--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If anyone should do any pardoning. I…" description: "\"If anyone should do any pardoning. I should be the one pardoning the government for what they did to the Japanese-American people.\" — Fred Korematsu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1c/fred-korematsu-22771_any_if-anyone-should-do-any-pardoning-i-shou_3231555.jpg" --- # If anyone should do any pardoning. I should be the one… ![“If anyone should do any pardoning. I should be the one pardoning the government for what they did to the Japanese-American people.” quote by Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1c/fred-korematsu-22771_any_if-anyone-should-do-any-pardoning-i-shou_3231555.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1c/fred-korematsu-22771_any_if-anyone-should-do-any-pardoning-i-shou_3231555.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1c/fred-korematsu-22771_any_if-anyone-should-do-any-pardoning-i-shou_3231555.jpg) > “If anyone should do any pardoning. I should be the one pardoning the government for what they did to the Japanese-American people.” [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests forgiving the government for its mistreatment of Japanese-Americans, acknowledging collective responsibility. **In simple terms:** Forgive the government for past wrongs against Japanese-Americans. Key Takeaway Consider restorative justice. Themes justice forgiveness historical accountability Mood reflective somber Type ethical historical When to use this quote - legal redress - public apologies - educational curricula Key Concepts civil rights collective memory Questions to Reflect On - How can forgiveness coexist with demands for justice? - What steps ensure genuine reconciliation? A Different Perspective Forgiveness may overlook the need for accountability and reparations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Anyone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anyone/) [Did Japanese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-japanese-6115135/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Japanese American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japanese-american-847943/) [Pardoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pardoning-343934/) [Pardoning Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pardoning-government-6115133/) [Pardoning Pardoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pardoning-pardoning-6115134/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) ## Related quotes > [My father is a Japanese-American and my mother is a Caucasian. 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My other passion is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/i-have-two-passions-in-my-life-one-is-to-raise-the-awareness-of-the/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [I no longer identify myself as Japanese or American but a 'citizen of the universe.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-asawa/i-no-longer-identify-myself-as-japanese-or-american-but-a-citizen-of/) [Ruth Asawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-asawa/) > [I grew up in a unique environment where I was immersed in both Japanese and American cultures equally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-fukuhara/i-grew-up-in-a-unique-environment-where-i-was-immersed-in-both/) [Karen Fukuhara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-fukuhara/) > [We know that there were so many Japanese American soldiers in World War II who were fighting in Europe despite the fact that their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamlyn-tomita/we-know-that-there-were-so-many-japanese-american-soldiers-in-world/) [Tamlyn Tomita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamlyn-tomita/) > [I was born in Okinawa, but on a U.S. Army base. And my father is Japanese-American which means that he is second generation, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamlyn-tomita/i-was-born-in-okinawa-but-on-a-u-s-army-base-and-my-father-is/) [Tamlyn Tomita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamlyn-tomita/) > [Beautiful leaving (hajr), is to leave without harming, beautiful pardoning is to pardon without rebuking, and beautiful patience is to be patient without complaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-taymiyyah/beautiful-leaving-hajr-is-to-leave-without-harming-beautiful/) [Ibn Taymiyyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-taymiyyah/) > [It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-in-pardoning-that-we-are-pardoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Mercy but murders pardoning those who kill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/mercy-but-murders-pardoning-those-who-kill/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Pardoning Snowden would be a powerful way for the president to acknowledge that the government did wrong, kept us in the dark, acted unconstitutionally.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-romero/pardoning-snowden-would-be-a-powerful-way-for-the-president-to/) [Anthony Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-romero/) > [I think President Trump could pardon anyone he wanted and have it be an effective pardon. I think there would be a big price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-painter/i-think-president-trump-could-pardon-anyone-he-wanted-and-have-it-be/) [Richard Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-painter/) ## More by Fred Korematsu > [I was born in the U.S. This is my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/i-was-born-in-the-u-s-this-is-my-country/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [As long as my record stands in federal court, any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without trial or hearing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/as-long-as-my-record-stands-in-federal-court-any-american-citizen-can/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [No one should ever be locked away simply because they share the same race, ethnicity, or religion as a spy or terrorist. If that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/no-one-should-ever-be-locked-away-simply-because-they-share-the-same/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don't be afraid to speak up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/if-you-have-the-feeling-that-something-is-wrong-don-t-be-afraid-to/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [I didn't think that the government would go as far as to include American citizens to be interned without a hearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/i-didn-t-think-that-the-government-would-go-as-far-as-to-include/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [I lost everything when they put us in prison. 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I feel like an orphan or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/i-don-t-even-know-how-it-is-to-have-a-home-i-feel-like-an-orphan-or/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [I was the third son, and the family tradition was my dad always favored the oldest child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/i-was-the-third-son-and-the-family-tradition-was-my-dad-always/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [I was really upset because I was branded as an enemy alien when I'm an American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/i-was-really-upset-because-i-was-branded-as-an-enemy-alien-when-i-m/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [I was an American citizen, and I had as many rights as anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/i-was-an-american-citizen-and-i-had-as-many-rights-as-anyone-else/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [I was just living my life, and that's what I wanted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/i-was-just-living-my-life-and-that-s-what-i-wanted-to-do/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [One person can make a difference, even if it takes forty years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/one-person-can-make-a-difference-even-if-it-takes-forty-years/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [As a citizen of the United States, I am ready, willing, and able to bear arms for this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/as-a-citizen-of-the-united-states-i-am-ready-willing-and-able-to-bear/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) > [It may take time to prove you're right, but you have to stick to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-korematsu/it-may-take-time-to-prove-you-re-right-but-you-have-to-stick-to-it/) [Fred Korematsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) [Explore all 27 Fred Korematsu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-korematsu/) ## More Any quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. 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