One major example would be the burning of ghost money. Whether you feel It’s bad for the environment or not, its not cannibalism or human sacrifice. And seriously with the industry moving out the environment has never been really better. It was much worse.
But anyway, look through the posts concerning the burning of ghost money, setting off of firecrackers, beating of drums in the middle of the night near a Temple and the blaring of the political campaigning trucks early in the morning. I know a couple temples or areas will you get two or more of these 24/7 for a week.
Quite a few, actually an alarming number of these posts paint the Taiwanese as ignorant savages or children who do not know better.
The posters chose to come to Taiwan. They chose to live in the neighborhood where the temples go on 24/7 City fireworks and beating drums and they should be grateful that the political truck could blare its message because there was a time, not too long ago when you couldn’t. Even some foreigners disappeared.
Walking up to someone and challenging them over burning ghost money is the equivalent of going into a church and stealing the Eucharist or putting out all the candles in a cathedral.
Now, as I listened to myself I realize I sound just like the some posters of the Forumosa of Olde whom I despised.
We would complain that we were Treated unfairly, had restricted rights when it came to visas and work permits, had shortened terms when it came to driver’s licenses and a whole host of other things some of you are lucky you did not experience.
The OLDE Forumosa Posters said, " you are guests in this country. Suck it up. You have no right to complain.
We did complain, and we did make a difference. We even got children of foreign father’s the rights to citizenship.
Through this, we tried to show that we were willing to accept tradition and we wanted these rights to protect and build the family.
Lobbying for legalization of drugs, stopping of religious practices ( except for human sacrifice and cannibalism), no matter how good we think the cause, is beyond our purview and people are starting to resent us.
IMHO, our battles should be focused on increasing number of places our permanent residency cards are not being accepted and gaining the right to work in certain occupations that need approval from a certain boards who just reject foreigners outright, even though there is no real reason of Foreigner should be excluded.
Example: For years there was a foreigner on this board who went native, learned everything to know about boats and acquired the necessary qualifications. He just wanted to get as commercial captain’s license but was continually denied. the reason for denial was the board was against it and they did not have to give a reason.
Burning barrels of paper on the pavements is dangerous, bad for global warming and idiotic. People can do this at any of the millions of little temples if they have to. It’s just the same old 差不多不要想太多 at work. Simple fix but government is too slow to react. (Or wasn’t there something recently about this?)
You are right. But your attitude is part of the problem that took me years to get my work permits and people are reluctant to grant us certain rights. It is not our place to yell about it.
do you know what happens when you confront a Taiwanese about the burning of their ghosts money?
they just do it at a different time when you’re not around.
I’m afraid as a member of a Taiwanese family I’m an enabler
They do a perfectly good job of resenting us without any help from us 
Agreed…
We need a new knight like Richard Hartzel was.
You want the job?
The thing is, you cannot gain any points by telling people their religious tradition is barbaric. the environment been getting better, there is no need to be alarmist.
how long have you been in this country and what are your War wounds.
I’ve been scarred with everything from bosses stealing my money, being threatened about loosing my right to work if I were change to my spouse visa. I almost had to contend with having kids who may not have been Taiwanese citizens. We’ve come a long way.
Never confronted anyone about the barrel fires or fireworks.
I know all the organizations and many of the people that got you all these improvements, scrap by scrap.
I won’t do squat.
Eventually the elite expat organizations will get to it. A little bit of stick with the carrots. I’d be surprised if it wasn’t already on the list by now under occupational health and safety or climate change or one of those categories. Anyone gone through the latest position papers?
So use your indoor voice instead. 
You may have your indoor voice, but I have on the side of the bedroom voice
Okay, whisper about it. Those of us who like to speak will speak, within the bounds of reason (one hopes).
But burners and nonburners have equal rights to influence government and laws. Those that don’t speak or whisper may speak for the other side.
Argue, but no calling other side stupid.
As foreigners, let’s focus on workers rights and fairness. There’s a lot of work to be done and all this other stuff is just a distraction.
And whatever happened to the want to be captain? Did he ever get his license and is he Ferrying passengers across the bay somewhere?
Love or hate the Chinese, you have to admire their pragmatism at times:
“Feudal superstition” haha…bang on
This is 2017. I wonder what’s happening now.
Laws in China are not exactly “organic” and not all laws are enforced. Remove the threat of party influence, open the laws to be approved or denied by Democratic vote and let’s see what happens.
Regardless, this was a local decision with no foreign influence.
Thought he meant the missionaries pouring money into anti-abortion and anti-gay-marriage.
Great I wish they’d do that in Taiwan. Each to their own religion or custom but no need to send smoke into the lungs of other humans or animals.
Because of your ancestors
I think Taiwanese are already aware of the air pollution problem. In yesterday’s march, closing the plant that produces most emissions burning coal is a priority. That is something we can all support, as it produces more pollution and sickness than all paper burning and scooters combined. We foreigners can help with a little international shaming.
Have a look here:
There is one guy at our street with living room temple that had a pallet of ghost money. It took them almost all day to burn it in their small metal bucket. They are too cheap to get an oven with a high chimney like most small temples. That whole day the street was full of smoke on street level. 
I bet they will be really lucky… or just die from lung cancer.
I feel like a shit every time I am compelled to ask my neighbours to quit burning their stacks of noxious yellow paper. But, as I have pulmonary fibrosis, when my house fills with the smoke from their practice, I get a little f’ing angered. I talk to them, not the police or the guards and, they sort of understand. I don’t think them “savages” I do think them inconsiderate.
This is certainly one strong reason to ban the practice. Other pragmatic reasons could be:
- flying embers, dangerous flames around children
- traffic hazard
- climate change
So did anyone else read this title as “is it legal for us foreigners to pick our noses…” or just me?