Today is the 77th anniversary of the Taipei Air Raid, an anniversary that should serve as a reminder that Taiwan’s history is a much more complicated affair than most people imagine, especially given the nation’s diverse population and various transfers of power.
The air raid serves as a prime example of how ignorant many people still are about Taiwan’s history, as evidenced by the bizarre answers to a tour guide’s question: “Who bombed Taipei during the air raid?”
“China” and “Japan” were the quick replies, while one person said “North Korea” — which did not exist in 1945.
It is frightening to know that one lived in what is now New Taipei City in the 1980s — a time when many major incidents were occurring in the capital just a few kilometers away — and yet was kept too busy at school memorizing China’s dynasties and Sun Yat-sen’s (孫逸仙) 11 uprisings to notice what was going on in Taipei.
It has been a long road to today’s democratic society in Taiwan where we enjoy freedom of speech. We must cherish it — and part of that is to diligently absorb knowledge that was once denied.
Of course, nothing is that simple in Taiwan.
“Hey, the Taipei Air Raid is a green [camp] topic,” one hears.
No, it is history, not politics.
However, one soon realizes that like everything else in Taiwan, history — or the censorship of it — has been forever tied to the political machine, with activists or politicians emphasizing or de-emphasizing certain incidents to further their agendas.
So, does that mean one should not learn about the 228 Incident if they favor the pan-blue camp?
The argument is old, tired and irrelevant, especially when the number of Taiwanese who today identify with China have drastically declined.
You might have different opinions of the Incident or come to different conclusions, but there is no excuse to dismiss it on a political basis. Politics might have been crucial in bringing these events into the public consciousness in the beginning — but we should be ready to move past that.
History should not be a political tool, as it will become just an excuse for politicians to focus on symbolic issues to rile up the masses instead of actually working for the welfare of their constituents. It should be a reference point for greater understanding between the different groups in the nation, not a wedge that divides them further.
Then there are those who say that people should forget the past and stop bringing up old grievances. That is simply another political ploy, as the notion is only brought up with sensitive topics.
One should be all for redemption and forgiveness, but forgetting is not an option, especially not at this stage where all the past events have come back into public discussion in the previous two decades or so.
Taiwanese have been forced to forget so much, with generations not having the privilege to learn about some fascinating events that have shaped their society today.
To move forward as a diverse yet united whole, we need to continue to do our part and learn about history — all of it: the good, bad and ugly, even if it is against what you might believe, even if it will make you angry that someone could do that to your family.
Only through learning, and not pointing fingers, can we reconcile our differences — and yes, leave politics out of it.
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