Kyle Ordonio
English 101
Prof. Hamilton Salsich
Sept 21, 2010
Peace and Lessons of the Past:
I find it funny how lessons or stories of others guide us in a hope for peace and the peace for the dead. Their life stories show us the depths of violence and aggression has occurred in the past and left unchecked nothing will become better. The ultimate desire is peace which in its self a better world for our self’s and for those who never had it. Maxine Hong Kingston, Cornell West, Kafi Annan tell us what is wrong with the world based on their views and stories of others and some semblance to give peace both to the dead and the living.
In Maxine Hong Kingston story “No Name Woman” she writes about the death of her Aunt and why her story was never told. Ms. Kingston learned about her Aunt from her mother and the story begins in China were her Aunt became pregnant with another man then her husband. I n her culture this was a crime and in retraction for it the villagers destroyed her home. This was a lesson to her daughter about the way one should act but what the villagers did was still a crime. Another way to punish someone who didn’t deserve it was to completely forget her and the family did just that. Her mother said “You must not tell anyone” because the entire family felt shame for the things she did and she was punished for it but the person at fault is the father of the child. In their culture the women had to do what they were told by family and strangers and she is the one who takes all the blame rather than the father. Ms. Kingston wrote “ I alone devote papers to her,” she choice to tell her Aunts story then keep her secret and to me it gave her Aunt some rest. In Chinese tradition most paper that is made for deceased family members is usually origami paper of a house and etc. Most people in Chinese culture honor all of the dead but not all of the offerings are distributed evenly amongst them. It could be also so it would never happen again.
Cornel West’s writing of “Moral obligations of living in a democratic Society” shows how aggression of the past can’t be forgotten and how we can strive to make the world better. He writes “All foregoing are signs of a humanity that has been problematized”. In history he says some people were considered a problem rather than human and how societies try to get rid of it and how so many crimes occur against these groups, race, and religions. Mr. West writes “We are all on the same boat, on the same turbulent sea. The boat has a huge leak in it and in the end, we go up down together.” A person’s race, class, and culture don’t matter because we are all human. We share the same problems and should work together to fix it rather blame on someone and etc. Mr. West writes “If the Kingdom of God is within you, then everywhere you go, you ought to leave a little heaven behind.” Each of us can make this world better by being more kind, generous, and courteous. Another is no matter how others acts doesn’t me you should blindly follow and the idea are to hold yourself to higher standard and become others model of good person. We each have responsibility to each other which is respect of others and peace.
In Kofi Annan’s Nobel Lecture he directly addresses what is wrong with the world and how to improve it. Written by Mr. Annan he says “The twentieth century was perhaps the deadliest in human history, devastated by innumerable conflicts, untold suffering, and unimaginable crimes.” He clearly states why everyone should try to strive for peace because the events that occurred so far will not stop unless the world does something to prevent it and so the past will never repeat itself. The basic rights of all individuals should be protected and that crimes against humanity will never occur again. Written by Mr. Annan “A forum was created- the United Nations...” The united nation was created to promote safety for everyone, end to conflicts, and to sustain our planet. The United Nations goals are to create a better world for everyone. Kofi Annan wrote “I do not stand here alone. On behalf of all my colleagues in every part of the United Nations, in every corner of the globe- and in instances risked or given their lives in the cause of peace…” In the end peace is wrought dying for. Those who gave their lives did it for rest of the world to learn from and stop the senseless fighting. Now It’s up for the next generation to learn from the parents mistake and create peace.
They understood and learned from the lessons of the past and were not careless to repeat the cycle. Maxine Hong Kingston, Cornell West, Kofi Annan in turn will set what is right and wrong and tell their stories for others to learn from. Maxine Hong Kingston, Cornell West, Kofi Annan tell us that we will find peace by learning from the past mistakes of others. It’s also so that cycle in history is no longer repeated and a new future is created for everyone. This is the way things are meant to be in hope that someday that there is longer violence, disease, and war.