In early December, my husband and I visited his 93 year old mother and her long-time partner in suburban Minneapolis. The first night we were there, my sister-in-law and her husband also were in town, and we had a family dinner. As we finished eating, my mother-in-law's long time partner started needling me and my brother-in-law, asking some intrusive questions about our beliefs, especially mine as a Jew. My dear brother-in-law is a Buddhist; his father was a Japanese immigrant and as a young man, and his family were interred in California.
It was very hard to make an old Catholic white man understand our perspectives, let alone respect them. Honestly, it was surprising; this sort of conversation (really an attack) had never happened in the past decades of spending time together. I think Trump has emboldened old white racists to be public about their odious perspectives.
My situation was "merely" uncomfortable; I am deeply worried and upset by what is going on in our country.
I respectfully suggest you refer that old white Catholic man to recent statements by Pope Leo. As an oldish white Catholic woman, I promise you neither the teachings of Jesus nor the Catholic Church condone what is going on. Jesus’ core message is to welcome the stranger, assist the needy and love even your enemies. Any “Christian” not doing so will have a shock when they meet their maker.
I understand your feelings Jay. It's horrific what is happening to families. Yesterday I was overwhelmed with grief and horror at what I heard was happening. Lots of anger too for the people in power allowing it. We all have to hang in there and keep informed so we know the best way to fight back. I don't recognize my country anymore.
We will also have to make sure that our executive branch doesn’t cover up what they have done now like they did in the past - see Rachel Maddow’s Burn Order podcast about the cover up (and amazing discovery of it 40 years later) about those Japanese Internment Camps.
Brian, yes, it’s an excellent podcast series and Madow clearly acknowledges she could not have produced it without the incredible support and assistance of the Japanese American community and others♥️
Out here in Western Washington most everything looks bleak, brown, only a few timid daffodils, crocuses raising some color - not knowing if a few hard frosts are still ahead.
They say that "What the eyes do not see the heart does not grieve over." If ever there was a time to see with our whole being, this is it! First we grieve, then we act & next time we bring our friends.
You and your work give us the tools
How else would we know that there are upwards of 70,000 men, women & children rotting away in 225 concentration camps in our country - out of reach - more such camps being built unless We the People stop them.
We knew enough about the Japanese internment camps in WWII
I feel for you Jay. I have been crying about this since the first Trump fiasco when he was caging children. My outrage and grief is not just with those caged, murdered, brutalized and deported, but with the American people; those who are sitting on the sidelines while people die. I am outraged with the American people who are mildly disconfit when a black or brown person is abused, incarcerated without cause or killed but who are outraged and take to the streets for a few days when it’s a white person who is murdered. This too is racism; not much different from the Trump regime. It’s time we all stand up, take to the streets, and demand, day in and day out for an end to this nightmare.
I fantasize that George Takei and other survivors of the internment camps launch a public campaign against the camps and rally the Asian American community to take a prominent stand against these camps. If necessary / possible, a group of Asian American veterans lead other veterans to show up at these concentration camps to cut holes in the fence and walls to go inside with cameras to document what's happening inside
Asian American groups ARE mobilizing in response to the current resurgence of violent illegal attacks on immigrant communities, building upon generations of activism. See e.g. the Asian Law Caucus: https://www.asianlawcaucus.org/
As always, thank you for your beautiful compassion, Jay. Concern, caring, and sharing the reality, regardless of how painful it is. This is how change happens. Mahalo ~
Hang in there. You are not alone crying while writing about some of the human atrocities. BIG TIME not alone.
"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader..." Robert Frost. Thank you for being such a human. You are not alone.
thank you Jay..
Anyone with a heart is crying Jay :'(
In early December, my husband and I visited his 93 year old mother and her long-time partner in suburban Minneapolis. The first night we were there, my sister-in-law and her husband also were in town, and we had a family dinner. As we finished eating, my mother-in-law's long time partner started needling me and my brother-in-law, asking some intrusive questions about our beliefs, especially mine as a Jew. My dear brother-in-law is a Buddhist; his father was a Japanese immigrant and as a young man, and his family were interred in California.
