How would you feel if your individual rights and freedoms were stripped from you during a national crisis? In many countries, the people’s individual rights and freedoms are supposed to be protected by the government. But, in some cases, those individual rights and freedoms were taken away from the people during a national crisis. Some examples of these actions are Hitler overtaking complete control over Germany and outlying country’s, the Japanese internment during WW 2, and the FLQ crisis in 1970. Limiting a person’s individual rights and freedoms is something that I don’t believe in, even during a national crisis.
First of all, Adolf Hitler started an international incident when he stripped the rights and freedoms of people from outlying countries. That is, he started World War 2 by overtaking country’s surrounding Germany. When Hitler took complete control over these other countries, he had complete control over the people in these country’s. He made all the decisions for the people whether they be bad or good towards them. The people had no control or say over anything, and there wasn’t anything they could do about it. Therefore, I disagree with Hitler in his actions towards the people, in that they were stripped of their individual rights and freedoms.
Secondly, during World War2, the Japanese people who had immigrated to Canada were stripped of their individual rights and freedoms. On the west coast of Canada, where the Japanese immigrants were situated, all of the people were put either in internment camps or sent back to Japan in fear of being spy’s or inside people. The Canadian government believed that the Japanese people were a threat to our society. The belongings from the Japanese people were confiscated by army officers. The officers could basically take what ever they wanted. The Japanese people were powerless. So, I disagree with the government for stripping the Japanese immigrants of their individual rights and freedoms because in the end, the Japanese people turned out to be innocent of all accused charges.
Finally, the people of Canada were stripped of their personal rights and freedoms during the FLQ crisis. In 1979, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau took the individual rights and freedoms away from the canadian people. His actions were justified, because of two kidnappings, from the terrorist group FLQ, of two government officials. For example, army officials were allowed to enter anyone’s house at any time, cause they might suspect that the people are part of the FLQ, and might have the kidnapped government officials.
Throughout history, the actions of governments have always been debated; however, occasionally there are certain events which spark much controversy, both at the time of the event and by historians today. One of these controversial acts was the invocation of the War Measures Act in 1970, an act which suspended the civil liberties of Canadian citizens. In October 1970, in what became known as the October Crisis, the Front de libération du Québec, (commonly known as the FLQ) which was a French Canadian organization advocating independence from Canada, kidnapped two politicians. This initiated a series of events, one of which was the invocation of the War Measures Act by Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Many historians argue that Trudeau was justified in invoking the War Measures Act because the October Crisis ended shortly after the Act was invoked. However, this argument is invalid as justification; primarily because the War Measures Act was an extreme overreaction by Trudeau, as the threat of the FLQ was largely small-scale, and the demise of the FLQ was impending with the rise of the Bloc Quebecois. Furthermore, the Act may have inspired Quebecers who favoured separatism, as they saw the government desperately employ the most extreme measure to stop the FLQ. Finally, the War Measures Act suspended the civil rights of citizens within a democracy, violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The War Measures Act was a law passed in 1914 by the Canadian Government in Canada during WWI, amongst many others that the government had passed that allowed the government to take control of communications, establish censorship of transatlantic cables, and organize the militia (Bolotta, Angelo et al. 39). The War Measures Act itself allowed the government to: censor and suppress publications, writing, maps, plans, photographs, communications, and means of communication, arrest, detain, exclude, and deport persons, control harbours, ports, and territorial waters of Canada and the movements of vessels, control the transport of persons and things by land, air, or water control trade, production, and manufacturing, and appropriate and dispose of property and of the use thereof (Bolotta, Angelo et al. 39). It gave the government emergency powers “allowing it to govern by decree” while Canada was in war (War). In World War I (1914-1920), it had been used to imprison those who were of German, Ukrainian, and Slavic decent, and was used in the same way again in WWII (1939-1945) to imprison Japanese-Canadians, and to seize all of their belongings. They were then relocated into internment camps and concentration camps (Bolotta, Angelo et al. 171). Both times, those that were persecuted did not have the right to object (War). Those these laws had been created for the purpose of protecting Canadians from threats or wars for security, defense, peace order and welfare of Canada it instead greatly limited the rights and freedoms of Canadian citizens and debasing immigrants of enemy countries both in WWI and WWII (Bolotta, Angelo et. Al 39).
