Letter to the editor: History corrected

By John L. Harlan, Tulsa - 11/7/2009


As an avid reader of history, I found it particularly galling to read Phil Morgan's letter to the editor stating: "An historical fact you must consider. Japan in World War II didn't invade the United States because it realized Americans were armed." ("Termite Responds," Oct. 31).

Morgan is wrong for two reasons. First, Japan did invade the United States. It occupied the Aleutian islands of Attu and Kiska (part of what is now the state of Alaska) for approximately a year following an invasion on June 3, 1942. Second, assuming that Morgan was really speaking about an invasion of the continental 48 states, Japan had neither the military nor logistical ability to invade. In June 1942, six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Pacific Fleet in the Battle of Midway sank four Japanese aircraft carriers, all part of the Pearl Harbor attack. From that point on, Japan had its hands full trying to keep the territory it had seized six months before.

Morgan may be correct about his stand on gun control, but he and others like him should not quote as fact something that is simply untrue. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan is quoted as saying: "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."



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Tulsa World Reader Comments
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Jester1969, Broken Arrow (11/7/2009 5:50:15 PM)
Logistics plain and simple.

Democrat, Tulsa County (11/7/2009 6:59:26 AM)
RC1936: What a fantasy!!!! It is crazy-talk to suggest that an invasion of the North American continent by Japan was stopped by our Second Amendment. Japan intended to be the dominant power in the Far East. They intended to destroy our fleet at Pearl Harbor and they concentrated on taking the Philippines and the East Indies (Indonesia). The Battle of the Coral Sea ended their hope of invading Australia and our victory at Midway preserved the Hawaiian Islands. Had Japan won those last two battles and then went on to take Australia and Hawaii, our job of liberating the Far East would have been virtually impossible and Japan would have become dominant in the Far East as they planned. To suggest that the Second Amendment was responsible for stopping an invasion of our nation by Japan is not supported by any credible historian.

Democrat, Tulsa County (11/7/2009 4:28:55 PM)
Unbelieving: The topic is: THE RIGHT-WING FANTASY CONCERNING HOW THE SECOND AMENDMENT KEPT THE JAPANESE FROM INVADING THE GOOD OLE USA. Care to weigh-in or do you just want to cheap shot dappie and other government employees?

Democrat, Tulsa County (11/7/2009 8:46:41 PM)
That was some pretty fancy philosophizing by you GOPer. However, these Second Amendment guys can't cite a single reputable historian who will support their fantasied point about how America's pistol-packin' mommas and daddies prevented a Japanese invasion of our nation during World War II.

Democrat, Tulsa County (11/7/2009 10:12:40 PM)
Yes, Skinex. All of them. Thank you for asking.

Democrat, Tulsa County (11/7/2009 10:43:38 PM)
Skinex: Sorry to be so glib, but you have to admit that your question was really odd. Why would any reputable historian make a statement saying, "by the way, contrary to the opinion of NO reputable historian, the Japanese were not dissuaded from an invasion of the United States because of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution." ROFLMAO at you buddy. Thank you for the huge belly laugh to end the night. Skinex-- In case you still don't get it, it was up to the theorists touting an idea that you will not find in any history text used in the United States of America, to cite a credible source for their odd theory. No reputable historian is going to make an off-the-wall statement about an idea that only a member of the NRA would find plausible. Good night. Don't forget to extinguish your kerosene lamps before you go to sleep there in Warner.

Democrat, Tulsa County (11/8/2009 6:41:24 AM)
just passing through: Fear of a Japanese invasion was a whole other matter. Fear of invasion and sabotage led to the decision to intern all people of Japanese descent in camps during much of the war. Thank you for making your excellent point about the lack of concern that the Japanese showed for armed partisans elsewhere. I'll bet that you remember the inability of armed Japanese civilians to stop US soldiers on Okinawa. H Harl: I didn't say that the NRA made up the weird theory stated by Phil Morgan or supported by a few people on this thread. I stated that only a member of the NRA would find the ridiculous theory plausible. I will concede that there are probably others who agree with this strange theory, but they are cheapskates who agree with the NRA's agenda, but take a free-ride on the dues paid by others. Is that better?

Democrat, Tulsa County (11/8/2009 5:12:47 PM)
skinex: Somehow I just knew that you wouldn't understand how foolish your request was for me to provide a source for a point that would never be made by any intelligent historian. I was just pulling your leg about the kerosene lamp. ( BTW,I have those wind-up flash lights for power-outages). JPT: I knew that most of the Japanese-Americans living in Hawaii were not interned because they provided much of the work-force for the islands. I hadn't heard about the Texas Nisei. Thank you for teaching me something useful (I am a US History teacher).

Hijinx, (11/7/2009 7:43:12 AM)
An absurd notion indeed. The Japanese empire weren't too concerned about local gun owners when they stomped threw Manchuria, Thailand, Burma,Philippines and a host of others.

psychedelikrelik, Tulsa (11/7/2009 5:14:05 PM)
Unbelieving is back for more schoolin'. Droopy musta had pups.

Hobbs, Loveland, Co (11/7/2009 9:22:28 AM)
It's a constant source of amazement to me, the fantasies and mindset of conservatives. If they don't like the truth or reality, they just rationalize facts until it fits their perverted view of reality. The more you communicate with them on these forums the more you see it.

