Post #2

Video: Vietnam, Looking for Home

I, Gia, which means family, have just discovered an article about the Vietnam War. What I’ve read, I have never heard from my parents or in school. In just one generation older than I, you could find many who fought in the War. A war that was regrettable and destroyed many families. Hundreds of people were missing and many were political prisoners. I feel so betrayed to only have been taught one side of the story. My view of history is not accurate.
Our leaders are wrong to not teach both sides of the story. We need to learn both perspectives to learn and grow. The majority of our population is now under 30 years old and have never been taught about the civil war. We have a distorted view of our history. Should our government decide what we learn? The government remains cautious about what gets aired and is under constant watchfulness. We need more freedom to speak so we can continue to transform.
I dream of a future filled with hope and promise. We need to open ourselves up to the world so we can compete globally. We hosted 2.5 million tourists last year; we are a safe place to visit and want the world to see. And although the city is growing at a feverish pace, there is still much work to be done in the country. I know of a farmer who produced 2 tons of rice last year, earning only $130.
I’m sure there are many that survived the horrors of war, some that can probably still hear and feel the bombings in their nightmares. But, we are a hopeful people but have difficulty adopting to change. We need to embrace our past so we can move forward in today’s global environment.