The Japan Times
February 14, 2001
While it is commendable that Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and other government officials attended the funeral of Lee Su Hyon, the South Korean citizen who met a grisly death trying to save the life of an inebriated Japanese, I hope that Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara takes the tragic event as an opportunity to reflect upon a derogatory statement he made last year, in which he stated the need for Japanese citizens to be vigilant against the possibility of foreigners (or “sangokujin,” to use the term used by Ishihara) disturbing the peace during a national emergency.
Ishihara should realize that when it comes to saving lives and building a peaceful society, national, cultural and racial boundaries are not issues for decent people all over the world, such as Lee. Perhaps, however, considering his age and generation, it is too late to hope that Ishihara can do away with, let alone critically reflect upon, his racially divisive and warped ethnocentric outlook of life.
KO UNOKI
Fujisawa, Kanagawa
森喜朗首相をはじめとする政府関係者が、酩酊した日本人を助けようとして無惨な死を遂げた韓国人、イ・スヒョンさんの葬儀に参列したことは評価できる。石原慎太郎都知事は、この悲劇的な出来事を機に、昨年、国家非常事態の際に外国人（石原氏の用語では「三国人」）が平和を乱す可能性に日本国民が警戒する必要があると述べた侮蔑的な発言を反省して欲しい。
人命を救い、平和な社会を築くためには、国や文化や人種の壁は、イさんのような世界中のまっとうな人々にとっては問題ではないことを石原氏は理解すべきだろう。しかし、石原氏の年齢や世代を考えると、人種差別的で歪んだ民族主義的な人生観を批判的に反省することはおろか、それを捨て去ることを望むのは遅すぎるかもしれない。
Comments