Is justice blind?
You cannot put two foreigners together in Taiwan for more than five minutes without one bringing up the traffic.
I always end up returning to the same thought: If bad behavior goes unpunished, it is tantamount to encouraging it. That is why I maintain the key problem is one of enforcement. That is why I was furious last weekend.
I was sitting on the back of a friend’s scooter about to make our two-stage left turn at an intersection. I pointed out a police officer standing on the side of the road we were about to turn onto, but, to my amazement, when the left-turn arrow turned green, a number of scooters turned left, ignoring the two-stage turn, which, I was led to believe, is illegal. Yet the officer did nothing as the offending drivers zoomed past. I thought to myself: He must be on a more important mission. To my disappointment, I was wrong. He was on what I consider to be a much less important mission.
As the light changed, an elderly scooter-rider made an illegal right turn into the arms of the awaiting officer. He had passed up the opportunity to stop the left-turning drivers and instead caught the old woman making a right. I told my friend what was happening and he said it happens all the time and that the officer has his particular duty and would not be concerned with other infractions.
I cannot be sure if this is the case, but it certainly appeared to be. Coming from a jurisdiction where a right-turn is legal at a red light after the vehicle has made a complete stop, I feel that the police officer had missed the more serious transgressors.
Why is it that Taiwanese generally have such a serious and committed work ethic and yet the attitude of the police seems so uninterested in law enforcement and public safety? My friend enlightened me saying that the cops at home (for him in England, but also for myself in the US) generally work near their homes. They have a “beat” that they feel attached to and they do not want anyone to break the law in their part of the city. Their attitude amounts to: “Don’t even think about speeding near MY school zones.”
Do police here not feel the same attachment? Are they moved to different districts? If anyone knows, please share.
Aaron Andrews
Taichung
Showing your love
I would like to express my opinion on a recent report (“One couple divorces every 10 minutes in Taiwan,” April 23, page 14): “It is easier said than done.” A common response when people learn, for example, the actual rate of divorce. In fact, the rate of divorce in Taiwan has registered a major increase, according to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, with 50,700 divorces last year.
For me, a 20-year-old woman, I am curious. What is wrong between two grown-ups? Do they fail to express themselves? Or do they not know how to communicate with others, even when they are facing the person they love?
I think the problem can be addressed by people not talking about their feelings or shouting too much and then divorcing too easily.
Learning how to talk with each other is useful because it shows people how to get along and it is good for teaching kids.
My mother is a tender, rational and wise woman. She listens carefully to others with different opinions and she then talks with them in a soft voice. After that, any problems they may have had are solved and people are not only grateful to her, but also like her a lot. So do I.
I think it is important to respect others’ ideas and cordially listen to people’s explanations of things — this is the true value of communication.
If you really love someone, then you will care about them more than yourself and you would learn the true value of sharing.
Jadon Yi-Jhen Li
Kaohsiung
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
RSS