LAD #37: FDR's Executive Order 9066

FDR's Executive Order 9066

• Roosevelt authorized the Secretary of War (and other military commanders) to prescribe military areas
• The Secretary of War was also responsible for providing transportation, food, shelter, and other accommodations as necessary
• Granted the Secretary of War the use of federal troops and agencies, with the choice of using state troops and agencies
• Roosevelt authorized/directed Executive Departments to assist the Secretary of War and military commanders

• I can try to understand why Roosevelt feared Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but I think it was irresponsible and ignorant of him to give full power to the Secretary of War.  People aren't perfect and there was no guarantee that the head of this department would, in the future, make fair decisions that the president would have agreed with.  The part of the order with food and transportation, though, does seem better than the authority to forcefully relocate Japanese Americans to military zones.

Again, slavery in the US is one of the closest things to the terror the Executive Order 9066.  The rights of blacks and Japanese Americans were both compromised during these two different time periods, due to fear.