VOTE! If Frank Tanabe Could Do It, So Can You

By Jeff | Tuesday, November 6, 2012 | 1 Comment

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frank tanabe votes 600x337 VOTE! If Frank Tanabe Could Do It, So Can You

Vote! If Frank Tanabe could get his absentee ballot filled out while bedridden, you too can vote. Dying of liver cancer, this WWII veteran made his choices after having his daughter read him the options. Tanabe was forced to drop out of the University of Washington when his family was interned, and then volunteered for the U.S. Army as a translator. “He always told us it was very important to vote, because he saw his comrades in arms fight and die for American rights,” daughter Barbara said.

Frank Tanabe died at 93, a week after casting his final ballot.

(photo credit: Irene Tanabe)

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KAMIKAZIPILOT

This story was on my local news (Honolulu) a week or two ago and they noted how Mr. Tanabe inspired people worldwide. Voting is one of the most important rights in a democracy and one should not only vote, but also be as informed as possible about the candidates.
On another note, I’m going to go against popular opinion and say that wars America has fought in (including WWII) are usually about national interests and politics, not preserving the freedoms we have. I’ll also say that it wasn’t necessarily the righteous thing to do when Mr. Tanabe decided to join the US military after he had been intered. After all, why fight for someone who treats you as the enemy. I probably wouldn’t have done the same as Mr. Tanabe. That said, I respect his decision in doing what he thought was right despite all the adversity he faced.

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