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Daniel Inouye has gone through life-changing events that would eventually put him at the forefront of the country’s political arena. Today he is a senator who relentlessly advocates the cause of Hawaiians, the very people he has grown to identify with. Senator Inouye has also played a major role in shaping the defense policies of the United States. He has worked to strengthen the armed forces, and enhance the quality of life for military personnel and their families.
Despite being an ethnic minority, young Daniel Inouye displayed a true sense of patriotism as a soldier who fought wholeheartedly against the axis powers in World War II. In March 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the famed “Go For Broke” regiment. He was soon promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was designated as a combat platoon leader during the Italian campaign. He slogged through nearly three bloody months of the Rome Arno campaign with the U.S. Fifth Army.
Evan Leong: Welcome to Greater Good Radio Hawaii, where leaders inspire leaders. Greater Good Radio Hawaii is dedicated to social entrepreneurship. I’m your host Evan Leong and with me is my co-host Kari Leong. Today’s show is brought to you by Central Pacific Bank, fiercely loyal banking.
Kari Leong: Today’s guest is Senator Daniel Inouye, who broke into politics in 1954 with his election to the Territorial House of Representatives. When Hawaii became a state on August 1959, Senator Inouye won election to the United States House of Representatives as the new state’s first Congressman. Senator Inouye is currently serving his seventh consecutive term in the Senate. He worked for additional jobs for Hawaii’s economy, and health and human services in rural communities. His other projects include affordable housing and the protection of America’s natural resources. Please welcome to Greater Good Radio, Senator Daniel Inouye. Welcome to our show senator, thank you for being here today.
Daniel Inouye: It’s good to be here.
Kari Leong: So congratulations, you’ve served Hawaii as senator for a little over 40 years; 44 years now. How do you feel about that?
Daniel Inouye: I’ve been in since 1963. But I was in the house before that in ’59 when Hawaii became a state. And before then I was in the territorial legislation. That’s before you’re folks were born.
Evan Leong: You’ve been in politics for so long, what is it that keeps you going doing this type of work?
Daniel Inouye: Well I must say I love my work. I love the challenges and they’re almost daily. So there’s no dull moment in my life. I would think that people who make money live a dull life. They have to spend a lot of money to make their lives exciting. In my case, everyday is an exciting day. I mean that.
Kari Leong: What made you interested in getting involved in politics?
Daniel Inouye: When I was 17, Pearl Harbor was attacked. And I soon found out that I was an enemy alien because of a decree of the government. My parents were Japanese and then as a result I could not wear the uniform of this land. And finally in early ’43, they opened the doors and we volunteered. And I served in the military as an 18-year-old private; became a sergeant and a lieutenant and a captain. I got wounded four times and when I got out of the service, I felt that I should do something to help people. Now this sounds high and mighty but I meant that. After spending time in the military, watching my friends die and get wounded, I couldn’t see ourselves going back to the plantation mode of life. And so though I had planned to become a doctor that was out of the question so I decided to go to law school and become a politician. To the chagrin of my folks because politicians were not highly regarded at that time and in some quarters they’re still not highly regarded but I went to law school and after I got out I became an assistant prosecutor for one year. Then I tried running for office and I was successful.
Evan Leong: When you first got back from the war, was it something that happened during that experience that made you clear about your path to politics and public service?
Daniel Inouye: After serving in the military and when you realize that the government made a lot of decisions, one of the greatest decisions is to go to war and to have their sons and daughters killed. But there are other decisions that are made by government that affect all of our lives; education for one, health conditions, environment, etc. and I felt that as a citizen of the United States, I did my part and I should do my part again.
Kari Leong: So before deciding that you were going to enlist and eventually deciding that you’re going to be a politician, when you were a young boy, was your path towards being a doctor?
Daniel Inouye: Well I was the eldest son in the family. And in my generation that made a difference. My father was the eldest, my grand father was the eldest, in fact for seven generations I’m the eldest. So my grand parents worked in the field in Kawai and my father began his education at 14 and so they looked upon me as the eldest son to do something about the family. And I was brought up in that sense. Even from an early age being told that never dishonor your family. And it’s rather difficult to tell my son never to dishonor your family. But in my generation it was a common phrase. Don’t dishonor us. Don’t bring any shame to us. And they were very pleased that I wanted to become a physician because let’s face it at that time it was advancement in status, schoolteacher, doctor, lawyer – getting out of the plantation. But then when I was wounded they were stunned and I said I’m going to be a lawyer. But I didn’t tell them right off that I wanted to be a politician.