First of all, putting Japanese Canadians into internment camps was unreasonable as they had done nothing wrong. The only plausible reason for Japanese Canadians to be interned was they lived near Canada’s west coast which could mean they could supply Japan with information to invade Canada (Bolotta et al, 2000). While it is a valid excuse, RCMP had come out with a report stating Japanese Canadians were no threat to Canada or of anyway dangerous (Bolotta et al, 2000). Furthermore, most Japanese Canadians were born in British Columbia, spoke little to no Japanese, and had little or no relation with Japan(_____*reader’s digest*,1969). In other words, this should have be an indicator that Japanese Canadians were no threat to the country. In simpler terms, the Canadian government had no justifications in interning the Japanese Canadians.
During the end of the 1930’s, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose into action. Hitler is commonly referenced and linked with World War II, and has become famous for his brutal dictatorship in Germany. Adolf Hitler began the persecution of Jews with the belief that they were insignificant to the human race. Along with Jews, he believed that handicapped, mentally ill, and elderly people did not deserve the right to live. This horrifying genocide killed over 2/3 of the Jewish population in Europe. 6,000,000 Jews were murdered in concentration camps and mistreated by the Nazis.
“They spoke of the Japanese Canadians,'; Escott Reid, a special assistant at External Affairs, would recall, “in the way that the Nazi’s would have spoken about Jewish Germans.'; Just like in that statement, I intend to expose you to the ways that the Japanese were wronged by Canadians throughout the Second World War. As well, I intend to prove what I have stated in my thesis statement: After the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the Japanese in Canada were wronged by being torn from their homes to be put into internment camps to serve Canadians through hard labour.
The tendency to racially discriminate and victimise against certain minorities or a specific nationality was a long-lasting sting of racism which was a part of Canadian history. The discrimination by Canadians directed towards Japanese-Canadians during WWII was a significant historical event that needs to be addressed. After the Pearl Harbour attacks in Hawaii by the Japanese navy, 24,000 Japanese-Canadians were placed in internment camps, where they were stripped of their identity and freedom of rights based upon their racial origin. In the aftermath of the internment, many Japanese-Canadian natives were left without life savings, as all of their belongings were confiscated and never given back. This internment of the Japanese-Canadians occurred
World War Two had a significant impact on Canadian history as the Canadian government revoked many rights and changed the lives of Japanese-Canadians that were interred. Between 1941 and 1945, over 21,000 Japanese-Canadians (in which over two thirds were born in Canada) were limited of their rights and freedom and were forced into internment camps "for their own good". The Japanese-Canadians were considered as enemy aliens by the Canadian government the day after Japan bombed Pearl Harbour. They lost many rights along with it and their property was confiscated as well even though the Canadian government promised that they would receive their property back after the war was over. While the Japanese-Canadians were living in the internment camps, they were forced to suffer from the harsh nature and living conditions of the camps. Also, after all those these years of internment, the end result was that the Japanese-Canadians were given the freedom to move and were given a formal apology from the government in 1988. Not only did the internment of Japanese-Canadians tear families apart and scar the lives of many innocent civilians, but it also made the Canadian government open their eyes and realize how they were treating different ethnicities even though Canada was supposedly a free country.
The horrors of racial profiling during World War II had always seemed to be distant to many Canadians, yet Canada was home to several xenophobic policies that were a violation of many rights and freedoms. One of the cruelest instances of this was the Japanese Canadian internment. At the time, the government justified the internment by claiming that the Japanese Canadians were a threat to their national defense, but evidence suggests that it had nothing to do with security. The government made illogical decisions in response to the mass panic and agitation in British Columbia. To aggravate the situation, Prime Minister William Mackenzie King reacted passively to these decisions, as it was not in his best interests to be involved. Moreover,
The fate of thousands changed on December 7, 1941 when Japanese planes left Pearl Harbour in Hawaii devastated after a surprise attack. The American Pacific fleet stationed there was nearly obliterated: 2,403 Americans were dead, 188 planes had been destroyed, and 8 battleships lay wrecked (Donlan, 4). However, the real tragedy was to come when nations would turn against their people and democracy’s very foundations would have to be questioned. Such a time came in 1942 when 23,000 Japanese Canadians were interned; over 75% of them were Canadian citizens (Hickman, 72). Unnecessary fear had found shelter in the hearts of the British majority which resided in Canada at the time (ibid). It spread from heart to heart; fuelled by racism it ran rampant. Dislike turned to hatred, Canadians became a threat to other Canadians, and people of Japanese origin became enemy aliens or better known as Japs (Aihoshi, 71). Most people were blinded by extremist views; others saw but chose to do nothing more. Only those who experienced it told of the injustice and posed the question, “Was it necessary?” It is a question which deserves an answer. It was unnecessary to place the Japanese Canadians in internment camps during WWII as they weren’t a threat to other Canadians, but were victims of racism, and were just as patriotic and loyal as any other Canadian.
“Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.” This was once said by American author Rita Mae Brown. People can always review something that has happened in the past, but humans tend not to think twice about what they are doing in the present. Throughout history, people have gained hindsight through experience, so is it fair to blame others without understanding their reasoning? The majority of people believe that the internment of Japanese Canadians was unjustified, but if they were British-Canadian during World War II, would they still have the same thoughts as they do today? The internment of Japanese Canadians prevented violent discrimination from Canadian citizens, helped strengthen Canada as a nation and also saved thousands of lives. Although many human rights were violated, Japanese internment benefited Canada over time.
The Japanese Canadians had no other option but to endure the constant assaults to their social welfare. As aliens, they could only do so much in a country that was populated mostly by the white race. However, little did it upset them in the beginning, since they were still proud to be Canadian. When the public scorn, evacuation and internment took place, the Japanese were compelled to remain in a stagnant state as all they had earned through much labour became stripped away. After Pearl Harbor, their small and restricted world so abruptly collapsed that nothing would ever be the same again. The government lacked the courage and political will to refuse public opinion in British Columbia, and so chose the path of least resistance. Consequently, the Japanese became subjected to serious limitations of their civil liberties as citizens, and more importantly, human beings. The passing years, have brought overdue regrets and apologies, but the memory of the internment acts as a reminder that the denial of an entire race’s rights is never the solution.
Every person has their own opinion on Adolf Hitler, but some do believe he was a good man. He did very terrible things that didn’t even need to be done, and ruined many lives. I have always wondered what could lead Adolf Hitler to want to do such terrible things to such innocent people and destroy so many lives. Only serial killers could find joy in killing a person because it gives them a rush. Once they feel that rush they want to feel it again and again. That’s what leads them to keep going and doing it over and over. Hitler’s mind was like a serial killers mind. He was so okay with going into other countries and destroying them and killing whoever came in his way. What does that have anything to do with the Jews? They were simple people just living their lives and he needed a target to make his campaign stronger. A Psychopath would kill 6 million Jews to make sure they can have what they
... its citizens, it could be said that he showed other nations the true powers of Germany, and had he continued to fulfill his mission Germany could have been prosperous. It is only fair to say that people are entitled to their own opinions, but a leader is one who works with others to grow and succeed. As for Adolf Hitler, he not only oppressed and exploited people of Germany, but mentality ruined populations and generations of people as well.
Adolf Hitler is known to be one of the “greatest” leaders in history who had abused his powers and had shattered his country apart. Born in 1889 in Austria, Hitler abused his powers because of his greedy ego and because of his narcissism. It all became with Hitler organizing a party called the National Socialist, most popularly know as the Nazi Party. The rise of the Nazi Party was the thing that led to the start of Hitler’s rein and his abuse of power. The Nazi Party eventually led Adolf Hitler to come to rule and had given Hitler the chance to take control the entire nation.
Individuals should not have to give up their personal freedoms for the sake of national security. In this case concerning national security, which seems broad, security can be differentiated into two aspects, internal and external. Internal security pertains more to the people because it represents the government. External security involves state laws and codes that help prevent attacks on the United States, terrorism and potential foreign invasion. Civil rights in the United States are the right of U.S. citizens to have privacy, freedom of speech, peaceful protest, fair trial, personal freedom, and equal protection. Thes...