tomorrow rather than posting a single huge review all at once. So, if you’re interested in this sort of thing, check back here occasionally. I’ll post the first piece of my review–which will pertain to the book’s goals and its method–in a couple of hours, when I’ve got down what I want to say.
In the meantime, a big “thanks” to Eugene for the invitation to guest-blog here again. More soon.
**I know, I know. “With” is a preposition. This was a joke.
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