Jump to full article: The China Post (tw), 2010-03-21
Author: TWN, Daniel J. Bauer
Intro: This newspaper carried two articles juxtaposed to one another last week that touch on a topic close to my heart. That topic combines notions related to cultural sensitivity, cross-cultural experience, and tolerance for people who are different than we are.
On the right side of page 19 in the March 16 issue of The China Post, readers saw the headline, “Taiwan, Japan target 3 million tourists.” Next to that report (of approximately 400 words) was a briefer article entitled “Airport smoking areas being considered.” A photograph of several men smoking cigarettes on a terrace in Terminal 2 at the Taoyuan airport accompanied the article. . . .
It seems reasonable that there ought to be a difference in smoking laws for public and for private places. What about smoking at international airports such as ours in Taoyuan and Kaohsiung?
The buildings are clearly for public use. People using the airports, however, may come from cultures that are less than aggressive in efforts to change citizens' smoking behavior or to protect non-smokers' rights. Should Taiwan amend its laws to make it possible for persons passing through airports to smoke in designated areas? As I ask the question, I am assuming such places could funnel fumes, not back into the building, but directly into the open air.Airports do sometimes relax rules. Consider duty-free stores. I've never been in an international terminal without one of those. I don't mind not paying tax on a bottle of Jim Beam Black.
I live, work, and pray with a group of missionaries I am proud to call my brothers. We are of ten different cultures, six of which are Asian. What American English terms "cultural diversity" is an every day fact of life for us. . . .
Father Daniel J. Bauer SVD is a priest and associate professor in the English Department at Fu Jen Catholic University.
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