Surveying of off-base military begins in Okinawa
Not so much news to report on events happening in Okinawa today. All is quiet on the Western Front, as they say. But the main news story in the Japanese news feeds is that the Japanese government is going to request that the US military reports how many people and families are living off base annually (as I reported earlier). They are also asking the military for stricter screening procedures to determine who is allowed to live off-base.
Firstly, can anyone see any reason at all in surveying how many families live off-base? There just seems to be no justification for it at all, unless it’s just something they want to do so that they look as if they are doing something. And secondly, they surely can’t feel that restricting the number of people who live off base is going to decrease the crime rate any more? Hadnott could have easily picked up this girl on his motorbike, taken her to a love hotel and allegedly raped her. Note that love hotels are huge business in Japan, especially with the schoolgirls that take part in Enjo kousei (aka compensated dating) and the Japanese businessmen they see.
Maybe I’m not looking at the big picture, and this survey of families living in Okinawa will suddenly make the island completely crime-free! Let me know your thoughts on this one.
I’m going to head up to some of the places in Okinawa usually frequented by the military this evening or tomorrow. I’ll try to report back with the atmosphere and photos.
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People who live on-base…..can always walk…off-base. It’s just more politics to make the situation difficult.
Except at the moment, where they are not allowed to go off base.
Generally speaking, really bad people don’t get overseas tours period, so they are not here any way. Mildly bad people get extra curfew restrictions etc as soon as they get here. People who screw up here for the first time, get extra restrictions and can get moved on base (if they screwed up bad enough).
Generally speaking we don’t let known problem children live off base, its just bad PR. Unless you have a family, being allowed to live off base is generally a reward. You have to be on island for a bit, or have rank, or be an exceptional service member or occasionally just get lucky cause the dorms are full.
And just like any where else, the best service member can go bad. The best business man can go bad. Did any one see the signs this 38 year old family man was going to go after a 14 year old? I am going to go with probably not. Even if his coworkers noticed he was stressed or having problems at home, did they think he was going to do this?
People need to realize that sometimes bad things happen and there was little any one could have done. Pointing fingers at everyone is not going to do any good.
But on a complete side note, has any one asked the landlords how they feel about this making less folk live off base. Most Americans get charged an arm and a leg for the places they live in, more than many Okinawans would pay for the same home.
Okay okay, I have digressed into ranting now, too long stuck in my house.
My wife read all the local headlines to me today concerning the number of SOFA living off-base and how the Okinawans don’t like it. We wonder if they understand that we are only allowed to have so many housing units built and everytime something new does go up, how the local group of landlords tries there best to block it since they are worried they won’t be able to quadruple charge as many GI’s.