I could not believe what I saw on the television news. Government officials had decided to use plastic to cover up trees and sculptures before the New Year's Eve celebrations in Hong Kong.
This was a waste of plastic and taxpayers' money. Such an initiative was also not environmentally friendly. The message the government sent out was that it was 'afraid' of the rowdy crowds and would rather use public money to protect civic items than require citizens to behave like citizens.
By saying that acts of vandalism at the Cultural Centre should be the concern of those in charge of the building, the police were essentially adopting a 'not in my back yard, then none of my business' mentality. The police are given the responsibility to safeguard our society and yet we have them finger pointing about roles they should be taking up.
The whole point of my letter is to say that the government should start sending a strong message, with the use of force where necessary, to the younger generation in particular, that illegal and criminal offences will not be tolerated and people who commit these acts will be prosecuted.
We must face up to the frightening consequences of not taking this stand.
The government should not waste taxpayers' money on measures that indicate a reluctant acceptance of the actions of offenders.
