December 13, 2021 marks the 84th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre and the 8th National Day of Commemoration for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre.
Why is there a National Day of Public Sacrifice, and why is there a National Day? Because two can't be forgotten.
One is that we cannot forget. Lu Xun said that it probably means that a person's death will be sad for his relatives and friends; but for the whole village, it may not be. Similarly, the tragedy of a village may not be felt in other places. Yes, when the tragedy is put on a larger scale, coupled with the long time, the feelings may be faded. Therefore, for the Nanjing Massacre, for the 300,000 compatriots who died, it is necessary to make public sacrifices by the state, and they must be sacrificed every year.
The other is that they cannot forget. The heinous crimes committed by the Japanese aggressors and Japanese militarists against China and the Chinese nation do not feel the pain; the most crucial thing is that there are many people in Japan who want to erase history, deny atrocities, and beautify aggression. You know, some war criminals have not received the punishment they deserve at all. With the passage of time, coupled with ulterior motives, it will continue to be denied through various means. Then, commemorating our 300,000 compatriots who died at this time has the role of remembering history and letting them remember history.
Forgetting means betrayal, and denial means repeating.
Of course, remembering history is not about remembering hatred. Rather, we must realize the meaning of peace, the significance of opposing war and aggression; of course, we must also bear in mind the bitter lesson that backwardness means being beaten.
Through remembering, we should unite people's hearts and minds, gather greater strength, and plunge ourselves into the Chinese dream of realizing the great rejuvenation of the nation; through remembering, let every compatriot realize that the lives of the dead will not be forgotten by the country and will not be forgotten by the people; through remembering, we also let every Chinese realize that only the comprehensive rejuvenation of the nation is where the full dignity of the country lies.
Therefore, the national sacrifice, it is not only a national thing, but also a matter for each of us. With the highest ceremony of the country, commemorating the dead compatriots, and remembering the lessons of history, today, we are all part.
![National Day of Commemoration – Remember history and don't forget the shame of the nation[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)