January 30 is the birthday of the late Fred Korematsu. It is also Fred Korematsu Day Of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.
Why do we remember Fred? He was a great American. He stood up as a singular voice against the might of the entire federal establishment. His case went all the way to the Supreme Court and those mighty brains failed. Yes, they failed our country and Fred Korematsu.. As a result, he was sent to a concentration camp in the State of Utah, at Topaz. He was interned as a prisoner for the remainder of World War II. His case was reopened in 1983 and the ruling was overturned.
He was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and his portrait will hang in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. He is the first Asian American to have a statewide day named after him. He thought it was wrong for the federal government to arrest Americans without due process, without a hearing, and without charges being filed. He stood alone.
What courage! The ACLU took up his case in 1944 and lost, 6-3.
Fred was a Bay Area product, born and raised in Oakland, Ca. Went ot Castlemont High, class of '37.
A quote from Fred: " if"you protest with violence, they won't listen to you.
FRED KOREMATSU-A REAL AMERICAN.
I didn't know about Fred and now I do. Just goes to show you, there are unsung heroes all around us and you, Captain, are one of those.
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