It was very hard to make an old Catholic white man understand our perspectives, let alone respect them. Honestly, it was surprising; this sort of conversation (really an attack) had never happened in the past decades of spending time together. I think Trump has emboldened old white racists to be public about their odious perspectives.
My situation was "merely" uncomfortable; I am deeply worried and upset by what is going on in our country.
I respectfully suggest you refer that old white Catholic man to recent statements by Pope Leo. As an oldish white Catholic woman, I promise you neither the teachings of Jesus nor the Catholic Church condone what is going on. Jesus’ core message is to welcome the stranger, assist the needy and love even your enemies. Any “Christian” not doing so will have a shock when they meet their maker.
I totally get what you are saying! Also I have great admiration and respect for Pope Leo.
I can't believe we are doing this again.
I understand your feelings Jay. It's horrific what is happening to families. Yesterday I was overwhelmed with grief and horror at what I heard was happening. Lots of anger too for the people in power allowing it. We all have to hang in there and keep informed so we know the best way to fight back. I don't recognize my country anymore.
Thank you. We are all beside you.
We will also have to make sure that our executive branch doesn’t cover up what they have done now like they did in the past - see Rachel Maddow’s Burn Order podcast about the cover up (and amazing discovery of it 40 years later) about those Japanese Internment Camps.
Brian, yes, it’s an excellent podcast series and Madow clearly acknowledges she could not have produced it without the incredible support and assistance of the Japanese American community and others♥️
Have you seen this? https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/12/estados-unidos-nuevas-investigaciones-revelan-violaciones-de-derechos-humanos-en-los-centros-de-detencion-de-alligator-alcatraz-y-krome-en-florida/
You are not alone. My dad and grandparents spent WW2 in relocation camp. I never believed that we would be here again. So sad, angry.
Visualizing Trump’s Mass Concentration Camps: Compare the historical parallels with this interactive map
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/05/02/trump-mass-deportation-camps-visualized/
Out here in Western Washington most everything looks bleak, brown, only a few timid daffodils, crocuses raising some color - not knowing if a few hard frosts are still ahead.
They say that "What the eyes do not see the heart does not grieve over." If ever there was a time to see with our whole being, this is it! First we grieve, then we act & next time we bring our friends.
You and your work give us the tools
How else would we know that there are upwards of 70,000 men, women & children rotting away in 225 concentration camps in our country - out of reach - more such camps being built unless We the People stop them.
We knew enough about the Japanese internment camps in WWII
We know even more today
Steady as she goes
I feel for you Jay. I have been crying about this since the first Trump fiasco when he was caging children. My outrage and grief is not just with those caged, murdered, brutalized and deported, but with the American people; those who are sitting on the sidelines while people die. I am outraged with the American people who are mildly disconfit when a black or brown person is abused, incarcerated without cause or killed but who are outraged and take to the streets for a few days when it’s a white person who is murdered. This too is racism; not much different from the Trump regime. It’s time we all stand up, take to the streets, and demand, day in and day out for an end to this nightmare.
I fantasize that George Takei and other survivors of the internment camps launch a public campaign against the camps and rally the Asian American community to take a prominent stand against these camps. If necessary / possible, a group of Asian American veterans lead other veterans to show up at these concentration camps to cut holes in the fence and walls to go inside with cameras to document what's happening inside
Asian American groups ARE mobilizing in response to the current resurgence of violent illegal attacks on immigrant communities, building upon generations of activism. See e.g. the Asian Law Caucus: https://www.asianlawcaucus.org/
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund: https://www.aaldef.org/
Thank you. With so many horrors it's easy to lose track of the people who are doing the right thing and fighting.
As always, thank you for your beautiful compassion, Jay. Concern, caring, and sharing the reality, regardless of how painful it is. This is how change happens. Mahalo ~