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     War memorials and museums cause controversy probably because of four reasons: 1) the facts presented are not universally accepted, 2) emotions manipulated are considered inappropriate for certain audience, 3) current events influence visitors’ opinions, and 4) the purpose of the memorial is not always clear.

     One way that war memorials and museums cause controversy is because of the facts displayed. Firstly, the exhibits in memorials and museums are often biased. This point is supported by two examples. First, survivors of the notorious historical event “the Rape of Nanjing” were interviewed about the casualty numbers. Japanese historian Hata Ikuhiko doubts the reliability of the oral history, “no explanation has been offered of how the witnesses managed to come up with the number (of dead civilians) (2)”. Indeed, survivors were in serious survival situations where they could have easily miscounted bodies. Moreover, victims of the atrocities could have exaggerated the casualty number, because the terrible memories could influence the way they want others to judge the historical event. Furthermore, the survivors were interviewed years after the event, when they could have forgotten about the details. These flaws of oral history play a detrimental role to the accuracy of the casualty number, all leading to the controversy related to the reliability of the casualty number 300,000, which was inscribed everywhere around the memorial in Nanjing. Hata goes on to identify other ways that this statistic is biased and unreliable.

     A second example is that different nations tend to present biased points of views. For instance, the Imperial War Museum London suggests that the casualty number of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp differs greatly between the statistics from the Germans and the Polish (The Holocaust Exhibition). Clearly, the Polish government suggests a casualty number (4,000,000) that is almost twice higher than that of the camp commanders. The statistics of the same historical event differ greatly as the countries have different standpoints. The Germans, as the committer of the atrocities, wish to minimize the number, which is the proof of their crimes; the Polish, on the other hand, suffered from the concentration camps and intended to inform people of the violence displayed by the Germans. Concluding the paragraph, the facts displayed are biased because of the different cultural contexts.

     Secondly, the origins of the exhibited items are often doubted. “Material is not easy to find. To survive years of harsh treatment and murderous persecution was not the norm, and for those who did come out of the camps, liberation brought long waits for visas, temporary lodgings, and often several ‘false starts’ at a new life. (Imperial War Museum 7)” Many museums and war memorials have exhibits of unclear origins, because of the hardship in finding trustworthy evidence. In the Nanjing Memorial Hall, thousands of images and artifacts are of obscure origins. Hata suggested that one of the photographs exhibited was not taken during the Nanjing Massacre period. (6) Many other artifacts in the museum do not have specific origins. This limitation makes it difficult for viewers to believe that the displayed facts are relevant, causing controversy on the value of the exhibits.

     Another factor that results in disputes over war memorials is people’s emotions aroused by the war museums. Such emotions are oftentimes considered inappropriate for visitors such as children and family members of those killed during wars. War memorials can arouse emotions in several ways, mentioned below. Firstly, the language used can provoke feelings such as depression and anger. “... an iron evidence for the bloody crimes committed by the aggressive Japanese troop. (Nanjing War Memorial Website)” In this twelve-word sentence, “bloody” and “aggressive” are typical adjectives that arouse emotions. For instance, a Japanese civilian who has been studying the Japanese accounts of the Rape of Nanking would be shocked by this description, and may get angry. A survivor, on the other hand, can get extremely angry when visiting the museum. Due to the experience that he / she had during the Rape of Nanjing, his / her emotions are likely to differ greatly from the descendants. Therefore, the language applied throughout the museum is controversially considered biased.

     Secondly, statues like the ones in front of the Nanjing Memorial Hall (as shown on the right-hand side) evoke feelings from the viewers. The example sculpture shows a man with his dead wife, who was raped by the Japanese. The poetic language, inscribed in Chinese and English, read, “the devil raped you, killed you”. Naturally, viewers get upset and uncomfortable when reading the short poem and looking at the posture and expressions of the sculptures. Small children, in particular, could easily feel utterly shocked and terrified by the statues. As a result, some museums, such as the Imperial War Museum London, prohibit children under the age of eleven to visit certain exhibitions, such as the Holocaust Exhibition. But seeing that children should learn from history to avoid the repetition of the negative aspects of it, it is disputed whether students should visit war museums.

