On this day in 1970, a spontaneous uprising against U.S. military occupation broke out in Koza, Okinawa, Japan after an American drunk driver struck a local pedestrian. Approximately 60 Americans and 27 Okinawans were injured, and dozens of cars with American license plates were torched.

Following Japan’s defeat in World War II, the country was occupied by Allied forces and governed under martial law. While most of Japan regained its independence in April 1952, the Okinawa Prefecture was to remain under U.S. military occupation for another twenty years.

Prior to the events of December 20th, three Americans had been acquitted via court martial after striking and killing an Okinawa civilian. This incident fueled the growing discontent of Okinawans with the standard status of forces that exempted U.S. servicemen from Okinawan justice.

On December 20th, 1970, a drunk U.S. serviceman struck an Okinawan pedestrian in the city of Koza. A crowd quickly surrounded the car and the policemen who had arrived, demanding that this incident not also be swept under the rug.

When American MPs arrived and attempted to pull the driver away, the protest turned violent, with thousands gathering to try to prevent the driver from leaving. By the end of the night, dozens of cars with American license plates had been torched and approximately 60 Americans and 27 Okinawans had been injured.

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    • Frank [he/him, he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      8·
      11 months ago

      Me neither. I think about this a lot - Mennish people who are good with emotions aren’t respected. Mennish people who understand their emotional needs often aren’t supported. Mennish emotionally skilled people often struggle to support their mennish friends bc their mennish friends often aren’t good enough at understanding and working with their own feelings to benefit from outside help. Mennish people who recognize their need for emotional support often struggle to find anyone willing or able to support them; Most of their mennish friends cannot, and folks who can, especially womanish people who are already expected to be good at it and do it for lots of people, may be unable or understandably unwilling.

      I’ve talked to a couple of trans guys about it, along the lines of “No, dude, this is just part of what it’s like being a man, you’re not doing anything wrong, shit’s just kind of a mess right now”. I really feel for guys who transition, and then when people start to view them as men they’re cut off from a lot of emotional intimacy and support. If you live with that your whole life you kind of get numb to it, but having it happen suddenly when you’re a teenager or an adult has to hurt a lot. : (

    • Poogona [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      6·
      11 months ago

      Maybe this is just chad shit from me or maybe I just have a good bunch of friends but I’ve somehow conditioned myself not to feel this shame any more. I’ve found that being more open with others often in turn makes them more open with you, and it’s paradoxically made my emotions far more manageable as a result of being more emotionally “literate” from all this practice. And in turn I think it makes me appear more solid and unflappable, even though I’m a sensitive lil guy. Seems like acting against toxic masculinity on a personal level ironically gives you that genuine control and stability that is associated with being a tough guy.