The New York Times' Bruce Weber remembers today Judge Robert Takasugi who passed away last Tuesday. The late judge was not only a pioneer Asian American in the federal court. In his late years, he was also a stalwart defender of individual rights.
'“When weighed against a fundamental constitutional right which defines our very existence,” he wrote, “the argument for national security should not serve as an excuse for obliterating the Constitution.”'
As a side note, Bruce Weber corrects the notion that Judge Takasugi was the first Japanese American judge appointed to a federal court. It was actually Shiro Kashiwa who was earlier named to the United States Court of Claims, Mr. Weber points out. Notwithstanding, Judge Takasugi is a true role model for the Asian-American community.
Read Bruce Weber's entire article at: www.nytimes.com
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