Japanese descent; American citizens
suddenly declared "enemy aliens"
there are pictures of them
in their prison camp
having sock hops
playing baseball
twirling batons & going to church
all these good American things

They leave offerings
like this guy
headless & clawing his way to who knows where
much like america himself

this exhibit was the best use i've ever seen of my tax dollars:
as Pearl Harbor provided the "justification" for imprisoning innocent Japanese-Americans
...what will 9/11 provide the "justification" for? Guantanamo, and what else?
They also had a nice quote by Jefferson
about the people being allowed to dissent
and pictures of people protesting the Patriot Act
I didn't know federal landmarks were allowed to make implicit statements like that
it made me feel hopeful about this country for a few hours

Manzanar was a place that was not haunted in the way that it had a right to be. It had a poetic quietude, sure, but it is a place that is healing: healing, because people visit it, people understand it, people feed it compassion and good energy. I am glad to know that a prison camp can become a beautiful meadow. The capacity for healing is so great-- for the land, anyway-- and I think that the people become healed, too.

*

If they decide
to round up the Others, for our "safety",
what will you do?
We are them.

 

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