3078 Edition
February 21-27, 2011
Headline News
Elementary school teacher wants next generation to remember 228 Massacre
Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan
Written by Lydia Ma
If we celebrate and talk about the meaning of Lantern Festival and Hakka festivals, why can’t we do the same for 228 Peace Memorial Day?” asked Mountain-Foot Elementary School teacher, Kuo Yan-lin. He is also a member of Mountain-Foot Presbyterian Church in Miaoli County, which belongs to Hsinchu Presbytery.
With 228 Peace Memorial Day approaching next Monday, Kuo believes that holiday should be remembered and taught to children with the same emphasis as other holidays such as Tomb Sweeping Day or Lantern Festival. He supports an objective and healthy approach to understanding this historical event and believes that it’s imperative that children learn the truth about what happened on February 28, 1947, so they can learn from it and prevent history from repeating itself.
“228 Peace Memorial day is just around the corner. Should we shut our eyes and cover our ears and pretend we don’t see or hear?” he wondered, adding that Taiwanese have much to learn from Germans who came to terms with the atrocities of Nazi Germany learned their lessons, and moved on.
In contrast, anyone in Taiwan who publicly brings up the 228 Massacre risks being labeled a manipulator, or one who likes to add salt to wounds. This is especially true in Miaoli, where most folks are very conservative.
“We must talk about 228; otherwise, it’s very likely it’ll happen again!” he said resolutely, in spite of facing pressure from school administrators, cold treatment from his colleagues, and possibly complaints from his students’ parents in the next few days.
Asked whether he’s worried or afraid of repercussions he might face for his insistence, Kuo replied, “God is with me. God is just, faithful, and I can rely on God!” But he added that he’d appreciate prayers from fellow Christians for his well-being and for the day when the 228 Massacre can be taught and remembered with the same emphasis as other national holidays.