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

Black-clad protesters occupy a section of Des Voeux Road in Central on December 8, engaging in a standoff with riot police that continued into the evening. Photo: Winson Wong
“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.

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