Turning a blind eye

"December 7th, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." President Franklin D Roosevelt most of us at some point or another when we have studied American history have come across  all or part of the speech. However there is another date of significance February 19, 1942 President Franklin D Roosevelt signed executive order 9066 effectively imprisoning all Japanese-Americans into internment camps. In reading an excerpt from John’s gospel which says "39Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ 40Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’”  

In our online morning prayer group the moderator stated "Our reading is asking us to look within our own heart and examine where we are blind.  This is one of the most difficult areas to grow spiritually in our life. A hint from the text is that blindness is in the areas that we become the most defensive because of our sureness that we are right." FDR and his advisors were sure that imprisoning a population of people was the right thing to do in the name of National Security.  it wasn't until 1988 that the United States government officially apologized and made reparations to Japanese Americans who had been imprisoned. Recently California issued its own official apology to Japanese Americans for its part in imprisoning them. This was as usual posted on social media followed by comments about various other groups of people that deserved apologies and reperations. We have all heard the expression turn a blind eye meaning pretend not to notice. United states citizens turned a blind eye to the government rounding up and imprisonment of a group of people born in this country who were not white. Families were separated. The social media troll was correctly pointing out the United states history of treating other groups of  "non whites" horrifically while the country turns a blind eye. 

Soon primary elections of 2020 will begin. We can no longer turn a blind eye. Jesus said  ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ In that spirit I encourage EVERYONE who is a citizen of the United States 18 years or older make sure you are registered to vote and then go vote.  Regardless of political parties look within your heart and vote for the candidate and the policies that line up with your values. With your vote you declare ‘I came into this voting booth for judgement so that those in government who do not see may see!" ’