A Time to Break Silen.docx
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A Time to Break Silen.docx
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ATimetoBreakSilen
ATimetoBreakSilen
theymustseeamericansasstrangeliberators.thevietnamesepeopleproclaimedtheirownindependence*in1954*--in1945*rather*--afteracombinedfrenchandjapaneseoccupationandbeforethecommunistrevolutioninchina.theywereledbyhochiminh.eventhoughtheyquotedtheamericandeclarationofindependenceintheirowndocumentoffreedom,werefusedtorecognizethem.instead,wedecidedtosupportfranceinitsreconquestofherformercolony.ourgovernmentfeltthenthatthevietnamesepeoplewerenotreadyforindependence,andweagainfellvictimtothedeadlywesternarrogancethathaspoisonedtheinternationalatmosphereforsolong.withthattragicdecisionwerejectedarevolutionarygovernmentseekingself-determinationandagovernmentthathadbeenestablishednotbychina--forwhomthevietnamesehavenogreatlove--butbyclearlyindigenousforcesthatincludedsomecommunists.forthepeasantsthisnewgovernmentmeantreallandreform,oneofthemostimportantneedsintheirlives.
fornineyearsfollowing1945wedeniedthepeopleofvietnamtherightofindependence.fornineyearswevigorouslysupportedthefrenchintheirabortiveefforttorecolonizevietnam.beforetheendofthewarweweremeetingeightypercentofthefrenchwarcosts.evenbeforethefrenchweredefeatedatdienbienphu,theybegantodespairoftheirrecklessaction,butwedidnot.weencouragedthemwithourhugefinancialandmilitarysuppliestocontinuethewarevenaftertheyhadlostthewill.soonwewouldbepayingalmostthefullcostsofthistragicattemptatrecolonization.
afterthefrenchweredefeated,itlookedasifindependenceandlandreformwouldcomeagainthroughthegenevaagreement.butinsteadtherecametheunitedstates,determinedthathoshouldnotunifythetemporarilydividednation,andthepeasantswatchedagainaswesupportedoneofthemostviciousmoderndictators,ourchosenman,premierdiem.thepeasantswatchedandcringedasdiemruthlesslyrootedoutallopposition,supportedtheirextortionistlandlords,andrefusedeventodiscussreunificationwiththenorth.thepeasantswatchedasallthiswaspresidedoverbyunitedstates'influenceandthenbyincreasingnumbersofunitedstatestroopswhocametohelpquelltheinsurgencythatdiem'smethodshadaroused.whendiemwasoverthrowntheymayhavebeenhappy,butthelonglineofmilitarydictatorsseemedtooffernorealchange,especiallyintermsoftheirneedforlandandpeace.
theonlychangecamefromamerica,asweincreasedourtroopcommitmentsinsupportofgovernmentswhichweresingularlycorrupt,inept,andwithoutpopularsupport.allthewhilethepeoplereadourleafletsandreceivedtheregularpromisesofpeaceanddemocracyandlandreform.nowtheylanguishunderourbombsandconsiderus,nottheirfellowvietnamese,therealenemy.theymovesadlyandapatheticallyasweherdthemoffthelandoftheirfathersintoconcentrationcampswhereminimalsocialneedsarerarelymet.theyknowtheymustmoveonorbedestroyedbyourbombs.
sotheygo,primarilywomenandchildrenandtheaged.theywatchaswepoisontheirwater,aswekillamillionacresoftheircrops.theymustweepasthebulldozersroarthroughtheirareaspreparingtodestroytheprecioustrees.theywanderintothehospitalswithatleasttwentycasualtiesfromamericanfirepowerforonevietcong-inflictedinjury.sofarwemayhavekilledamillionofthem,mostlychildren.theywanderintothetownsandseethousandsofthechildren,homeless,withoutclothes,runninginpacksonthestreetslikeanimals.theyseethechildrendegradedbyoursoldiersastheybegforfood.theyseethechildrensellingtheirsisterstooursoldiers,solicitingfortheirmothers.
whatdothepeasantsthinkasweallyourselveswiththelandlordsandaswerefusetoputanyactionintoourmanywordsconcerninglandreform?
whatdotheythinkaswetestoutourlatestweaponsonthem,justasthegermanstestedoutnewmedicineandnewtorturesintheconcentrationcampsofeurope?
wherearetherootsoftheindependentvietnamweclaimtobebuilding?
isitamongthesevoicelessones?
wehavedestroyedtheirtwomostcherishedinstitutions:
thefamilyandthevillage.wehavedestroyedtheirlandandtheircrops.wehavecooperatedinthecrushingofthenation'sonlynoncommunistrevolutionarypoliticalforce,theunifiedbuddhistchurch.wehavesupportedtheenemiesofthepeasantsofsaigon.wehavecorruptedtheirwomenandchildrenandkilledtheirmen.
nowthereislittlelefttobuildon,savebitterness.*soontheonlysolidphysicalfoundationsremainingwillbefoundatourmilitarybasesandintheconcreteoftheconcentrationcampswecall"fortifiedhamlets."thepeasantsmaywellwonderifweplantobuildournewvietnamonsuchgroundsasthese.couldweblamethemforsuchthoughts?