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Writer Profile
Jay-R Patron
Jay-R Patron, 24 years old, currently works as content provider for a multinational IT consultancy firm, under its interactive marketing department.
He was a writer for Hawaii-based Greater Good Inc., a media company behind the much-acclaimed Greater Good Radio. The show promotes social entrepreneurship and servant leadership.
Jay-r is a Journalism and Communication and Media Studies graduate from the University of Southern Queensland.
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Comments
meddahi | Sep 8th, 2007
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم والصلاة والسلام على أشرف المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين أما بعد .. ببعد التحية والسلام على أهل المحبة والإكرام
لقد أضفت إلى القصيدة 16بيت من الشعر أرجو أن تنال إعجابكم وبجانبي
صديقي الحميم
وهو طالب نجيب ذو قريحة قوية تعتمد على الحفظ والإستذكار
أتمنى له كل التوفيق ولكل الدارسين والدارسات آمبن
والله ولي التوفيق
الشاعر العصامي مداحي العيد هذه القصيدة من بحر الطويل 28/08/2007
قد انحــدر الدمــع من الأحـــداق ..... فـما أصـعـب الوجــد بعـد الفـراق...
لقد أرقــتـني بهـــواها في ليال قد....... عــوى الذئــبُ فيها من الإشتياق ...
فـما أعــــذب الحــبَّ إذا كان وافيا ....... تُـتـــمّهُ مكــــــــــارم الخـــلاق....
فذبت كما الشمع يذوب على ثوب......... العشيق ولـم يـدر من الإرهاق....
ولولا المحـــــبة التي ليَّـنت قلبا ........... فصارت عواطفه مثل البراق....
لكان الفؤاد كصوان الجـمادات .......... على النار يرمـــونه للإحتراق....
فأصبح من هوى الحبيبة عاطلا ......... كطــير أصـيبَ في جناح الأفاق....
فزالت عزائم الحــياة من القلب .......... تفـتَّتَ جــسم الفـتى كـالأوراق....
وما أهون الحبََّ الذي كان مبنيا ......... على النــــفع هيـّنٌ كمثل النفاق....
وما الحبُّ إلا نخلةٌ سمقت تُعطي......... لكُلّ مــن الأجــــــيال تمر المذاق.
وحر الهوى أذاب قطب المشاعر ........ كنـهـر جرت مياهه في السواقي
نمت به أشجار تــــدلت ثمارها ......... من الغصـن تـُقطـف من الإلتصاق ...
فكــيف سنشـعــر بقيمتـنا إن لم ......... نُـفـعــّلْ مــحـــــــبةً نأت بالطلاق ...
وهل ينفع العــناق إن كان قلبكَ ......... بعـــيدٌ كبعــد المشـــرقين واقي ...
إذا كان حبهم من القــلب يمكث .......... إذا بقيت أرواحــهم في الرماق ...
ونحن نحبذ المحـــبة إن كانت ........... مصـــادرها منــــابع الأشـواق...
إذا ما صفا القـــاعُ رأيتَ لآلئا ........... بريـقٌ صفــاؤها مع الماء راقي ....
لقد حيّرت بحسنها أعيُنا راغت......... إليــها بـــــــــلا رويــة كالبُــراق...
ولولا الغرام ما عرفتُ المحبة ........ التي شغــلت قــلـبا يريد التـلاقي...
فتى ً قد أصيبَ قلبُهُ من كدر الهوى...... هُمومٌ تراكمت على الأعناق...
لقد أرّقــــته أحـــــــــلامٌ تركّـبت........ من العشق إستحسانُه كالمذاق...
أتت تشتكي من شغف الحبّ قد أذى ..... مشاعرها من لوعةِ الإشتياق..
فقلتُ لها إصبري على العشق صبرا قد.....تنالين منه عـــزّةَ الأخلاق...
بكت من حرارة الجوى أدمُعا كوت ...... فؤادي ووجداني من الأعماق...
وقالت فكــيف يصبرُ القلبُ قبل أن ....... يرى القلبَ راض أمام الرفاق..
تحسرتُ باكــــيا علـيها وكـيف لا ...... تســيل دُمـــوعُنا مـن الأحداق
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