Hear that? It's squeaky, clunky sound of a backpedal. Over the weekend, Fox News guest Jonathan Hoenig apologized for comments he made citing the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II as an example of measures that led to the United States winning the war -- an argument he made on Cashin' In in support of the profiling of Muslim Americans today as a measure to combat terrorism.
Fox News Guest Apologizes for Internment Camp Comments
Hoenig's remarks on the matter are full of all kinds of bullshit, and sparked a fairly fiery response from a number of Asian American and Japanese American politicians and community organizations -- representing the community that, you know, actually had to endure the injustice of internment. Congressman Mike Honda called Hoenig's comments nothing less than "inexcuseabe" and "idiotic and insensitive."
On Saturday, Cashin' In took a moment for Hoenig to offer an on-air apology for his comments:
"Before we go, Jonathan has something he to say about last week's show - Jon?"
"Thanks Eric. I want to issue a sincere apology for my remarks on last week's Cashin' In, which I believe were unfortunately misinterpreted. The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was completely immoral. I've never defended it. In the context of our discussion on profiling. My point was to illustrate that profiling potential threats based on ideology could be a needed safeguard and in the context of wartime, I believe being able to identify and an enemy's ideology and be on the alert for it is the first step to actually achieving peace."
That's a "sincere apology"?
If Hoenig believes his comments were "misinterpreted," what exactly is he sincerely apologizing for? A misinterpretation of his comments puts the burden back on those who allegedly failed to understand his point. Last week, before issuing this apology, he blamed the controversy on his critics' inability to grasp "subtlety." If one truly believes the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was "completely immoral," why even bring it up, even in the context of this ridiculous discussion?
Then again, maybe it's that subtlety thing. I apparently have a problem with that, particularly when it comes to discussing justifications for the historical profiling and incarceration of an entire community.
More here: Fox Panelist Apologizes for Comments About Japanese Internment
