Do not mock national alerts
Taiwan’s defense ministry on Tuesday afternoon last week sent out a nationwide emergency alert informing the public that China’s government at 3:04pm had just launched a satellite with its trajectory passing over southern Taiwan.
As a nation sitting along multiple fault lines in a highly active seismic zone and open to tsunamis on its Pacific coast, Taiwanese cannot afford to be too relaxed with their soft living and should stay vigilant.
One after another, from the Dutch colonization in earlier times to the Rover Incident and later Japanese colonization, Taiwan is no stranger to foreign invasion, and Chinese aggression is certainly Taiwan’s biggest concern.
However, following the alert, there have been online memes and sarcastic remarks mocking it. Some have even said the national-level alert was a Democratic Progressive Party election “ploy to boost its campaign,” which was a most dispiriting and embittering thing to say. How could anyone be so naive and ignorant?
Police stations across the nation conduct daily tests of the civil defense alert system, just in case major emergencies such as earthquakes, tsunamis or air raids occur. The alerts are to inform community members on how to respond and other implementable actions. Would anyone still consider such a measure to be “campaigning”?
Confucius once said “A man who does not think and plan long ahead is sure to find trouble right at his door.”
Japan is able to keep its casualties and damage to a minimum whenever disasters strike, because its people have long put great emphasis on alert and warning systems.
Although Taiwanese have complete freedom to express different opinions, mocking the national alert system is not the right mindset.
Chen Hsueh-chiang
Taipei
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