Watch: Congressman Whose Parents Grew Up In Internment Camps Rips Cruz, “I Cannot Stay Silent!”
In this clip from the floor of the House of Representatives, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) condemns Sen. Ted Cruz’s proposals to begin “policing” Muslim neighborhoods in the United States as a response to the Brussels terror attacks. “Responding to Brussels [terror attacks] by advocating for patrols of Muslim neighborhoods or suggesting that we torture our enemies is not only counterproductive, it violates the moral code that separates us from our enemies.”
Takano rightfully compares Cruz’s unconstitutional and discriminatory proposals to the internment of Japanese-American citizens during the Second World War. “Seventy years ago, my parents and grandparents were held prisoner during World War II without trial and without a reason other than their Japanese heritage. In that moment, no one was willing to speak up for them. We cannot ignore the lessons of history.” Over 120,000 people were arrested and detained in concentration camps without trial or evidence of any seditious activity, ruining their lives and humiliating loyal American citizens on the basis of their ethnic heritage.
It is absolutely appalling that an elected legislator, let alone a presidential candidate, would propose such a heinous measure in this day and age. It is an affront to the values of tolerance and diversity that have made our country great, and is ultimately counterproductive. The bombings in Brussels by disgruntled migrants show how dangerous such alienation and marginalization can be to a nation, and highlights how discrimination breeds violence and terror. The internment of Japanese-American citizens is one of the most shameful episodes in our nation’s history, and we cannot afford to repeat those same mistakes out of fear.
Watch it here:
