Kendra S. Horn: “Yesterday, September 11, our Nation was assaulted in a vicious, well-planned and cold-blooded act of mass murder. Many…”

“Yesterday, September 11, our Nation was assaulted in a vicious, well-planned and cold-blooded act of mass murder. Many have compared these horrible acts with Pearl Harbor. Certainly our shock, horror and anger are similar, and both acts were planned with military precision. But Pearl Harbor was an open act of war against military targets by a clearly identified aggressor. Yesterday's attacks were an assassin's strike against innocent men, women and children, chosen as victims solely because they were Americans. We are deeply angered and properly outraged by these acts, as we were on December 7, 1941. But now is the time for calm and deliberate, thoughtful countersteps to protect our Nation and to end this deadly threat. We should take special care not to repeat the mistakes of 1941. Many Americans of Japanese ancestry were interned during the Second World War. Those interned never committed a sabotage of any sort. Finally, the Federal judiciary recognized that. In fact, many Japanese Americans joined the Army and served our Nation with great skill and courage. Those who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy and Europe were the most decorated unit in the United States Army. That should teach us to guard against unthinking stereotypes and prejudice. We should not think that those who may look like our enemies are in fact allied or even sympathetic to those who are behind these despicable actions.”