Hawaii's two U.S. representatives have condemned comments made this week by a fellow congressman who said he agreed with the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Congressmen denounce
remarks on internmentStaff and news services
"We were at war. They (Japanese Americans) were an endangered species. For many of these Japanese Americans, it wasn't safe for them to be on the street," Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., said on a radio call-in program.
"Some probably were intent on doing harm to us," Coble also said.
Democratic U.S. Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Ed Case said Friday in a joint statement issued in Washington that Coble's comments showed a profound misunderstanding of the internment and its impact on Japanese Americans.
"More than 100,000 families were arrested, uprooted, transported to camps, confined behind barbed wire and ruined financially," Abercrombie and Case said.
"They committed no crime, demonstrated no disloyalty. Their only offense was their resemblance to the enemy," the island congressmen said.
A spokeswoman for Coble said the congressman meant no disrespect when he made the comments.
Fukunaga pays fine for pesky cell phone
While the Legislature has yet to make a decision on the legality of operating a cell phone while driving, the instruments, or at least the ones you can hear, have been outlawed from the Senate floor.Senators agreed this year that they would fine themselves $30 each time one of their cell phones went off while they were in session.
The first offender was Sen. Carol Fukunaga (D, Lower Makiki-Punchbowl), who received a call just before the legislative session ended last Wednesday.
Senate Clerk Paul Kawaguchi is assigned to collect the money. He reminded all senators that they could not use campaign funds or their Senate per diem to pay the fines.
Ex-island couple tests New Hampshire waters
CONCORD, N.H. >> A former Hawaii couple plans to run for Congress in 2004: he for District 2, she for District 1. And they plan a team approach to politics, as well.Carol and Eugene Douglass are both Republicans.
Carol Douglass, an artist, plans to challenge Jeb Bradley for the 1st District seat. She ran for Congress in 1998 in Hawaii's 2nd District, losing to Patsy Mink.
Eugene Douglass, a science and math teacher, was defeated in the 2002 Republican primary for the 2nd District, losing to Charles Bass. He plans to run again.
He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in Hawaii in 1998 and 2000.
According to their resumes, the couple lived in Hilo, where Carol Douglass majored in art at the University of Hawaii-Hilo, where Eugene Douglass taught two chemistry laboratory classes in 1998. He says he also taught at the Kulani Correctional Facility in 1997-98.
The couple also lived on Kauai, where Carol Douglass taught art and Eugene Douglass taught science at the St. Francis School in Lihue, which closed in 2001.
They now live in Concord in New Hampshire's 2nd District, but there is no state requirement that House members live in the district they represent.
Carol Douglass's area of focus is moral issues, abortion and family questions. Her husband's is more technical: defense issues, science, engineering.
"I am running as a proud pro-life, pro-traditional family conservative," Carol Douglass said.
Both say they will fight for more representation for conservatives who oppose abortion, homosexual marriage and forcing taxpayers to pay for "domestic partnership" benefits.
www.douglass2004.org
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