Talk:A Quality of Mercy

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I have the worst urge to tag some of this as original research. 68.39.174.238 06:52, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

When I was very young, I first had no idea what the Nanking Massacre was, and when I finally learned, at age 9? I decided to hate the Japanese. I gave the girl at my swimming class a cold shoulder, and then went home to watch Japanese anime. In my head are those pictures.

When I grew up, I understood that, that girl was not responsible at all. There are people today in that country that denies it, or wish that they had won, and kept their occupation of us, but most people, they just don't know. I grew to only hate the soldiers that committed the crimes.

Now, I'm not even sure of that. Recently in Ming Pao, at the center pages of the columns, an interview with a surviving Japanese soldier who was kept in a Chinese war camp was featured. I still don't know what to think of that, he talks candidly of why they raped the Chinese women; because it was free, unlike having to pay for prostitution. He talks candidly of killing them afterwards. He breaks down emotionally over the account of the merciful treatment at the hands of the Chinese prison warden, who explained that the Japanese soldiers still have family members and if they were killed, the families would want revenge, and then the war will never end. I did wonder, if it was easier for the prison warden to forgive, being a man and not one of the women raped, but who's to know who that warden lost to the Japanese? ...and the warden did have a point, and however horrific the candidness of the Japanese soldier was, I have the impression that somehow, he just didn't know better, he expected to be treated harshly for his crimes, but somehow, he just didn't conceive of an act not involving cruelty.

I know that crimes were committed, I don't know how many of them did it. Recently, more of the other side, just, floated up. In the columns again, a book review, about a book about the review of a Chinese family's history. At the end of the war, people were so, angry, and /pained/, and desperate because the war have left them with less than nothing. Everyone. A Japanese youth who was probably conscripted like so many were at the end of the war, was left behind by his commander. He begged for the mercy of the villagers but the villagers couldn't listen, they've pelt him with rocks, strangled him with a rope, and then salvaged his belongings. A train of Japanese soldiers returning was also attacked. Angry, pained, desperate people, and ugliness all around.

...and it can't be whitewashed, but I wonder, if blood should be paid for blood shed, or if /mercy/ is the just cause, for those who are sorry even if being sorry doesn't make it okay. - leiung 2007, July 4th.