    The third possible reason why war memorials and museums provoke different opinions is the current events, which are largely affected by the fluctuating media reports. For instance, Japanese prime minister’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine on October 17, 2005 angered the Chinese government. “In Beijing, more than 30 Chinese people gathered outside the Japanese embassy on Tuesday morning, protesting against Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine. (Xinhua 1)” The Chinese protestors were angered because of the government’s attitude and due to the fluctuating media, where the Japanese Prime Minister was condemned. Similarly, visitors to the war memorials can be easily affected by the current events that controversies are caused. “In Yasukuni Shrine, more than two million soldiers rest in peace. They are probably the enemy for foreigners. But they lost their lives believing in the Japanese future. That's why not only Japanese but a lot of foreign politicians have prayed there. (Mashimane 1)” In contrast to the Japanese audience’s standpoint, a Hong Kong viewer remarked, “Is that the holocaust is more worth talking than the Rape of Nanking, and millions of civilians killed by the Japanese in East and South East Asia, not to mention the sexual assault to women. (Tse 1)” The disagreement between the two rose partly due to the current events, and partly due to the effects of the war memorials. 

     The event of the Holocaust also shows that current events lead to controversies around the war memorials. “One Holocaust survivor parked himself at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial. He began a hunger strike to protest the war itself, and the way Begin used the Holocaust to justify it. (Altman 78)” This protest happened after Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin used the Holocaust to justify military and political actions, such as the 1981 surprise attack on the Palestinian camps in Lebanon. As a Holocaust survivor and an Anti-war Israelis, the protester, Shlomo Schmelzman, was particularly affected by such current events, and “created such a sensation that th Yad Vashem staff evicted him from the grounds. (Altman 78)” As a victim of the Nazi atrocities, Schmelzman cherishes peace intensely, and when the Prime Minister used the Holocaust to justify the attack on Palestinians, he was irritated and protested in front of the War Memorial. As seen from the example, current events do influence people, especially those who suffered from wars and their viewpoints on war memorials. 

     The fourth reason why war memorials are controversial is because their purpose is often obscure. The quote “history is written by the victors” suggests that war memorials are influenced by the builders. The Nanjing Memorial Hall was built by the Nanjing government, which represents the viewpoint of the victim during the war and the victor after the war. Clearly, the exhibits are biased in the Museum, creating controversies on its purposes. According to the Nanjing War Memorial website, the war memorial aims to promote patriotism. However, unintended audience, such as Japanese tourists, should not be ignored, as Chinese people are not the only audience in this globalizing world.  

     Moreover, exhibits in the memorials can also plant fear and hatred in the audience. The above photograph is from the official website of the Imperial War Museum London. By looking at the photograph, which represents hundreds of thousands of photos inside these museums, audience would immediately feel oppressed, and are gravely saddened by the impacts of war. Do museums serve as the warnings to promote peace, or are they trying to get the visitors hate and criticize certain nations and unite to defeat exterior enemies? These are only some of the open-ended discussion topics that are related to war museums and memorials.

     In conclusion, war memorials are controversial possibly because of the distrusted facts presented, the emotions aroused, the influence of the current events and the obscure purpose. It is close to impossible to get an absolutely objective war memorial, but history should be truthfully recorded and presented, so that learners and other visitors can make sure that negative sides do not repeat themselves.

 

Sources Cited:

 

Altman, Linda Jacobs. Impact of the Holocaust. Enslow. 2004. Print.

 

"China Japan meeting: Your views ." BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2005. <news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/4436425.stm>.

 

Hata, Ikuhiko. The Nanjing Atrocities - Fact and Fable. Japan Echo. August 1998. Print.

 

Imperial War Museum. The Holocaust Exhibition. 2011. Print.

 

" Koizumi's war shrine visit strongly opposed ." Chinadaily US Edition. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. <http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-08/15/content_664803.htm>. 

 

"The Holocaust Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum London." Welcome to the Imperial War Museum London Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. <http://london.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.00b005>

 

"The memorial hall of the victims in Nanjing massacre by Japanese invaders." Nanjing Massacre. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.   <http://www.nj1937.org/english/info.asp>

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哈佛法學院2021屆 Juris Doctor、哈佛亞洲法律協會主席。美國聯邦法院 judicial law clerk。2018年以最高榮譽畢業於美國頂尖文理學院Pomona College,大三時入選美国大学优等生协会Phi Beta Kappa並擔任西班牙語榮譽協會主席。多家國際刊物撰稿人及專欄記者、《克萊蒙特法律及公共政策期刊》總編及《北美聯合法律期刊》創始人。劍橋大學唐寧學者。羅德獎學金最終候選人。

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