Are you going to today's protest march? Or are you going to be a couch potato and witness it at home? At this time in Taiwan's history, the citizens of our country need to step up to their responsibilities and show up at the protest. Sitting in our cozy homes watching the protest on television will not be enough. With a huge participation rate at the protest, the world will see that Taiwan's fate lies in the peaceful decisions of the peaceful Taiwanese -- in contrast to the "non-peaceful" means China has just formally authorized against Taiwan.
Statistics have shown that more than 80 percent of the Taiwanese population opposes the Anti-Secession Law. How can the Taiwanese verify the accuracy of this poll? The solution is to show up at the protest. Do not allow opinions of political parties to hinder you from attending such an important event. In fact, up to 88.1 percent of the Taiwanese population think that political parties should stop fighting each other and unite.
The protest, although put together by the pan-green camp, is not a propaganda event for the Democratic Progressive Party, but instead is a protest to reveal the dissatisfaction of Taiwan as a unified country towards the Anti-Secession Law.
Maybe you are one of the few who are still ambiguous on your opinion of the law. Why then should you attend the protest? Just think about it. The law gives China full authority to unilaterally determine the future of your homeland. Shouldn't the decision be based upon the votes of you and your neighbors who actually live in Taiwan? Or is it okay for the few elite people of the Chinese Communist government to decide your future?
Even if you are pro-"one China, two systems," you should be voicing your opinions from within Taiwan, not from across the Taiwan Strait. Joining the march does not necessarily mean you are pro-independence, it simply shows the world that you want the future of Taiwan to be decided by the Taiwanese themselves.
Many people say that businesspeople won't attend the protest. Why? Because they fear their prosperity invested in China will diminish if they go against the Chinese government.
These days, money means the world to everyone. But now, I ask the businesspeople to put aside their selfish desires and think about the well-being of the Taiwanese people as a whole. What will really benefit us? The answer is democracy and peace, which are platforms that are going to be supported at the march.
Love Taiwan? Come to today's protest march and join your fellow Taiwanese in a peaceful demonstration against the unjust Anti-Secession Law.
Show the world that the nation of Taiwan is worth supporting. Show the world that Taiwan actually cares about its future by being an active participant in the march for peace, democracy and Taiwan.
Erica Wu
Taipei
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