A letter to the Right Wing Guam War Claim haters

A letter from one of our listeners to Sean Casey-

You can write him at sean@wcbm.com

Tamuning, Guam
May 11, 2007


Dear Mr. Casey,

Your "Outrage Of The Day" about the passage of HR 1595 - The
Guam Loyalty Recognition Act - was replayed this afternoon here on
Guam.

When I first arrived on the island in 1991 I felt exactly as you do
about the matter of US taxpayers paying for the atrocities suffered -
AND THEY WERE SUFFERED - by the people who went through the
Japanese occupation of Guam during World War Two.

However, I have learned enough about the realities involved in the
situation to have changed my mind, and believe you are probably a
fair enough man to consider that a possibility yourself.

Although the people of Guam in the 1940s were not US citizens, the
passage of The Guam Organic Act in 1950 made them such. The
peace treaty between the United States and Japan - signed in San
Francisco in 1951 - legally voided all US citizens' claims against the
Japanese government and - in effect - cheated the people here out
of rightful compensation due them for what they went through during
the war.

Ironically, people in other areas of the Pacific which where under the
Japanese occupation during the conflict - and which were NOT US
TERRITORIES - were paid for what they endured at the hands of
the Japanese while the newly created US citizens on Guam were
not.

By abrogating their just claims against Japan the United States
assumed the responsibility to treat the people of Guam fairly.

And that has not happened.

The real outrage is the American people - who pride themselves on
their profound sense of fair-play - have not made good upon their
promises to those on Guam whose rights were denied through the
actions of the US Government in 1951.

It really is as simple - and as just - as that.



The response from Sean Casey

From: "Sean Casey"
Date: May 16, 2007 12:26:51 AM GMT+10:00
To:
Subject: Re: If You're Fair...


Thank you for contacting me regarding the debate for reparations for the people of Guam. Let me first say, that I am opposed to reparations in general. Once you start paying reparations then many groups and/or countries who have been wronged or offended will beging making claims. The U.S. is involved in the middle of a lengthy war against terrorism and we need all available revenue. I have read Delegate Bordallo's statement, HR 1595 and many other documents regarding war claims for Guamanians. There is no question about the bravery and loyalty of the people of Guam who were attacked and invaded on the same day as Pearl Harbor. There is also no question that Guamanians suffered, were tortured and died at the hands of the Imperial Japanese. I have not in any way, shape ,or form questioned this or implied that the people of Guam are not deserving. I do note the following:

1. Millions of dollars were awarded as compensation as part of the Guam Meritorious Claims Act of 1945.

2. 3,000 U.S. soldiers sacrificed their lives to help liberate Guam.

3. Over the last 63 years, I believe that Guam has benefitted from the special relationship with the United States. Is everything equitable and fair? Probably not, but that could be said of so many things including the tax structure of the United States. My ancestors were discriminated against when they first came to the U.S. after the great potato famine struck Ireland. They were refused jobs and when they did find work were undercompensated. Often, the only work they could find was dangerous work in the mines, yet no one is seeking to compensate the Irish. I'm sure that there are many other groups who can claim the same. The point is: nothing is perfect and life is not always fair but Japan should do the right thing and compensate Guamanians in spite of the 1951 treaty.

I appreciate you taking the time to write me.

Sincerely,

Sean Casey
WCBM Radio
Baltimore, Md.


The rebuttal

Dear Mr. Casey,

Thank you for your prompt and well-reasoned reply.

Were the United States Government immune to handing out huge
sums of money in no-bid contracts and wasting the people's
resources hand-over-fist in blunders and bamboozles favoring only
the World's Moneyed Elite, I'd say your case is firm on the obligation
of the US to assume war reparations to those on Guam who were
the only US nationals to suffer under Japanese occupation during
World War Two.

But we both know that is NOT the case.

Not only are the amounts involved in the Guam war reparations
"bupkis" - relative to the amounts poured into the sand everyday in
Iraq - it's probably a fairly good investment for the United States in
the general goodwill of the people of Guam - who are currently being
asked to bear various burdens of the relocation of The Third Marine
Expeditionary Force from Okinawa to their island.

It's only speculation, but the problems the intended USMC move
here will NOT be enhanced by allowing an unresolved matter of
sixty-three years duration to continue to go ignored... whether by the
United States or by Japan.

Regardless, it would still seem worthwhile to ask Delegate Bordallo
to come on air... if she would. She's not likely to agree with you, of
course. But that's what makes good radio.