On the 70th anniversary of Japan's Constitution, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe published a video statement regarding his desires for constitutional revision ("Abe declares 2020 as goal for new Constitution" May 4). I hope Abe remembers that, even though the Allies drafted it, the Constitution was highly supported by the people of Japan. Having been drafted in the 1940s, it's a relatively new legal document. The drafters looked at a variety of foreign constitutions and chose the best parts of each to create an amazingly progressive constitution that's lasted for the past 70 years. The cherry on top? One of the persons in charge of drafting it was an American woman, Beate Sirota Gordon.
While he's partially right that the Constitution leaves room for debate about the legality and viability of the Self-Defense Forces, problems start cropping up about the wording Abe might choose to include in the document. If he's not careful, his wording could completely contradict the Article 9 "no-war clause"— which he plans to keep — and create even further problems.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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