An elderly Chinese injured
by New York police while being detained for
jaywalking: Why does public
opinion in China favor the New York police
in this case, yet often
condemns Chinese police in similar circumstances?
Why China's People Favor American Police Over Their Own (Huanqiu,
China)
A few days ago, an elderly Chinese gentleman was
injured in a tussle with New York police officers who had detained him for
jaywalking. According to this editorial from the state-run Huanqiu, the fact that Chinese public opinion sides with New York police in this case, and that in similar circumstances, Chinese police would be condemned for police brutality, reveals a troubling lack of self-esteem on the part of Chinese, and ironically, a tendency to favor emotion over the rule of law.
An
84-year-old man named Kang Wong was allegedly beaten and injured for jaywalking
by New York police last Sunday. The language barrier probably played a role. The
elderly gentleman, who has a Chinese background, spoke no English. He got into
a tussle with several police officers, and was subdued by violent means. The
episode has become an issue in both countries.
After
ABC NEWS reported on the matter,
police stressed that jaywalkers were being targeted in the area, where three
people were struck and killed by cars disregarding traffic lights over the
previous nine days. A poll conducted by Sina.com, a popular Chinese
portal, showed that 31 percent said "if he was arrested after breaking
traffic rules, the police did the right thing," which was the most agreed
upon answer.
However,
many people have asked: If such a thing were to happen in China - an octogenarian
was wounded by police for crossing a street against a red light - how would the
public react then? The question is easy to answer:the public would condemn law enforcement for police brutality.
Furthermore, the Public Security Bureau would be charged with abuse of power, the
chief of police would be forced to apologize, and the problematic officers punished
or even sacked.
This
analysis is quite accurate. When it comes to law enforcement in the U.S. and
China, the Chinese people often use different standards when making value judgments.
Given the same circumstances, the public would say that the American police
acted correctly, whereas Chinese police acted incorrectly. We often criticize
the United States for employing "double standards" when it comes to
China, yet in fact, in this case, when comparing police in China and America, we
ourselves are unconsciously doing the same thing.
"This
is America worship in the extreme!," someone said resentfully. While that
is certainly somewhat true, it is not that simple. Further expanding upon the causes
behind this, we find that due to a lack of authority on the part of Chinese law
enforcement, traffic violations on China's roads have become commonplace, which
reinforces this double-standard mindset, even to the point of self-denigration.
What's
more, many people take a utilitarian attitude toward the law: When laws protect
their interests, they applaud; when laws confront their interests, they cry
foul.
The
case of the jaywalking elderly man injured by New York police needs further
investigation. For the sake of discussion, however, it's fair to say that if
the perceived authority of law enforcement is low, public acceptance of the use
of force will also be low. In the United States, there is confidence that the
rule of law will result in a reasonable solution. China's problem is that once
an issue attracts public attention, value-oriented and morality-triggered
judgments immediately prevail over law. That is why we have an old man of
Chinese descent injured by U.S. police, yet dramatically, the
"nationalist" Chinese public supports the police!
The
rule of law in China has yet to become fully entrenched, which is something
that cannot be remedied at once. However, given this reality, public opinion
should have the capacity to embrace the rule of law instead of allowing emotion
and personal morality to gain an upper hand. When things like this go too far, they
must be promptly pulled back.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
So
where do ethics enter into the matter? This, too, is a major problem. When
Chinese people, for the most part, speak up for Chinese, and American people by
and large speak up for Americans, a space is created within which the most
vulnerable can be protected. These are elements of one of the world's prevailing
ethics. So while the circumstances surrounding the injuries of the aged Kang
Wong remain unclear, the fact that the Chinese public was willing to condemn
him, obviously shows that China's public needs to build self-esteem instead of
sending ridicule and blame when of its own compatriots gets into trouble
overseas.
Of
course, given the fact that he doesn't speak English, there are many possible
explanations for why the man crossed against a red light. Why so many of his Chinese
compatriots would heap generous praise on American police for the way they
handled the case, while in similar circumstances, they would condemn Chinese law
enforcement for police brutality, remains a huge question mark - even given the
above explanations.
When
China is weak in confronting the West, Chinese people living in the West are even
more vulnerable. If the Motherland and their compatriots don't offer them
support, then what else can we expect?