Grand Old Partier, Owasso (11/7/2009 7:01:53 PM)
Hobbs- why do you call for civility on these forums when you constantly berate conservatives by calling their opinions perverted and fantasied? Would that be hypocritical? Truth is bound by interpretation or there wouldn't be a need for the Supreme Court. People have different perceptions or we wouldn't overpay lawyers to speak for us. Reality is like beauty, it's in the eye of the beholder. Some people truly believe there is a God and and others truly believe there isn't. Neither has hard evidence or proof. Any proof presented by either side is subject to interpretation.

Dr. Strangelove, Tulsa (11/7/2009 7:42:08 AM)
The whole subject makes for good popcorn conversation. I have guns and consider firearms kind of a hobby, but I doubt a gun toting Russian with a with an AK 107 or a RG6 40mm grenade launcher would consider me much of a threat. I'm sure it was the same back in WWII. Then again, if we've gotten to the point of a land invasion it would be fun to think we could hold em' off for awhile, haha

_The 3rd Man_, (11/7/2009 10:14:40 AM)
Trival Pursuit

skinex, Warner (11/7/2009 9:10:25 PM)
Democrat: Do you have any reputable historian who will support your theory?

skinex, Warner (11/8/2009 10:40:36 AM)
Democrat & JPT: I did not say I believed the writers statement concerning the decision not to invade due to an armed citizenry. I merely asked if Democrat had a source for his theory, he seems to think we should accept every post he makes as truth. But I know they aren't because I don't have kerosene lamps. Oh, I do for when it is stormy and electric goes off. I consider that just one of his snide remarks to show he thinks he is better than someone else. We put our pants on the same, one leg at a time.

skinex, Warner (11/8/2009 4:52:02 PM)
All this talk of a foreign entity invading the U.S. brings to mind what our government is allowing now. We have immigration laws on the books that are not being enforced and illegals come into this country everyday. The Islamic religion instructs believers to wage war continually against nonbelievers yet we allow them to get a foothold in this country. Look at what happened in Ft. Hood. If we had had this type government during World War II, we would have been doomed.

H_Harl, (11/8/2009 2:51:03 AM)
maybe i missed it, but i've never seen any instance where the NRA ever stated anything remotely similar to what morgans letter stated. just because a few people may have a certain view on something, it doesn't mean the NRA "made it up".

Unbelieving, (11/7/2009 11:59:07 AM)
Dappie, being a "government employee", that explains some things!

RC1936, St. Robert (11/7/2009 6:40:27 AM)
You're right that the Japanese took some of the islands up near Alaska, which was just a territory at the time. And yes it's true that the Japs never got close enough to attack the lower portion of the U.S. partly because they were so busy defending themselves. But many of us feel that they never tried too hard because of the fact they knew most Americans were armed and would fight them tooth and nail without fail. I'm glad I live in a country that can -- and will -- defend itself when it must. I think you're both right. I do wish history was being taught correctly again.

lizzy, Tulsa (11/9/2009 9:46:14 AM)
"Any proof presented by either side is subject to interpretation." GOP, that explains a lot about you and your refusal to admit that SOMETIMES a fact is simply a fact.

just passing through, (11/7/2009 11:18:49 PM)
I don't know if anyone is still reading this or keeping up with it or even really cares, but as I am old and remember some of these events.... The real threat was supposed to come from south of the border during the late 1940's or early 1950's. The Japananes were thought to be coming in from that direction after they had taken bases in that area so they could knock out our refining capacity in the Houston and Port Arthur area. The US had different plans. Our planners saw the war ending in 1951 after our invasion of Japan had finally worn them down to the last man. The fact that almost every one in the US was armed never, and I mean NEVER, figured into US planners thinking or the thinking of the Japananese. Armies deal with Partisans and go on; they are not defeated by them. Consider this: The Japaninese made sure every person left on many of their islands was armed to the teeth before we invaded them. Made a big difference in the outcome of the war, didn't it? Of course none of this came to be due to the A-bomb. This is not just revisionist thinking on my part. This was military planning on the part of those that knew nothing of the A-bomb and had to deal with the situation as they knew it. If the NRA wants to make this stuff up, well, I can't stop them. If you want to belive them then I can't stop you. If you want me to believe the NRA then all can say is don't hold your breath.

just passing through, (11/8/2009 2:41:24 PM)
All Japanese were not intered during WWII. Many were, but not all. In the areas around Beaumont and Port Arthur, despite the many petrochemical instalations, no Japanese were interered and many of them lived there. They were rice farmers and their contributions to the war effort did not go unnoticed by a Senator named L. B. Johnson who took it upon himself to see that they stayed on their farms and kept producing. Your point about Okinawa is somewhat odd. Paritisans are paritisans and every army on earth is prepairaed for them. You should read up on what led to the internment camps on the West coast. During the Pearl Harbor attack there were also a number of acts of sabotage and attacks against civilians on the Hawaiain Islands by Japanese farm workers living there. Not a lot of this made the news and for good reason. The US Government feared idiots with guns would go nuts and start killing anyone who looked like they were from Japan. Enough of this happend as it was. It was not unusual to see Oriental food stores and cafes with signs in them saying 'We are Chinese'. Ignorance of history is no reason to rewrite it. It just means there are things that took place that are not fully understood.



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