环球时报借什邡事件给世人的提示 – Tips from the Global Times based on the Shifang events – English

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The Global Times published an article entitled “Middle School students should not be encouraged to walk on the  conflict front line”, and the text is filled with compassionate feelings and universal values – in tune with the “南方系” and public intellectuals. If we were to read this text again after a few decades, we would probably be confused, and misinterpret the political stance of the Global Times; but people who live in our time will not misinterpret it, because the readers understand the social context of this article, and can read the meaning between the lines.

Fortunately indeed, in Shifang city, a large number of teenagers rushed to the front line, but did not suffer serious casualties, showing that the police has not lost its humanity, and can still distinguish between adults and minors. The police have shown humanity, but the government haven’t: in the eyes of the government, Chinese people do not deserve to enjoy all the rights provided in the constitution, and the same applies to minors. Chinese people have been deprived of political rights throughout their life, and so the legal punishment of “deprivation of political rights” is merely for the form; and if offenses are punished only by “deprivation of political rights”, then the effect is undoubtedly null. 由于成年人没有资格享受宪法规定的参政议政和游行示威的权利，才有未成年走上街头的义举，因果关系绝不能颠倒。

Minors should not be involved in politics, not because their bodies are too weak, but because their minds are not mature enough. The article “Middle School students should not be encouraged to walk on the front line of conflicts” mentioned the Cultural Revolution, where teenagers became a group of tyrannical beasts, and caused rampage in the adult world. 环球时报承认那是有人在利用学生，殊为难得。But environmental pollution is not a complex problem, and it does not require profound judgement. Environmental pollution and the government are similar, they don’t differentiate between adults and minors, and they will not spare minors or protect them from poison. If poison becomes worse with time, then the dangers are greater for teenagers, and when adults are unable to protect their bodies, they rush to the front line because there is really no alternative.

To say it again, that teenagers took the streets, this proves that among adults and children, there was still confidence in the humanity of the police. And in the end, the Shifang police did not touch a hair of the children, and did not disappoint the trust of the community: I think this is a shining point in the Shifang events, it shows that across the barrier dividing officials and the public today, there is a small point in common. And as long as there are points in common, there is hope for reconciliation.

Of course, it is also possible to see things differently, consider that not obliterating their sense of humanity was a weakness of the police, and the minors who woke up the police sense of humanity were deadly weapons, a temporary concession to expediency. This mode of thinking, based on the equilibrium of violence, is very dangerous.

The Global Times draws the attention of the common people, 官方是以是否存在利益分歧来区分冲突与革命，in a conflict, there can be concessions, but the revolution will never give way. I suggest that everyone should listen to the tips of the Global Times. 为了避免官方过激反应，每次行动都应该有明确的利益主张，不要试图在冲突现场以民主大义晓喻官方。They do not believe in freedom or democracy, 也不讲君子小人那一套，对付野兽驯兽师只用两招，食物和鞭子，讲道理是没用的。

Source: 1510, July 7 2012 - http://my1510.cn/article.php?id=80254