The people of Okinawa suffered through 27 years under U.S. rule. We hope for a lasting peace in order never to repeat this miserable history.

Was US rule in Okinawa really that bad?

I have to say that "suffering" under U.S. "rule" sounds like a slight exaggeration.

This guy is stuffing the cannons with anything they have.

Whilst his actual sentiment (no more war) is noble, he's drawing people's attention away from it by spouting hyperbolic nonsense.

I have to say that "suffering" under U.S. "rule" sounds like a slight exaggeration

As if you were there! Of course the history of the victor which you have read could not possbly have been whitewashed, or neglected to skip over any parts!

It never ceases to amaze the abject ignorance of people when it comes to simple things like how much land the U.S took from Okinawans during the occupation to build massive sprawling bases. Do you have any idea how much farmland became empty fields? The Okinawans went hungry while American soldiers lived high on the hog. The disparity gave rise to a massive black market of goods stolen from U.S. bases, and I am not talking luxury goods here. I am talking basics, like meat, tools and clothes.

Of course a lot of suffering can be laid at the feet of the IJA, who made Okinawa the battlefield it was during the war, leading to so many problems after the war. But the need for some people to think America went from Jap hating, firebombing, nuke the yellow peril dogs of war to gentle, food distributing, orphanage building angels overnight is pretty damned disturbing.

There were a hell of a lot of rapes by U.S. soldiers during that period as well. Yes, I doubt the Soviets would have been much better, but the lesser of two evils does not equal wholesome goodness. For Pete's sake!

I find it sad that only Ron Paul understands imperialism and the effect it has on the civilians

Ten years down the road I would ask you to tell me how much better it is with the Japanese in full charge of your beautiful islands. It wont take ten years as the Japanese are already moving in en masse, even before we move out. The Japanese already have a large area, complete with sewage and a golf course and are working toward a private airfield that will service their summer homes in Arume Okinawa.

Mayor Miyagi, how about the 336 years of Yamato rule that came before the US occupation? Remember that? Taxes so high that people couldn't even feed themselves? Tax collectors forcing pregnant women to jump over ravines (Google "kubura-bari") and miscarry so as to reduce the population? Children forced to wear embarrassing tags around their necks ("hogen-fuda") if they were caught speaking their own language and not Standard Japanese? Not in your village, but it happened in Okinawa.

Don't try to pretend that ordinary Okinawans didn't suffer a lot more during that era than they did with the US in charge. And it ended with a bang -- thousands of innocent Okinawan lives used by the Imperial Japanese Army as human shields to delay the US forces from reaching the "real" Japan.

Mr. Miyagi was born in 1943 and thus has no memory of what came before the US, but a few of his elderly constituents do. He ran unopposed in the mayoral election two months ago: ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-188342-storytopic-3.html , and was thus given his post without a vote. Insulting your elders -- what few of them remain -- in this way isn't a good way to get votes next time, when you might actually have an opponent. Shame on you, Mr. Mayor.

Son Neion would agree.

lol...