In reply to the March 9 Kyodo article "New panel in Okinawa targets U.S. military-linked crimes": To what end? People can't have it both ways. Either the United States is here to protect or it is not, although I do believe that Okinawa has had to host an undue number of service members. They should have been spread out more in other prefectures in Japan.
But just the thought of a panel on military-linked crimes. What a stupid idea. There might as well be a panel on Okinawa school employees molesting students, or how about one on people over 60 committing crimes. The organizers know very well that the number of "crimes" committed by any group you want to single out is a very, very small number of the total.
You can go ahead and play the race card -- how many were this color or that color -- then remember 60 years ago when Japan's own people were killing Okinawans! They don't want that taught in Okinawa schools -- how many women and children were raped, beaten, brutalized and killed by Japanese soldiers -- do they? No, they just want to attribute the freedom they have been experiencing the last 60 years to all those who died on both sides with no thought as to what the real cost was.
Maybe the organizers of this new panel ought to take a week or two for reflection. Maybe they ought to clean their own house before they try to tell others how to clean theirs.
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