A Sad Day in Hong Kong

 Gray clouds over Hong Kong.  How symbolic.

Truly a wonder.  That is Hong Kong.

Hello My Dear Great Ones,

1. You know you have a great country when you have the privilege of electing  politicians whose mission is to "serve," you.  

2. You know you have a great country when you have the privilege  to raise concerns with those politicians you have voted in.

3. You know you have a great country when you have the privilege to keep politicians accountable through the press or the opposition.

4. You know you have a great country when you have the privilege to make fun of, lampoon, make light of politicians without fear of retribution.

5. You know you have a great country when you have the privilege of voting out politicians you have grown weary of.

6.  You know you have a great country when you have the privilege to get educated and receive more than adequate health care at a reasonable cost.

7.  You know you have a great country when you have the privilege of making a decent living due to fair economic laws and practices.

8.  You know you have a great country when you have the privilege of waking up each morning without fear of vague laws that could get you arrested for a crime that is deemed a threat to National Security.

Since Canada meets the above eight standards in style it gets my vote as a great country.  Hong Kong on the other hand....sigh.  They meet criteria 6 and 7.  Not good enough.

While the new National Security Law, that was passed on July 1, 2020, has been touted as a law for a minority of Hong Kong protestors who have been violent and destructive in expressing their demands, the Law is too broad and vague in its definition of who or what might be considered a threat to National Security.

From my perspective it is a law of fear.  It is a law of oppression.  It is draconian. 

While I personally will continue to remain in Hong Kong for at least another year I felt sadness on July 1 for the place I have come to love.  I agree that violence and destruction is not the answer for political change  and those guilty of it need to be held accountable.  Yet, punish those that need to be punished, do not punish those whose critical observations of society and government could actually lead to positive change that would benefit everyone.  Don't crush ways to hold leaders and governments accountable for their policies and actions.  Don't crush religion, artists, intellectuals.  Let them speak and share.  Without letting them shine you dull society into oppressive and depressing gray.  Eventually the very thing you tried to contain, basically the human spirit, will eventually be your undoing.  Economic freedom and a decent education/health system is simply not enough for humans to be human.  Democratic countries, messy as they are, last.  The oppressive ones don't.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk