Letters to the Editor: American Politics and Empire, War on Iran, and Al Austin’s Ballot Designation Rejected

RE: The Déjà vu of American Politics and Empire in Sept. 3 edition of RLn

James Preston Allen compares the internment of Japanese Americans with the ICE raids arresting and deport illegal aliens.

That is deeply offensive.

The vast, vast majority of Japanese Americans in this country during World War II were in the United States legally. Most of them were natural-born citizens! Furthermore, they committed no crime, yet they were interned by “Progressive” President Franklin Delano Roosevelt via Executive Order 9066.

Conservatives like US Senator Robert Taft of Ohio vociferously opposed this vile abuse of power, but they had no power in Washington in those days.

Is Allen suggesting that the interned Japanese Americans were all criminals, then? Is he inadvertently justifying the violation of the rights of American citizens?

Progressives are always looking for ways to lock people up. President Woodrow Wilson incarcerated socialist Eugene V. Debs for his anti-war activities, and he cracked down on freedom of speech and the press when other American citizens criticized his decision to enter World War I. Conservative President Warren G. Harding pardoned Debs and reversed Wilson’s cult of tyranny.

In another offensive comment in his editorial, Allen compares ICE raids to the deportation and extermination of Jews and other targeted groups during the Holocaust. This is obscene. Jews, gypsies, and other Slavic groups targeted by the Nazis were all citizens of their respective countries who committed no crime. To compare them with people who have entered our country illegally—and who have committed other crimes, besides—is the height of historical malpractice and highly unethical.

Arthur Christopher Schaper

Torrance CA

Mr. Schaper, 

Once again you have managed to mangle history for your own political purposes. Yes, many Japanese Americans were indeed citizens whose only crime was being of Japanese descent. This is not unlike and very similar to the thousands of immigrants now in the new Trump concentration camps, the majority of whom have committed no crimes, have not been given a hearing or trial, and are accused of nothing other than being without papers. 

What I do find offensive and, in fact, illegal is arresting any person without a warrant, searching any property without a judge-ordered warrant, and detaining anyone without formally being charged in a court of law. These happen to fall under the provisions of the 4th and 5th Amendments of the Bill of Rights. The law that you blithely overlook to support your racist and xenophobic political agenda.

James Preston Allen, Publisher

War on Iran, a Historical Perspective 

Recently I was watching Lawrence O’Donnell on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and he made some comments comparing Mr. Trump’s actions regarding Iran to some of America’s other military adventures, and what he had to say put America’s current excursion, or war, or action, or whatever it is, with Iran, into historical perspective.

First, Iran is one of the largest countries in the world, in terms of both population and land area. It’s far larger and more populous than either (undivided) Vietnam in the 1960s or (undivided) Germany in the late 1940s.

Consider that, at the height of American involvement in Vietnam, we had over 500,000 military personnel committed to that undeclared war. During World War II, D-Day was the largest naval, air, and land operation in history. – about 160,000 troops – and not only Americans, we needed help from our allies, especially Great Britain, to even begin to defeat Nazi Germany.

That means our current level of military involvement in Iran isn’t going to be another D-Day. It’s not even going to be another Vietnam.

Ms. Lyn Jensen

Anaheim

Editor’s note: The following letter is regarding a recent LA Superior Court ruling that called Former Long Beach Councilmember Al Austin II’s proposed ballot designation for his candidacy for the Water Replenishment District, misleading.

Court Rejects Al Austin’s “Long Beach Water Commissioner” Ballot Designation

Quoting from the court ruling:

“Although real party might be free to select a designation that reflects his work on water issues, his chosen designation of “Long Beach Water Commissioner” signals to voters that he holds a title and position on a non-existent agency dedicated exclusively to water issues, which is particularly misleading as he seeks to hold office as a Director for the Water Replenishment District. (See Andal v. Miller (1994) 28 Cal.App.4th 358, 365 [noting that a specific or general descriptor of the candidate’s work may be acceptable “so long as the designation chosen does not mislead the voters”].)

Accordingly, the petitioner’s request is GRANTED. A writ shall issue commanding respondent to disallow real party in interest Al Austin from using the designation “Long Beach Water Commissioner.” The Petition for Writ of Mandate filed by Tonia Reyes Uranga on 08/18/2026 is Granted.

To be clear, the Long Beach Water Dept and Water Commission was dissolved in 2022 by a charter reform item and a vote of the people to create a Public Utilities Commission. Al never was appointed to the Water Commission however in 2025 the Mayor did appoint him to the Public Utilities Commission. His title was misleading, false and untrue. 

He was never a Long Beach Water Commissioner when it existed and now that it does not exist he is not a LB Water Commissioner. 

Tonia Reyes Uranga

Water Replenishment District candidate

Long Beach