From: tin@smsc.sony.com (Le Tin)
Subject: Re: Re : History lessons
Organization: Sony Microsystems Corp, San Jose, CA
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 92 01:12:15 GMT

In article <1992Dec27.012109.20163@emr1.emr.ca> knguyen@emr1.emr.ca (Kim Nguyen) writes:
> 
>>tin@smsc.sony.com writes:
>>  Yet... I am also sad to know there are still some who are doomed to
>>repeat history.  They can not learn from all the pains and sufferings
>>that we have suffered.  They wish to create more pain and sufferings
>>on our country.  All their life have been filled with hatred and they
>>can not seem to let go of that which they know best.  My heart is full
>>of sadness and pity for them.
>
>Pains and sufferings ? Then and now ? Now and forever ? 

  It does seem to be what you want.  You can only feel anger and hatred
  for CSVN and you do not want to let go of that.  Please tell me how
  I have misunderstood.

>Again, I face the same rhetoric about hatred. True history is very 
                                               ^^^^^^^^^^^^
>important because it makes its people to be proud and stand up without 
>shame. I often cite to Canadian friends about famous Vietnamese women
>like The Trung Sisters, especially Trieu-Au whom I adore with these words :
> 
> To^i muo^'n co*~i co*n gio' ma.nh, -da.p -du*o*`ng so'ng du*~, che'm ca'
> tra`ng ki`nh o*? be^? -do^ng, que't sa.ch bo*` co~i, -de^? cu*'u da^n ra
> kho?i no*i -da<'m -duo^'i, cho*' kho^ng the`m ba<'t chu*o*'c ngu*o*`i
> -do*`i cuo^'i -da^`u cong lu*ng de>? la`m ti` thie>'p ngu*o*`i ta.

  "True history" contains both good and bad.  A truly principled
  historian would recognized that in any country/culture's history,
  there are moments to be proud of and there are those which are
  shameful.  This historian would record and teach both so that those
  who follow after would not forget and repeat the same mistakes.

  The history of Vietnam was not all glorious, nor was it all bad.
  There are many great men and women in Vietnam's history.  There are
  also numerous villains and bad kings and lords.

> But who wants to talk about communist Nguye^~n thi. -Di.nh ?
> 
> ...and many more, but how can I explain to them why they heard about a
> mountain called Marx or the stream Lenin in Pac-Bo ? About cruel land
> reform ? Hue massacre ?... How can I erase those killings in Vietnam
> modern history ?

  Why would you want to erase such "true history?"  Like it or not,
  it happened and it would be best to remember and learn not to repeat
  such shameful things.

>>  It is said that those who can adapt will grow and be stronger.  The
>>bamboo _knows_ to bend in the wind, so it survive and prosper.  So must
>>we, Vietnamese, learn to work with what we have and _bend_ (compromise)
>>if we wish to accomplish our goals.  The water _knows_ to flow around
>>an obstacle, and eventually it wears down even the biggest, hardest
>>mountain there is.
>
>Communist cadres often brings compromised rhetorics to let the populace 
>to forget all the painful past and concentrate to build another modern
>Vietnam; but did they forget the past ? They still watch and recall
>detainees many times to ask or investigate about their past ! My cousin 
>in Vietnam could not go to school because her father was in concentration 
>camp !

  I do not know where you got the idea that I am asking people to forget
  the past.  I am asking them to NOT let it affect their thinking.  There
  is a big difference.  I wish to preserve ALL knowledge of past history,
  both good and bad.  We MUST learn from it.

>About bamboo : that is your standpoint as falling leaves : they fall to 
>the direction of the wind. That viewpoint is of an opportunist. But 
>opportunism is not bad; that is one of many ways to survive when someone 
>else gets misfortunes because of not being flexible. As a matter of fact,
>bamboo can break if it bends too much, or when bent too long by a permanent
>wind, it cannot get back to its previous form.
>
>On the other hand, opportunism has nothing to do with the genuity of a 
>history. One can hold his viewpoint but can not distort the history. This
>is a crime.

  You have misunderstood me.  Opportunism is when one is taking
  advantage of an opportunity for one's own good.  The bamboo
  bends in order to survive and adapt, but when the wind is gone,
  it is back to being straight and tall.  I do not advocate
  "opportunism."  I am asking for open-mindedness and flexibility
  in looking for solutions.

  Even in Vietnam's history, we have MANY stories of how mothers,
  daughters and sisters who did what they must do in order to save
  their parents, sons, daughters and husbands' lives.  Stories of
  how they sold their bodies for food or other things to keep
  their family safe.  They _bend_ as they must.  These stories are
  the extreme end of bending, but they demonstrate that sometime
  one must do what is tasteful to one in order to achieve the long
  term goal.

  It is too bad that most of these women felt they must kill themselves
  after it is all over.  Instead of like the bamboo trees that snap
  back to being tall...  These women should have felt proud of themselves
  that they are so brave and self-sacrificing.

>>  I see so many Vietnamese who have not yet learn these age old
>>advice.  They wish to take on the communist government headon.
>
>
>Is the advice about the flexibility of bamboo or water ? I don't
>oppose to that advice, but it looks like that advice won't work safely
>because it creates another sacrifice of dignity, emotional suffering and
>current conflict of what you think and what you see. ONE FORGOT TOTALLY
>WHY HE MUST END UP TO LEAVE HIS COUNTRY AFTER ONLY FEW YEARS. Now, one must 
>bend his principles in order to make his opponents to bend with them. Is 
>there such thing in communist world ? I try in vain to find any *history 
>lesson* about a successful compromise. Are they stupid not to recognize
>what one intends to do ? 

  Once again, you have completely misunderstood what I said.  It seem
  that there is only one way for you to deal with CSVN.  Any other way
  is unthinkable for you.

  You are getting too emotional.  I do not want to continue this
  discussion when one side is so full of angers and
  irrationality.  Let us stop now and agree that we disagreed.

Regards,
Tin Le
-- 
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. Tin Le                  | Work Internet: tin@smsc.Sony.COM
. Sony Microsystems       |        or  tin@szebra.Saigon.COM
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