我們又要開會談會務及展望了。這是一段很不容易走的路。每一個組織都需要，但，卻是每一個會員最不喜歡的一段。為什麼我們不專注於舉辦娛樂性的活動，讓大家樂得參加呢？台灣同鄉會算是組織嗎？好像不是又好像是。「不是」在於我們沒有進行任何「組織」的行動。「是」在於法令要求我們既然立案，就要由至少三個人代表營運。而我們以章程規範自己必須有會員，經由會員投票的組織行為產生代理人（領導人）。
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We will hold a meeting to deal with the
business and the outlook again. This is an uneasy roadway. It is needed in
every organization but also least liked by every member. Why don’t we simply
concentrate in activities of entertainment and let everyone participate with
joy light-heartedly? Is TAA-STL an organzation? No and Yes. No, because we
have not done any kind of acts of organizing. Yes, because we are required by
laws to be managed by at least three individuals. We also regulate ourselves
by stating in the bylaws that we need to have members to elect officers
(representatives and leaders).
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我們很無奈地需要開會確定組織還活著，明年有人負責、帶頭。因為我們已經脫離被飼養、被奴役的日子，一切事情都要自己來，也不希望有人獨斷獨行濫用資源了。
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We are meeting reluctantly to make sure
that the organization is still alive, someone will be responsible for the
next year and take the lead. Because we have been out of the days of “being
fed, being enslaved”, everything should be handle by ourselves, and we do not
want someone to arbitrarily abuse the resources alone.
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更有趣、更重要的是我們需要透過紀念/慶祝解嚴30週年來檢討戒嚴跟解嚴對台灣人的影響，看看我們可能如何從中學到功課，如何超越桎梏開創新局。因為那是來自台灣的人共同的因素，一直在影響著我們的認同、思考、與作風。
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More interestingly and importantly, we
need to review the 30th anniversary of being free from martial law, to
commemorate the impact of martial law on the people of Taiwan, and also to
see how we may pick up new homework from the old pain, how to move beyond the
shackles to create a new perspective. Because the martial law is a common
factor of those from Taiwan, has been affecting our identity, thinking, and
styles.
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每個國家、社會、組織、一群人都有歷史的包袱跟優勢。有趣的是每一件難過的事情都有可能引發正向的能量、致蔭到一些正向的成長。這要看遭遇過的人如何處置、提煉經驗、找出新方向與步驟了。到底在台灣的戒嚴跟解嚴有什麼話題可談、可用呢？
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Each country, society, organization,
group of people has the historical burden and advantages. Interestingly,
every sad thing is possible to be trigger of positive energy, facilitating
factor to some positive growth. It depends on how people encountered the
treatment, refine the experiences, and derive new directions and steps.
Related to the martial law and the ending of the martial law, in Taiwan, what
kind of topics can talk about, available as sources of our inspiration?
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First of all, we will inevitably think of
what the martial law in Taiwan contains. The Formosa
TV，FTV has an album that introduce the martial law in Taiwan.
https://youtu.be/dy1Xx7QAgNA. Although none ot the literatures or films is
complete and completely correct, here is a special edition for the dinner party
dividing the aforementioned video into 26 sections, so you can easily select
the content, study, and be prepared to participate in the discussion in the gathering
on October 14.
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原來我以為已經知道的事情竟然還有許多從沒聽過的部分。我們都知道戒嚴的核心是當場殺、抓去殺、抓去關，釋放之後無立足之地，等等。雖然大部分的人沒有被殺、被關，可是絕大多數的人都生活在「怕」之中，因為沒有任何人確實知道那些「抓、關、殺」的決斷是怎麼進行、怎麼完成的。沒有人知道那些有關的訊息是怎麼形成、怎麼傳遞、怎麼裁決的。這表示沒有人知道如何避免遭殃。以致，「避免遭殃最重要」成為全民共識，大家都努力在落實「大事化小事、小事化無事，無事最好」的策略。
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I am surprised to find many new knowledge
from the video against what I considered common sense in the past. We all
know that the core of martial law is to kill on the spot, grab to kill, catch
off, hard to survive after being caught and released, and so on. Although
most people are not killed nor imprisoned, but the vast majority of people
are living in the "fear", because no one really know how the the
decision to "catch, lock-up, kill" is processed and how the
procedures are implemented. No one knows how the relevant information is formed,
passed, and judged. This means that no one knows how to avoid the incident
and the "avoidance is the most important" has become the consensus
of the whole people. Everyone has tried to implement the strategy of "reducing
big issues into small issues, turning small issues into no-issue".
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2.
