We began our day yet again with another cultural class at UEF. This time, our focus was on the history and religion of Buddhism.
Personally, I believe that the religion of Buddhism is a meaningful way to worship peace and humility. The pagoda was a beautiful example of demonstrating this. From the pagoda’s exterior landscape to the alters and statues inside, it was an incredible sight to see. Growing up as a practicing Catholic, I have never seen any place of worship as vibrant as this one. Though I do not understand much behind the religion, I am familiar with the core principles of both men and women. I do not find that my principle beliefs align well with the principles of what a woman should be in the Buddhism religion. I do not agree that a woman should always obey the male figures in her life and that she has free will to do and say as she pleases. With that being said, I can not agree with the principles of the religion but I respect those that practice.
We then made our way to the Unification Palace, a beautiful piece of artwork that serves as the country’s homage of peace and unity within its borders. We saw conference rooms, presidential suite, parliament rooms, etc. (thought I personally liked the architecture of the building prior to the renovated one). Afterwards, we headed to the American War Remnants Museum, one of the places I was most excited for this trip.
Stepping out of the museum today truly changed my perspective of the United States and how oblivious I was towards the Vietnam War. I remember my APUSH class, going into the deep facts about the Revolutionary War, Great Depression, both World Wars, Cold War, and all eras in between. What I failed to realize at the time was the lack of attentiveness towards the Vietnam War period. I have little to no recollection of anything that I learned during that unit, and if I had known the horrors and inhumanity of its past, I would have easily remembered. Walking into each exhibit and looking at the pictures of dead children and mothers, I felt a deeper sense of grief and also anger at the fact that a country could do this. The amount of innocent lives lost and pictured in this museum is monumentous and distributing-truly a testament to the horrific actions committed by the U.S. I remember vividly reading about the many massacres that occurred over the course of the Vietnam War time. It is blasphemous that it took our country decades after the fact to acknowledge the massacre of My Lai. A U.S orchestrated massacre that took the lives of 504 innocent civilians.
The Vietnam war was a tragedy for both sides. After our visit to the Cu Chi tunnels on Sunday, I could not even begin to imagine what it was like to be a soldier fighting during the war. The effects are even still seen today in post-war Vietnam from Agent Orange. The exhibit that showcased the tragic birth defects was shocking and unsettling, and some pictures are still lingering in my mind.
Even to this day, the Vietnam War continues to spark controversies all over the U.S. The Vietnam War was a significant time period in U.S’s short history. It is truly a disturbing war that should be taught in its entirety from an unbiased standpoint. Though I understand that’s how history should always be taught, it is evident (at least in the U.S), that some key elements and points in history are often skewed or forgotten to hide the tragedies of the past. However, if we do not teach the next generations of our country’s bloody past, we are bound to repeat it. That concludes day 9 in Vietnam and tomorrow is packed with a whole lot more!
