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Letters | Protests mean Hongkongers should accept that their apolitical ‘sheltered lives’ have ended
- Humans naturally cling to stability, but the days of living, working and ignoring politics in Hong Kong are over
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“The ‘sheltered life’, whether of the individual or of the nation, must either have a violent and tragic awakening – or never wake up at all,” Edith Wharton wrote in French Ways and Their Meaning. To those who complain about not being able to get to work because of vandalised MTR stations, or those who moan about Hong Kong not being safe anymore, recent events should be a wake-up call.
It’s human nature to prefer stability to flux, the status quo to an uncertain future. It is, however, also a fact that Hong Kong has been changed forever by the protests, whether we like it or not. Much like after World War II, people – mainly those over 40 years old – are struggling to come to terms with the changes in society. Gone are the days when one could work, live and die and not be affected by politics.
It is down to Hongkongers to accept and adapt to this new reality and give up clinging to the past. It is time people realised the “sheltered life” most of them enjoyed is gone.
Milton Tai, Tai Kok Tsui
Protesters’ olive branch to the government will not last
Hongkongers came out en masse again on December 8 to stage a very peaceful demonstration, just as they did with the district council elections two weeks ago. The silent majority expressed with their vote on November 24 as well as with their feet that they are not interested in a dialogue, but want to see action. They want their five demands, which were clear from the beginning, to be met. The deaf ears of our government, as well as in Beijing, are astonishing.
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