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Live like it's heaven on earth.

-William Purkey-
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post date:9-15-06

Right and Wrong - Good and Bad
By Bac Han
( Class of 69 - 72 )
韓博光

Iˇd like to take this opportunity to share my thoughts with all KhaiMinhˇs good friends about our perception of life. Today topic is Right and Wrong, Good and Bad which is an extremely crucial matter affecting our lives days and nights. Because of this concept, politics have been established and people have fought and hurt each other and millions have sacrificed their lives to protect it.

First of all, let's me illustrate by using this example, there is one inch ruler which is laid next to 2 inches ruler, the 2 inches is longer than one inch, now letˇs lay another 3 inches beside 2 inches ruler, 2 inches was called long before now it becomes short. 2 inches was considered long if we donˇt lay 3 inches next to it. It is considered relatively long when we compare things. 2 inches ruler is not always long, things keep changing based on conditions.

Right and wrong is relatively limited in Space. In Afghanistan, women have to wear veils to cover from head to feet and married women should not let other men see their faces. People in Afghanistan think thatˇs right and good moral, if some married women with bikiniˇs hang around in the beach or in swimming pool, they will be sentenced to death, serious violation of the Muslim custom. But that custom is considered wrong in the West. The Majorityˇs thinking may not be necessarily right. Something is considered right in some geography may be considered wrong in different geography. Right and wrong are undefined, that's the law of relativity.

Good and bad is relatively limited in Time, remember back in the old days in Vietnam when I was a teenager during "hippie phenomenon", we liked to have long hair. Majority of the society consider those with long hair were not good kids, bad boys, no education and it also had bad judgment on the parents as well. But now in Vietnam, people who shave their heads would be considered not good people; they would be classified as people have just been released from prison. Shaving their heads are most likely considered bad people, except monks and nuns with their yellow robes on. Good and bad is also relatively speaking, just like right and wrong. Peopleˇs perceptions are changing from time to time even in the same society. Why the laws keep amending from time to time, because what people think in the past may not be the same as people think in the present. Different generation has different perception over the same issue. So how do we define the border of good and bad, what is good for one person could become bad for others. Same as the food, like "strong smell Tofu from KongKong", "strong smell fish sauce from Central of VietNam" some people like it, some can not put up with the smell. How do we define something is good for everyone.

As we all know during Vietnamˇs war, American were condemned as the enemy from the Northern Vietnamese, now Vietnamese government told people that American are our good friends. During World War II, Japan and United States were enemy, now they become friends. In fact, friend could become enemy and enemy could become friend, thatˇs the truth in our lives. Everything keeps changing and nothing is considered permanent, forever. If we were born in Iraq, grow up there, of course we would be proud of Muslim tradition, custom, language, religion, and our country. We would do everything we can to protect ourselves, our families, our country. We want to run the country by ourselves, we don't want foreign forces control our soil. If we put ourselves in the shoes of Iraqi people, we will understand their point of view. To their point of views, United States and the Western world come to their country to rib off their oils and try to control them for their interest and benefit. The whole world has known that Iraq don't have the deadly weapons which U.S. Government claimed before the invasion took place. But in the point of view of the United States, we come to help them to establish the Democratic regime, liberate them from tyrant Saddam Hussein, bring peace to their country, help them to develop economy, etc. Each side has its own point of view just like ' the blind men and the elephant ' story.

Albert Einstein had also discovered the law of relativity. For example a day to a prisoner whom is locked in a sheet metal cell under the sun would be as long as a month, but to a person who is having a good time in Hawaii beach would be as short as an hour. Our cells and blood keep changing every second and our psychology, thinking, point of view also keep changing due to the conditions and environments.

Therefore I think there is no such thing so called right or wrong, good or bad, the concept of right, wrong, good, and bad are the Relativity of Dualism. Our perceptions keep changing constantly. It depends on which angle you are standing looking at the problem, and most of the time we don't see all aspects of the problem due to ego, ignorant, prejudice, arrogant and lack of compassion. People have the tendency to think that he/she is right and other is wrong, which often leads to argument, depression, anger, fighting and finally killing. No need to argue and get angry, there is a solution in our suffering world; we have to put ourselves in everyone's shoes. Establishing good communication and cultivating compassion are the best weapons we should use to solve our daily conflicts.

Wishing you all having a peaceful and tranquility mind.

Post date: 3-19-06

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