“Come From Away”: Thank You, Canada The Huffington Post By David Harris, AJC CEO March 16, 2017
I’ve had a few varied jobs in my life, including postal worker and waterskiing counselor, but theater critic never figured among them. Nor do I plan to embark on a new career anytime soon. But I have to say that rarely have I been as moved by a Broadway play as I was by seeing the new show, “Come From Away.”
It tells the story of the people of Gander, Newfoundland, a rather remote town of nine thousand inhabitants in northeastern Canada, in the immediate aftermath of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
Following the four terrorist attacks that killed nearly three thousand people, American air space was immediately closed to all commercial flights. For 39 planes already in the air from overseas and headed for U.S. airports, that meant immediate rerouting to the large airport in Gander, which had once served as a refueling station for transatlantic flights when they couldn’t make the ocean crossing on “one tank of gas.”
There is more to the story of the heroic folks of Gander. After the Arrow Airlines plane crashed right before Christmas of 1985 with members of the 101st Airborne aboard. The folks in Gander volunteered and some even waded into the crash among the gruesome human remains in some cases and ferreted out the undelivered Christmas packages, salvaging as much as they could and then paying out of their own pockets to rewrap them and seeing the packages were forwarded to military familes here in the United States of the deceased. Now that is a shining example of how humanity should be everywhere.
It’s also too bad that we didn’t have judges with the courage to block President Roosevelt’s ban of shipments of scrap iron and petroleum to the Empire in Japan. Whereas the presidential authority to enact such a ban was authorized by Congress, and at the time a judicial stay preventing it would have been regarded as a court overstepping its authority under the constitution, it was plainly motivated by anti-Japanese racism in the United States, along with a misunderstanding in public sentiment in the U.S. of the Japanese Emperor wanting to bring order to a China that had fragmented into fiefdoms of warlords.
No iron and oil ban, no Pearl Harbor, no U.S. declaration of war against Japan, no German declaration of war in support for their ally against the U.S., no Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic attacks, no rule of Soviet-backed Communism over half of Europe, no Communist China, no Korean and Vietnam wars. If only.
daveklepper
And third, when it was all over and the seven thousand people boarded planes and headed for their final destinations, the people of Gander resumed their lives just as they had before September 11. They didn’t seek to commercialize or exploit their random acts of kindness, but, thankfully, they did allow a play to be shown on Broadway about them 16 years later – and for permitting their magnificent story to be shared, I am grateful.
What a contrast in humanity with the attempted “travel ban” of today.
It’s also too bad that we didn’t have judges with the courage to block President Roosevelt’s ban of shipments of scrap iron and petroleum to the Empire in Japan. Whereas the presidential authority to enact such a ban was authorized by Congress, and at the time a judicial stay preventing it would have been regarded as a court overstepping its authority under the constitution, it was plainly motivated by anti-Japanese racism in the United States, along with a misunderstanding in public sentiment in the U.S. of the Japanese Emperor wanting to bring order to a China that had fragmented into fiefdoms of warlords.
No iron and oil ban, no Pearl Harbor, no U.S. declaration of war against Japan, no German declaration of war in support for their ally against the U.S., no Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic attacks, no rule of Soviet-backed Communism over half of Europ
daveklepper
And third, when it was all over and the seven thousand people boarded planes and headed for their final destinations, the people of Gander resumed their lives just as they had before September 11. They didn’t seek to commercialize or exploit their random acts of kindness, but, thankfully, they did allow a play to be shown on Broadway about them 16 years later – and for permitting their magnificent story to be shared, I am grateful.
What a contrast in humanity with the attempted “travel ban” of today.
It’s also too bad that we didn’t have judges with the courage to block President Roosevelt’s ban of shipments of scrap iron and petroleum to the Empire in Japan. Whereas the presidential authority to enact such a ban was authorized by Congress, and at the time a judicial stay preventing it would have been regarded as a court overstepping its authority under the constitution, it was plainly motivated by anti-Japanese racism in the United States, along with a misunderstanding in public sentiment in the U.S. of the Japanese Emperor wanting to bring order to a China that had fragmented into fiefdoms of warlords.
No iron and oil ban, no Pearl Harbor, no U.S. declaration of war against Japan, no German declaration of war in support for th
Newfoundland is a favourite place to visit…I’m there often (I live 2 hours from the Ferry) and Newfoundlanders are the finest!!
While we’re on the subject of Newfoundland…I set out on an adventure a couple of years ago to see what was left of CN’s narrow-gauge Newfoundland Railway…and there’s still a lot:
Great slide show CBN! We recognized several places, although the last time we were in Newfoundland was in 1997 for the “Cabot 500” festivities. Saw the reproduction of the “Matthew” as well.
Of course things may have changed since then, but if you’re in Placentia check out the on-site restaurant of the Harold Hotel. The hotel doesn’t look like much but the food in the restaurant (if it’s still there) is outstanding! Ask if the lobster is in season, fresh out of the water if it is and it’s the best we’ve ever had!
I didn’t know there was that much Newfoundland Railway equipment still around. In '97 they had a display in St. John’s Bowring Park which was quite interesting.
While there I picked up a “Newfoundland Railway - Gone But Not Forgotten” sweatshirt which has (ahem) shrunk over the past 20 years. It DID get quite a few comments from people when I wore it at trainshows for several years.
Our first trip there was in 1992 for the “Red Island Reunion,” where Lady Firestorm got to meet all 750 of her Newfoundland relatives. Another story.
Instead of parroting the Japanese rationalization for its years of aggression in Asia (“The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere”) try reading some actual history.
So you are claiming that were a judge to have blocked President Roosevelt’s embargo of the Empire of Japan, that would have been an unconstitutional usurpation of presidential authority as well as having resulted in a bad outcome, the United States staying out of WW-II?
And that sector of American public opinion that regarded the Empire of Japan as being a malignant influence in the world, to the extent that the loyalty of citizens of Japanese immigrant origin or even heritage was suspect, that such was justified?
And that the Chinese Communists, who regarded Chang as just one warlord among many, and certainly not the legitimate ruler of China, were wrong?
It is perhaps one of the most important, yet least-known moments in Canadian history, an event that set out a future of peace when the world was enveloped in conflict and despair.
In early August, 1941, just off the tiny town of Ship Harbour in Newfoundland’s Placentia Bay, two of the giants of the 20th century had their first formal meeting. Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt would meet many times, but this first encounter defined their relationship.
Oh one demanding that a person be more current in world history, are you thinking by my last name that I could be a Croatian ultra-nationalist?
Croatian ultra-nationalism is a thing, I had seen them stage a demonstration on the Capitol Square against Milwaukee Congressman Jim Moody for having been a Peace Corps volunteer serving in what they judged was the wrong part of what was once Yugoslavia
Good. If you think I am one of them, maybe they won’t come after me.
My opinion is quite clear in regards to the law and/or executive order ending sales of scrap steel to Japan. It was constitutional as stated by the courts. Judicial review ha been part of our process since Justice Marshall. My opinions in regard to defeating Japan and Germany are also quite clear. It was necessary and good. It probably would not have happened had we not entered the conflict. What in a few simple, clear declarative sentences, is your opinion?
