[May 15, 2014] The United States Supreme Court has made many important decisions that impact on our society in the most positive ways. The justices are held in high regard by the American public and deserve this status – having acted in ways beneficial to all. However, one Court decision stands out that runs against our moral fiber; Korematsu v. United States (1944).
World War II was an era of tragedy for the human race that exceeds any other human-made event. It was also a time of tremendous advancements in technology, engineering, and knowledge. Knowing enough about history not to repeat some of the major mistakes is something leaders attempt to do.
Knowing what goes right and why, is as important as knowing what went wrong, and why.
This is why one particular Supreme Court decision is not listed as of the important “milestones” despite the fact that it was a landmark decision of greater importance in its moral failure than most people realize. During WWII there was great fear of espionage by the “enemy.” This fear translated quickly into political power and one target was the people of Japanese ancestry here in the United States.
Korematsu v. United States (1944), was a significant United States Supreme Court case concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during WWII regardless of citizenship.
Interestingly, this case has not been overturned but the Department of Justice recently in 2011 filed official notice conceding that it was an error.
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Some links on “Milestones in Supreme Court History”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korematsu_v._United_States http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0101289.html http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0101289.html http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/ProbationPretrialServices/History.aspx http://www.milestonedocuments.com/features/view/supreme-court-cases/