Secret Asian Man
Today is the 72nd anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. With 9-11 and the War on Terror the freshest in our minds it's easy to forget the 'War to End All Wars' (WWI) and then to turn around in less than 20 years before worrying about WWII. Then Vietnam. And then...and then....and then....and then now.
Of course, we don't forget about them. We are taught about the wars in history class. We study the cause and effect on our nation as well as the world. We see how nations and cultures are drastically affected. We see prejudice, name calling and racial profiling occur. Whole families were obliterated. Towns and countries decimated.....
And yet war continues.... seems like we don't live and learn. And yet we do. Of course, when we learn about the horrors from the warmth and comfort of our living rooms, libraries or schools it doesn't always sink in. Have you ever met a Nazi concentration camp survivor and seen their tatoo? I have. You don't forget. Have you ever met someone who survived the H bomb in Japan? I have. You don't forget.
Things don't seem real when you read about it, when you watch it on TV or in a movie theatre. When you meet someone who was there then it becomes real. Now some books and articles and TV shows and movies do a wonderful job of depicting the events and touch your heart and soul. But try walking a mile in their shoes. Really think and feel what they describe. When you meet a veteran or war victim look them in the eyes and remember. Feel what they feel. Walk their walk. And thank them because we wouldn't be fighting the fight for freedom without them.
Of course, we don't forget about them. We are taught about the wars in history class. We study the cause and effect on our nation as well as the world. We see how nations and cultures are drastically affected. We see prejudice, name calling and racial profiling occur. Whole families were obliterated. Towns and countries decimated.....
And yet war continues.... seems like we don't live and learn. And yet we do. Of course, when we learn about the horrors from the warmth and comfort of our living rooms, libraries or schools it doesn't always sink in. Have you ever met a Nazi concentration camp survivor and seen their tatoo? I have. You don't forget. Have you ever met someone who survived the H bomb in Japan? I have. You don't forget.
Things don't seem real when you read about it, when you watch it on TV or in a movie theatre. When you meet someone who was there then it becomes real. Now some books and articles and TV shows and movies do a wonderful job of depicting the events and touch your heart and soul. But try walking a mile in their shoes. Really think and feel what they describe. When you meet a veteran or war victim look them in the eyes and remember. Feel what they feel. Walk their walk. And thank them because we wouldn't be fighting the fight for freedom without them.
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