Concentration Camps

Dec. 7 Pearl Harbor Day! The U.S. began mass incarceration in concentration camps of Japanese Americans very quickly after Pearl Harbor, just two months after the attack,

During World War II, over 120,000 people of Japanese descent, the majority being U.S. citizens, were forcibly removed from the West Coast (California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona) and some from Hawaii without trial. This policy was later acknowledged as a grave injustice, leading to official apologies and reparations through the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.

An ICE detention center opened this year at Fort Bliss in El Paso, which was used to imprison people of Japanese descent during WW II, will be able to hold as many as 5,000 detainees making it the largest federal detention center in U.S. history. 

 

Candlelight

 "Candlelight: A Choral Celebration of the Season" at North Iowa Area Community College Thursday night. We enjoyed five choirs and a guest harpist.  Son Joel, choral director and his wife Rachel, pianist, both teach at NIACC. A wonderful evening.

Christmas Tree at Prairie Place

The tree will soon be going up in the vestibule at Prairie Place on First where we live. We wait and watch for the coming of Christ. Advent is here. We wait and we also pray and work for those suffering in this dark and dangerous world. 

 

Police

 Police Early Saturday morning police cars stopped a man in a white truck in front of our building on First Street. Sirens and many flashing lights woke residents shortly after 5 a.m. For two long hours police aimed their handguns and rifles at the man. He would show his driver’s license out his window but did not get out. Eventually there were ten police vehicles outside. When the man finally did come out, he was quickly taken into custody No one was hurt. Prairie Place was in no danger during this time. 

THANKSGIVING

 At the Thanksgiving table our family played "Fictionary" using the 135-year-old set of books (an "Encyclopedic Lexicon") Dictionary of the English Language prepared by Dr. W. Dwight Whitney, professor at Yale University. The goal is for each player to select a word and others to make up a definition. Amazing how our language has changed since 1890. We laughed until we cried. Such fun! Such good food. We give thanks for family.

 

Revolution

 November 25 marks the day in 1783 when British forces finally left New York City after the Treaty of Paris led to the end of the American Revolutionary War. It had been a long war, starting in 1775 and there was still more to accomplish. The Constitution would not be established until 1787 and finally ratified by 13 states in 1790,  In order "to form a more perfect Union and establish justice" there is much for us to do today.

Winter?

 The grass is green. We have no snow.

Has winter come? How shall we know?

ICE

 Do you live some place where you worry that ICE and border patrol agents will knock at your door and pull you or a family member out and take people away? That is happening now in Raleigh-Durham N.C. Whether at home, school, church, or from the streets, people are being  disappeared. Maybe not "in my neighborhood" or "my town."  Maybe not yet!  If anyone in the U.S. is in danger, all of us are in danger. We dare not become complacent. We must continue active resistance. Now!

American Revolution

 Refraining from using the common phrases "The shot heard round the world" and "The Boston Tea Party," Ken Burns is so thorough in his new 6-part documentary "The American Revolution." Sunday night's episode was amazing. On Iowa Public Television the series goes all this week at 7:00 p.m, repeating at 9:00 p.m.  I encourage you to watch where you are.

A War President

 Trump has sent the largest U.S. air carrier into the Caribbean threatening Venezuela. Is he intent to become a war president? Venezuela is mobilizing 200,000 troops and militia in response to Trump's militarization in the Caribbean. Trump is intent on showing his own personal power no matter the consequences. We and the whole world are in danger.

Armistice Day

 

Luther

 Martin Luther was born on Nov. 10, 1483.  He was a reformer of the church and a reformer of education. He changed the Christian church and society. He wrote a letter to the mayor encouraging boys AND girls to go to school. His influence is felt today as much as it was almost 550 years ago.