The Issue with Apologies

What's so hard about saying, "I'm sorry."

Ah, this will be difficult to write becuase I am missing a key quote. Hopefully, I can convey this clearly.

So the story goes...

I visited the Museum of Modern Art or Contemporary Art in Kyoto. Expecting to find the avant-garde of Japanese art, I was surprised by the collection of international artists. None of them stand out in my mind, but this one exhibit. Using photography and storytelling a Korean-Japanese artist displayed the events of his wedding to another Korean-Japanese. The display took up three walls, photos lined the middle of the walls with the artist's words on the bottom. So if you were to see this, you would start by the wall closest to the entrance and as you read the story unfolding you made your way along the walls.

The story was one I easily identified with because I am first generation American. The artist and his wife struggled with their Japanese identity because of tensions and history between Japan and Korea. A quick note, I just remembered, the husband is half Korean and Japanese and his wife is second generation Japanese of Korean descent. Their Japanese identities are troubling because of history. As Japan modernized and sought to surpass Western powers Japan conquered other Asian countries, Korea being one of them. Imperialism is the word and name of the game during this time and it has never left a "happy legacy."

And this is where the quote that I cannot find comes in. Apology, just a simple apology is all it takes to move forward. The artist felt that acknowledgement and a sincere apology from the Japanese people is necessary in order to fully heal and move forward from the nightmarish past.

That reminded of back home in the States. People say slavery is over; move on! Yes, let's move on, but it is the attitude towards the subject matter. Ah, how do I describe this attitude? It's almost like a defense mechanism. I feel many people just want to dismiss it, but we cannot. And it's not only slavery; it's Jim Crowe, imperialism, United States involvement in Latin American countries and the list goes on. This all weighs on the consciousness, it's the chip on one's shoulder. I just want to hear "I'm sorry." Or at least a sincere understanding of this chip that burden's my shoulder.

History is a heavy burden, because we must make sure it's horrors never happen again.

I hope this was clear. It has been on my mind since I left Kyoto and finally I have purged it from my mind.

And that is the Issue with Apologies...