wemustspeakforthemandraisethequestionstheycannotraise.these,too,areourbrothers.
perhapsamoredifficultbutnolessnecessarytaskistospeakforthosewhohavebeendesignatedasourenemies.*whatofthenationalliberationfront,thatstrangelyanonymousgroupwecall"vc"or"communists"?
whatmusttheythinkoftheunitedstatesofamericawhentheyrealizethatwepermittedtherepressionandcrueltyofdiem,whichhelpedtobringthemintobeingasaresistancegroupinthesouth?
whatdotheythinkofourcondoningtheviolencewhichledtotheirowntakingupofarms?
howcantheybelieveinourintegritywhennowwespeakof"aggressionfromthenorth"asiftherewerenothingmoreessentialtothewar?
howcantheytrustuswhennowwechargethemwithviolenceafterthemurderousreignofdiemandchargethemwithviolencewhilewepoureverynewweaponofdeathintotheirland?
surelywemustunderstandtheirfeelings,evenifwedonotcondonetheiractions.surelywemustseethatthemenwesupportedpressedthemtotheirviolence.surelywemustseethatourowncomputerizedplansofdestructionsimplydwarftheirgreatestacts.
howdotheyjudgeuswhenourofficialsknowthattheirmembershipislessthantwenty-fivepercentcommunist,andyetinsistongivingthemtheblanketname?
whatmusttheybethinkingwhentheyknowthatweareawareoftheircontrolofmajorsectionsofvietnam,andyetweappearreadytoallownationalelectionsinwhichthishighlyorganizedpoliticalparallelgovernmentwillnothaveapart?
theyaskhowwecanspeakoffreeelectionswhenthesaigonpressiscensoredandcontrolledbythemilitaryjunta.andtheyaresurelyrighttowonderwhatkindofnewgovernmentweplantohelpformwithoutthem,theonlypartyinrealtouchwiththepeasants.theyquestionourpoliticalgoalsandtheydenytherealityofapeacesettlementfromwhichtheywillbeexcluded.theirquestionsarefrighteninglyrelevant.isournationplanningtobuildonpoliticalmythagain,andthenshoreitupuponthepowerofnewviolence?
hereisthetruemeaningandvalueofcompassionandnonviolence,whenithelpsustoseetheenemy'spointofview,tohearhisquestions,toknowhisassessmentofourselves.forfromhisviewwemayindeedseethebasicweaknessesofourowncondition,andifwearemature,wemaylearnandgrowandprofitfromthewisdomofthebrotherswhoarecalledtheopposition.
so,too,withhanoi.inthenorth,whereourbombsnowpummeltheland,andourminesendangerthewaterways,wearemetbyadeepbutunderstandablemistrust.tospeakforthemistoexplainthislackofconfidenceinwesternwords,andespeciallytheirdistrustofamericanintentionsnow.inhanoiarethemenwholedthenationtoindependenceagainstthejapaneseandthefrench,themenwhosoughtmembershipinthefrenchcommonwealthandwerebetrayedbytheweaknessofparisandthewillfulnessofthecolonialarmies.itwastheywholedasecondstruggleagainstfrenchdominationattremendouscosts,andthenwerepersuadedtogiveupthelandtheycontrolledbetweenthethirteenthandseventeenthparallelasatemporarymeasureatgeneva.after1954theywatchedusconspirewithdiemtopreventelectionswhichcouldhavesurelybroughthochiminhtopoweroveraunitedvietnam,andtheyrealizedtheyhadbeenbetrayedagain.whenweaskwhytheydonotleaptonegotiate,thesethingsmustberemembered.
also,itmustbeclearthattheleadersofhanoiconsideredthepresenceofamericantroopsinsupportofthediemregimetohavebeentheinitialmilitarybreachofthegenevaagreementconcerningforeigntroops.theyremindusthattheydidnotbegintosendtroopsinlargenumbersandevensuppliesintothesouthuntilamericanforceshadmovedintothetensofthousands.
hanoiremembershowourleadersrefusedtotellusthetruthabouttheearliernorthvietnameseoverturesforpeace,howthepresidentclaimedthatnoneexistedwhentheyhadclearlybeenmade.hochiminhhaswatchedasamericahasspokenofpeaceandbuiltupitsforces,andnowhehassurelyheardtheincreasinginternationalrumorsofamericanplansforaninvasionofthenorth.heknowsthebombingandshellingandminingwearedoingarepartoftraditionalpre-invasionstrategy.perhapsonlyhissenseofhumorandofironycansavehimwhenhehearsthemostpowerfulnationoftheworldspeakingofaggressionasitdropsthousandsofbombsonapoor,weaknationmorethan*eighthundred,orrather,*eightthousandmilesawayfromitsshores.
atthispointishouldmakeitclearthatwhileihavetriedintheselastfewminutestogiveavoicetothevoicelessinvietnamandtounderstandtheargumentsofthosewhoarecalled"enemy,"iamasdeeplyconcernedaboutourowntroopsthereasanythingelse.
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