National Board Debates Watada Controversy
After two days of discussions, the national JACL board votes to reaffirm the organization’s earlier statement but agrees to continue discussing the issue with the districts.
SAN FRANCISCO—It may have gotten ugly at times, but the Watada controversy — whether for the good or bad of the community — continues to be hotly debated amongst Japanese Americans. And the issue landed smack-dab in the middle of the national JACL board meeting this past weekend.
At the center of the debate is 28-year-old 1st Lt. Ehren Watada and his decision this past June to refuse deployment to Iraq. In July, national JACL issued a statement expressing concern over some of the charges facing the Hawaii native — including contempt and conduct unbecoming an officer — but did not take a position on his refusal to deploy.
But now some JACL members are asking the national civil rights organization to take their statement a step further and show stronger support for Watada, the first Asian American officer to refuse deployment to Iraq.
In a show of solidarity, members of the Berkeley JACL chapter brought their message to the national JACL board Sept. 30.
“We urge the JACL to take a stronger stand in support of Watada. His Constitutional rights have been violated,” said Jim Duff, a member of the Berkeley JACL Civil Rights Committee.
With letters of support from various community members — including a World War II 442nd veteran and famed attorneys who worked on the coram nobis cases — the Berkeley chapter pressed the national JACL to show further support for Watada. They also pointed to a recent amicus brief filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) showing support for the first lieutenant.
“We are seeking your guidance and leadership. We really need your direction. We need to know from you what actions we can take on a local level,” said Alison Satake, chair of the Berkeley chapter civil rights committee, who stressed the urgency of the matter in light of a possible pending court martial for Watada.
But many of the national JACL board members were not swayed by the presentation, voting unanimously to reaffirm its already stated position of concern and instead go back to its members to further discuss the issue.
“We do not have enough information. We will go back to our districts and not make a decision today,” said Silvana Watanabe, IDC governor.
Although some board members indicated that in the future a stronger statement of support for Watada could be possible, they needed to take a look at both sides of the argument. Many noted that the veterans groups — several of whom have come out strongly against Watada including Japanese American Korean War Veterans and Americans of Japanese Ancestry WWII Memorial Alliance — were not present at the recent meeting.
“It’s important to include a larger audience. We want them to be a part of the dialogue,” said Ron Katsuyama, MDC governor.
“We have heard nothing from the veterans groups. This is an emotional issue and we need to hear from both sides,” said Floyd Mori, former national JACL president and current Washington, D.C. representative.
The board also agreed that the issue needs to be more narrowly focused, possibly framing the Watada debate around the rights of free speech instead of the legal issues surrounding the Iraq war.
John Tateishi, JACL executive director, believes the decision national JACL makes today on the Watada controversy will have far-reaching ramifications on how the organization will be viewed in the future. He believes the national JACL should make a decision on the morality of the war, not its legality.
“The decision we make now will affect the organization for a long time to come. As a civil rights organization our mission is the human rights of everybody. It is not the legality of the war but the morality of the war,” said Tateishi. “We need to bite the bullet and make a decision.
“I personally think [Watada’s] absolutely right,” he said, “and history will show he’s right but he will have to face his punishment.”
Watada currently faces the possibility of a court martial and could face up to eight years in prison for his belief that the Iraq war is not only illegal but immoral. The U.S. Army has charged him with several offenses including: missing troop movement, conduct unbecoming an officer, and contempt towards officials.
In September the U.S. Army added another charge against the first lieutenant for remarks Watada made at a national convention of Veterans for Peace in Seattle in August. The additional charge is another specification under the charge of Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman.
Although Satake was personally disappointed that the national JACL did not strengthen their support for Watada, she believes the ongoing dialogue is important especially in light of a possible court martial.
“It’s important that we keep the dialogue and debate alive,” she said.
“I personally would like national JACL to support Watada,” she added noting that in addition to the Berkeley chapter’s statement of support, Honolulu JACL has also given Watada their full support.
The next national board meeting will ironically be held during the Veterans Day weekend Nov. 11-12 and the Watada controversy will likely be hotly debated once more.
“JACL can be a leader,” said Tateishi. “This is an issue that’s going to face us; it’s inevitable. People in the community are demanding we state where we are.”
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