其次，我們也需要打開視野看看有哪些周邊事務，無論是並行的、共存的、圍繞的、或是衍生的，雖然不是戒嚴跟解嚴的內涵，卻與戒嚴跟解嚴互動、糾纏在一起，嚴重地影響我們。當我們在探討戒嚴的內涵時，難免會分辨某些事情算不算是戒嚴的一部份，是不是戒嚴帶來的。（這一點，我從來沒有聽過，也沒有在文獻中注意過，而是在最近的討論中領悟到的。因此，也可能是我們在討論時最值得著墨的。）比方說，「記住答案的教育」本來就是古老的傳統，也是幼兒教育的重要關節。可是戒嚴，尤其是長期「跨世代」的戒嚴之下，背書及樣版思考（只求「正確」答案）成為攸關生命的措施。許多人曾經重過一種毒，就是「非聖賢之書不讀」。後來延伸到「非權威之書不讀」、「非經典之書不讀」、「非正經八百之書不讀」、「非正確無誤之書不讀」、「非考試範圍之書不讀」。慢慢地就變成「目前沒興趣之書不讀」、「無利可掏、無油可揩之書不讀」、「無立即效益之書不讀」、「沒人逼我之書不讀」了。這樣的「不讀」與「選讀」風氣也自然成為在戒嚴中生存下來的人共有的特質。無形中，「怕人」、「怕事」、「怕出名」也成為文化的核心之一。人人各自努力、各顯神通、隨時警戒身邊有告密求榮的人。
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Secondly, we also need to open the
horizon to see what peripheral affairs, whether they are parallel, coexistent,
around, or derived, although not the core content of martial law, but having
been interacting with the martial law intensively, even to some extent being entangled
together and seriously affecting us. When we explore the meaning of martial
law, it will happen inevitably that we try to clarify whether some things are
exactly be part of the martial law, or emerged as the consequence of the martial
law practices. (This viewpoint is what I have never heard of, nor have I
noticed in my reading, but emerged in some recent discussion. This view might
be worthy included in the commemorative discussion.)
For examples, “momorize the right answers” in the education system was
originally an ancient tradition, and also an important part of early
childhood education but during the martial law, especially the long-term
cross-generational martial law, has evolved into memorization and standardized
thinking that (handling only the "correct" answer exclusively) has become
life-and-death measures. Many people have beenn so addicted by the teaching that
they should not read the books not written by the saints. And the addiction extends
to avoid the "non-authoritative books", "non-serious books”,
"non-perfectly-correct books", "the books not in the ranges of
educational examinations". Gradually, people would not read “the book they
are not currently interested in", "books that won’t lead them to
profit nor fringe benefit", "books appear to bring no immediate effect",
"books not demanded by anybody".The resistance and the
selectiveness toward reading naturally become the common characteristics of
the people who survive the martial law. In fact, "fear of people",
"fear of event", and "fear of fame" has become part of
the core of culture. Everyone depends on indifividual efforts, exercises
efforts separately, watch around and keep distance from the people who might
play the roles of informers for their immediate benefit.
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3.
我們的紀念活動不是在進行學術研究，打破砂鍋問到底、找出真相、辨別是非功過、比賽聰明才智，都不是我們的目的或功能。我們不必把自己侷限在「只談『對』的事情與見解」。在有限的討論時間內，我們希望能記得我們的共同歷史、曉得如何傳續、抒發情緒、獲得啟發、發展心得、看見希望、…等等。一旦發現有些資訊或見解不見得正確，提出異議讓人比較就好，不必爭版面非要對方閉口不可。也不必擔心從此天下大亂，因為二戰結束以來，言論跟思路就都亂不停了。那也是鄰國高明的的文化特質之一。
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Our commemorative activities are not for academic
research. The acts of finding out the truth, distinguishing the merit, and
comparing the levels of intelligence are not our main purpose or function. We
do not have to confine ourselves to "just talk about" things and
opinions". In the limited discussion time, we hope to be reminded of our
common history, know how to pass information and express emotions, get
inspiration, develop experience, see the hope, ... and so on. Once we suspect
that some information or opinion might not necessarily be correct, presenting
the objections is good enough. We do not have to shut off the mouths of the
other sides. We don't need to worry about generating chaos in the world from
the discussion, because since the end of World War II, speech and ideas have
been chaotic, anyway. It is also one of the cultural characteristics in our neighboring countries.
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4.
一切的討論、紀念或慶祝活動都值得提升到探討「然後，怎麼辦」的層次與格局。因此，鼓勵大家努力從別人的發言中尋找靈感，嘗試去碰觸「怎麼辦」的話題。不管對不對、效果，談看看再說。通常，話講出來以後，想法就可能會修改。這是聊天的最重要效益。也是同鄉會活動最有價值之處。昨天，在台灣人學者協會的事業發展演講中聽到 small talk 的重要性。忽然領悟到同鄉會或許需要好好發展、發揮small talk機會與平台，促成鄉親們走出木訥，透過親和力互相啟發，拓展前程。讓聖路易台灣同鄉會成為大家都想，也都需要插一腳，提升個人技能同時提出貢獻的地方。
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All discussions, commemorative or
celebratiive are worth mentioning and be elevated to the level and pattern of
"then, what can be done". Therefore, encourage everyone to try to
find inspiration from someone speeches, try to touch the topic of "how
to handle", regardless of whether they are right or effective, expose
them first. Often, after speaking out, ideas may be modified soon in the
speakers’ mind. This is the most important benefit of chatting. This could
also be the most valuable part of the activities of the Taiwanese Association.
Yesterday, the importance of small talk was brought up in the speech regardless
career development of the Taiwan Scholars Association. Suddenly I realized
that the Association may need to develop to provide opportunity and platforms
for learning and practicing “small talk”, to encourage and facilitate the home-country
folks to get out of the state of being “stiff in speech and expression”, learning
to inspire one another and expand the future through affinity. We hope that
the Taiwanese Association in St. Louis become a place that everyone likes, willing
to join hands to enhance personal skills at the same time to contribute everywhere
we are.
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