What's more powerful - a sword or a pen?

http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/viewthread.php?tid=541894&fpage=1&highlight=%2Bmdoinit

A post I submitted to the English forum of China Daily back in 2006.

Shenzhen City is now showing signs of a genuine autumn season as the mercury keeps finding a lower level in this very first week of November.

The latter half of October found us in quite warm days for an autumn for some reason. I look forward to winter eagerly as I don't have to brave the very strong sunlight and sweat when I go outside.

I have been sweating a bit though these days over a few things. People living in this country may simply brush these things aside. I come from the outside, not that far though, just down south of Shenzhen City i.e. Hong Kong SAR. Well, this SAR is not considered any more as a colony after the once vibrant city was returned to motherland 9 years ago. The people who grow up there cannot be considered as Chinese the same way as people living here in this big country would consider themselves to be.

It's a historical issue nevertheless. Do not attach too much to the analysis should you be reading this. People in China and people in Hong Kong SAR are two different breeds even though the same blood flow in their bodies. The immersion in a truly international setting and cultural influence from the world are forging the disparity between the two groups.

Hongkongers do not think carefully when they like to speak up what they think. Folks in this big country are very restrained and careful in what they say or write, to the extent that they try not to reveal what they are thinking of. This type of self-examination is working on the folks here, so much so that its influence has now spread to the tiny special administrative region of Hong Kong whether you believe it or not.

I said all these for a reason of course. I have been living in Shenzhen City for the last 4 years, having stopped commuting back and forth for almost a year now come end of 2006. My observation and feelings are very real as it's all first-hand personal experience rather than hearsay or screened from the media.

My websites have been blocked from viewing from China and I was told that the instructions were issued by this very metropolitan city of Shenzhen. Who can I go to for an appeal? Was it done out of a published policy and some official guidelines, or simply because some individuals are not happy about what I echo in my webpages?

If I did anything improper at all, it's nothing more than a bit of harsh criticism on how English is being taught or used, as I am only interested in English language education and usage in this special economic zone of Shenzhen City, a blessed place this country is working so hard to turn it to a truly metropolitan or international city.

As a migrant city full of migrant talents, I believe there are amongst them some who do not really understand Hong Kong SAR and the people from that tiny special administrative region. I speculate that there may be an element of envy, jealousy or whatever, some of these migrant population take a very different view on Hongkongers. Local Guangdong folks are very familiar with Hong Kong SAR and they have a much better appreciation of the place and the people. Knowing you are an English teacher from Hong Kong, the local folks do not question you at all on your ability and put their trust in you without a second thought. The migrant lot will put doubt on top of anything else in the same situation.

One country, two systems! Broadly speaking, it's a good concept. When it come to fine details, it's never that simple. This is only a personal opinion and I am not saying this to persuade others to copy my way of thinking. In a democratic society, we simply echo our own opinion regardless. Other people around you are presumed to be mature enough to make their own judgements and follow what they themselves believe in. They can disagree but not to ban you from saying anymore what you want to say.

Well, all these grumbles of mine are not made for no reason. A public forum in which I have been posting messages has my messages deleted for no obvious explainable reasons. To whom can I go for clarification? I have emailed them in the past and of course I have never heard back from them.

Oppressing the opinion of others is to me a crime. Now that reminds me of a saying: "The pen is more powerful than a sword." You can kill someone to shut him up. But give them a pen, you will never have peace thereafter. This will go on even after the death of the writer.

(Written on November 4, 2006)