Monday, February 16, 2015

Breaking the chains of history


1985: West German President Richard von Weizsacker
All of us, whether guilty or not, whether young or old, must accept the past. The young and old generations must and can help each other to understand why it is vital to keep alive the memories. It is not a case of coming to terms with the past. That is not possible. It cannot be subsequently modified or made undone. However, anyone who closes his eyes to the past is blind to the present.


2013: Barak Obama speaks at the Memorial Service to Nelson Mandela
He taught millions to find that truth within themselves. It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailor as well; to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion, generosity and truth.


2015: Ayako Sono – Former advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan
We must make a system which strictly keeps immigrants in their legal status. It may seem contradictory but it’s almost an impossible task to understand foreigners if you share living space with them. Humans can work, research and exercise together. But it is better to keep the living space separate.


TenguLife
I'm unable to find a Japanese person who agrees with Sono-san. I'm so glad to say.




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