Commentary
Many people claim that ‘the youth are the pillars of society.’ Some mean it many don’t.
Anders Storgaard, ex-chairman of the Young Conservatives of Denmark, who helped pro-democracy Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung flee Hong Kong, is only 28. Alexander Curtis was 20 when elected mayor of Ware, England, in 2017, and Michael Sessions was 18 when elected mayor of Hillsdale, Michigan, in 2005.
To many in Hong Kong, the statement is nothing more than a slogan. The crushing of the 2019 anti-extradition protest movement was followed by an anti-youth movement.
Naturally, the victors will take every opportunity to scold the youngsters. The latest example comes from Regina Ip, former Secretary for Security and currently a lawmaker and the convenor of the Executive Council. Last week, she spoke at the Legislative Council that education was a major reason youngsters were ‘misled’ to break the law and join anti-government protests. She thinks the term ‘critical thinking,’ which had been in vogue in Hong Kong’s education until 2016, has led youngsters to believe that ‘criticism’ (‘criticize’ and ‘critical’ are represented by the same Chinese characters) is all ‘thinking’ needs, and results in them being too egoistic with personality and moral failures, leading to industrial accidents such as the fall of a giant video screen in a concert….