Given human nature, truth often goes unheeded and rarely helps. Still, it must be spoken. Since the day it was made known that colonial Hong Kong would be returned to Chinese sovereignty, there has been endless anxiety over the rights and freedoms of the people.
Back in the 1980s, especially after the Tiananmen Square incident, this was understandable. Communist China, like many regimes rising out of a long and painful era, began with the trials and errors typical of a devastated and traumatised nation. To this day, China still has enormous problems, given the size of its population and their hardships.
It is sensible and humane, therefore, that there was serious concern for Hong Kong's freedoms and rights in the 15 years or so before the handover. But the scene was complicated by governor Chris Patten's ill-informed political manoeuvres. Whatever Mr Patten's motives, he set the tone of distrust between Beijing and the so-called pan-democratic forces.
This bloc of resistance groups failed, in the early days of the transition, to grasp the space and goodwill that was given to Hong Kong. Instead, it imagined ghosts and shadows, fantasising about chains and shackles that did not exist. The sort of freedom they have been hankering after comes closer to anarchy than governance. We hear much talk of political talent: astute judgment is one aspect of it.
The media has its own responsibility to bear. In a budding liberal democracy, its role is critical. It has the responsibility to soberly inform and to guide, with the self-restraint that refrains from cheap manipulation of public opinion. It has the duty to be fair in its criticism, and not indulge in slogan-bandying and name-calling.
During this crucial transition, journalists have a professional obligation to appraise - as intelligently and accurately as possible - the political situation for the benefit of society. They must have the moral decency to respect all individuals' right to freedom of expression, regardless of political affiliations, ethnic, social or professional backgrounds. To clamour, as the media has, for press freedom - while being unfair to voices that are unwelcome for ideological or partisan reasons - is to provide Beijing with a cynical lesson in freedom of expression.