This is long but important, please bear with me. I'll explain why it applies to everyone voting for the next president of the United States.
It is crucial in life to move from the past, focus on the present and look forward to the future.
The great relations that Korea and Japan now have are thanks to previous foreign ministers, presidents, government officials and, of course, the citizens of both nations.
A few months ago, Japan's prime minister, Abe, offered financial compensation for the harm done to the "comfort women" of Korea during World War II and during Japan's annexation of Korea. "Comfort women" were Korean women who were sold as sex slaves to the Japanese soldiers during this time. The key point of the recent settlement was that Korea and Japan are now on better terms and this horrifying history should not impede further relations, including the future interactions for the younger generations. The settlement went through; however, many elder women were outraged.
Most of the time, I believe that whatever the government is doing, whether I agree with it or not, is probably best for the country. Let's face it, government officials have experience in their field and have studied every aspect that goes into politics. They understand the appropriate social interactions that would help the country move forward.
However, I can't help but feel slightly hesitant in this scenario. The foreign affairs minister of South Korea did not meet with the victims before the settlement. I truly believe that the healing and that this transition would have slowly but naturally occurred with time.
The duration of healing may have taken longer because it's not something that's suppose to heal solely with a negotiation. Seventy years may seem like a long period of time, but with issues such as human trafficking, it really isn't.
Anyone can agree that the psychological and physiological trauma that these women experienced could never be compensated with any amount of money. That's easy. The reason why this applies to all of us, especially the younger generation, is because education can help affect the opinions of those around us.
The actual settlement isn't the most important part. It's a done deed, people can protest and try to fix or change the mess that's happening.
What is important is that human trafficking is still prevalent today. This is the effect of sex slavery. It doesn't heal in a 100 years, it can't be fixed later on in life with a few billion dollars for therapy and better care for the victims, it's not some passionate subject that super hip non-profit organizations talk about. It's a temporary fix for a selfish, disgusting act that goes on and on and affects the government and public relations of countries in the latter.
The foreign affairs minister of South Korea is a male. He's educated and well spoken, but he has no clue what the women went through. The fact that he and government officials made this decision without meeting the victims can be associated with some of the issues that prevail in the United States: pro-life verses pro-choice.
Whatever your opinion on it is, that's fine. The importance of both these issues is not what's evident through one glance, but rather the complications of humans not understanding the full extent of something they have never been through themselves.
One of the most argued debates in pro-life vs. pro-choice is the idea that the fetus, or infant, is alive and has every right to live. Who knows, he or she may be the next Einstein, Mozart or Gandhi. However, we forget that when we talk about abortion, we are not talking about one life but two: the child and the mother's.
Recently, Donald Trump, a candidate for the Presidential Elections of 2016, suggested that abortions should include some sort of punishment for the women. The process of an abortion is not only physiologically draining, but also psychologically detrimental; it is furthest thing from being "easy." The idea that abortions could be abused is a valid concern; for anything can be abused if we take it to the extreme: food, alcohol or even working out.
However, allowing women to have the option to make their own decisions about their body and the precious life they are carrying, is allowing them to take the responsibility of their decisions and not allocating some of their responsibility to the government. Allowing women to have abortions doesn’t necessarily mean teen pregnancy is going to rise but, it means fewer babies that will be found dead in shoe boxes, public toilets and laundry baskets.
Allowing women to have abortions is not opening doors for stupidity when it comes to safe sex. It’s a step towards feminism; trusting that women are smart, brave and capable enough to make the best decisions for themselves without the influence of a male dominant government.
I and all the females that I know have never once said to a male who has been kicked in the balls, “Suck it up, it can’t be that bad.” We have never doubted your pain when kicked, because we will never understand the amount of pain that you guys go through when this terrible incident happens. I am truly sorry if it has.
So please, trust us to make the right decisions for ourselves. Abortions aren’t easy. They’re usually not an impulsive decision-making act. Let us have a say in our bodies and not only be empowered, but also learn from our decisions and mistakes.
