Democrats Push Guam Reparations Bill

Guam was the site of a bloody battle during World War II. It was attacked by the Japanese on December 8, 1941 - a day after Pearl Harbor.

The Japanese commited human rights abuses and atrocities to the people of Guam. So why does the US government need to provide reparations to the people of Guam for something that the Japanese did to them during World War II?

What exactly is the logic of this?

It makes no sense, and it dishonors all those Americans who gave their lives to liberate the island from the Japanese in 1944.

The bill, HR 1595, provides for reparations as follows:

(a) Payments for Death, Personal Injury, Forced Labor, Forced March, and Internment- Subject to section 6(a), after receipt of certification pursuant to section 4(b)(8) and in accordance with the provisions of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall make payments as follows:

(1) RESIDENTS INJURED- The Secretary shall pay compensable Guam victims who are not deceased before any payments are made to individuals described in paragraphs (2) and (3) as follows:

(A) If the victim has suffered an injury described in subsection (c)(2)(A), $15,000.

(B) If the victim is not described in subparagraph (A) but has suffered an injury described in subsection (c)(2)(B), $12,000.

(C) If the victim is not described in subparagraph (A) or (B) but has suffered an injury described in subsection (c)(2)(C), $10,000.

(2) SURVIVORS OF RESIDENTS WHO DIED IN WAR- In the case of a compensable Guam decedent, the Secretary shall pay $25,000 for distribution to eligible survivors of the decedent as specified in subsection (b). The Secretary shall make payments under this paragraph after payments are made under paragraph (1) and before payments are made under paragraph (3).

(3) SURVIVORS OF DECEASED INJURED RESIDENTS- In the case of a compensable Guam victim who is deceased, the Secretary shall pay $7,000 for distribution to eligible survivors of the victim as specified in subsection (b). The Secretary shall make payments under this paragraph after payments are made under paragraphs (1) and (2).

It then provides for how the money is to be split among survivors. This bill would cost American taxpayers $130 million for the compensation program and related expenditures.

Once again, I ask why is the US footing the bill for reparations for actions done by the Japanese. This is something that the Japanese should be held to account for.

UPDATE:
Maybe that $130 million could be put to better use - like being used to provide new and updated equipment to national guard units around the country that have not gotten replacement equipment for that which was sent and used in Iraq. Maybe that money should go specifically to the Kansas National Guard for replacement equipment, if that is truly what is needed in Kansas.

Fingers of God

The movie Twister described the most destructive tornadoes, F5s on the Fujita scale, as nothing short of being a finger of God.

Well, we've had yet another demonstration of nature's fury as the town of Greensburg, Kansas was wiped off the map by a monster twister. The town, with 1,500 residents was demolished by the monster twister that came through this weekend shredded every single building and structure in town. Not a single building escaped some damage. Officials say that 95% of the town was destroyed. Only the grain elevator remains standing.

Yet, there was reason to be hopeful. The death toll wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, and search and rescue discovered survivor in the wreckage late last night.

Survivors returned Monday to a Kansas town that was flattened by a milewide tornado, some finding little remaining of their homes.

While owners surveyed property, searchers probed rubble from Friday's gigantic twister, whose 205-mph winds killed nine people.

Officials in Greensburg told The Associated Press that searchers had found someone alive in debris from the storm. A Kansas Highway Patrol spokesman told AP the person was found late Sunday. No other details were immediately available.

The town managed to get an earlier warning than usual - 20 minutes rather than because the NWS recognized the growing monster from radar sweeps of the area. Had this storm hit late at night, it is quite possible that the toll would have been devastating. As Instapundit notes, it might be a good idea to purchase a system like this - to alert you to impending severe storms - even at night.

An ongoing problem is that the weather pattern that spawned this monster storm has not moved on. The entire region is still threatened by severe weather.

There are also reports claiming that the National Guard is slow in responding to the situation because it lacks equipment due to the Iraq war. Curiously, the President already declared the area a disaster area and FEMA is on the ground providing assistance.