Do not exaggerate impact of extreme cases
A female CCTV employee had her nose slashed Thursday when a stranger, rumored to be a petitioner with a grudge against the national TV network, attacked her.
On Friday, a man set off an explosion at a government building in Tianjin, apparently to "take revenge against society."
The two attacks have been linked and magnified online, reinforcing a false impression that China is witnessing an outburst of social disturbance.
With such a large and populous country, the eruption of such extreme cases is probably inevitable. However, no evidence shows that the frequency of such attacks is climbing, and that such attacks only take place in China.
In 2005, a man drove a car and ran over nine pedestrians along Wangfujing Street in downtown Beijing, driven by hatred toward the rich. In 1994, an army officer shot at people randomly around Yabao Road, to vent frustration at personal issues.
In the US, shooting sprees are sadly common. In 2009, a mass shooting took place at Fort Hood, a US army base, during which a gunman killed 13 and wounded 29. Such tragic incidents are becoming a problem for governments worldwide.
These cases should trigger reflection concerning a few issues. Nevertheless, no government gives way to the irrationality of these criminals. Instead, all governments firmly strike out against such acts, and take steps to prevent them from happening.
In today's China, such violence is repulsive. However, when the violence targets the government, it wins applauds from a few hate-mongers.
True, social injustice does exist in China, as it does worldwide. The process of eradicating injustice should be accompanied by the improvement of the legal system, rather than violent disturbance.
All these perpetrators deserve to be punished according to the law. Local courts should firmly deal with their remit, rather than being swayed by online opinion.
During the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) and even earlier, China experienced a period in which the masses passed sentence on any person at will. Today, the shades of that era still exist in China, but society has established that it can never return.
Local officials should clearly and instantly state where they stand when some extreme cases take place and cause social worries. The perpetrators must be punished. An ambiguous government stance may intensify a few hate-mongers' illusions that they represent social majority.
Society should break its silence too. Many people may have specific complaints and appeals, but they have no interest in breaking the existing social order and overturning overall social stability.
China is not a nation where public anger collectively seeks to topple the existing order. It is time to debunk this ludicrous lie.
0 comments:
Post a Comment