A Big Lie is one so colossal that nobody believes it would be said without there being some truth behind it. The Big Lie today is that the election was stolen. There is no truth behind it, but it is so devastating that many believe it must be true. It cannot be left to stand. /1
Ted Cruz and his ilk are repeating the Big Lie. He cites “allegations” of electoral fraud, in the absence of any evidence, to put our democracy on hold. A Big Lie gains strength through the retelling. If we fail to recognize the lie, we start down a dangerous path. /2
When I was a child, unchecked and unproven “allegations” that we Japanese Americans were attempting to sabotage American facilities caused widespread hysteria. This was our Big Lie to fight. There was no evidence, just allegations. But still, the Big Lie took hold. /3
Unscrupulous politicians took advantage of rumor and resentment to force through unconstitutional actions against my entire community, and the result was catastrophic. 120,000 of us, mostly U.S. citizens, went to internment camps. It can happen here, because it has before. /4
I have made it my life’s mission never to allow the rights of a community—my own Japanese American one, or today, millions of African American voters—to be discarded by raw political force. Our motto after the internment was #NeverForget #NeverAgain. /5
As a survivor of a Big Lie, it is my sworn responsibility to warn America when another Big Lie threatens our people and our values. We are at such a time, and fascism is taking root. I know it well, so please heed my words. Be vigilant. Call it out. Resist. /end
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