Let's not Jump to Conclusions

Steven Chi

4/13/14

Reading Reflection #4

In Response to “The Impact of the Wen Ho Lee Case on Asian Americans” by George Koo

Wen Ho Lee, an unfortunate Taiwanese immigrant who was the target of racial profiling

I was very shocked to hear about Wen Ho Lee’s complex entanglement with the United States government. According to George Koo, Dr. Lee was a member of a team of scientists who was assigned to develop W-88 nuclear warheads for the United States. One day, the W-88 plans disappeared, and the media and the U.S. government claimed that Dr. Lee was the culprit – despite the lack of any solid evidence to support such a claim (29).

            Although it is evident that Dr. Lee did not get due process, I believe it is just as important to notice how the government immediately concluded that Dr. Lee was the culprit because of his skin color. This is problematic because this kind of reasoning provides a perfect opportunity for Dr. Lee to become a scapegoat – that is, a person or population who happens to be in a social position to accept blame. The worst thing about being a scapegoat is that it completely ruins people’s lives. For instance, even though Dr. Lee was exonerated of his crimes, his reputation was so tarnished that he is currently unemployed.

            The important thing to take away from all of this is that cliché that everyone has heard: we must never jump to conclusions. It’s important to weigh all of the scientific, statistical, and factual evidence before making a judgment that can potentially ruin a person’s life. I’m pretty sure that if the persecuting government officials were in Dr. Lee’s position, they would also want a just and unbiased trial. So why didn't Dr. Lee get this? Your guess is as good as mine.