NATIONAL, SOCIETY, EDITORIAL, Reversal - On the Standing Up of Qin and the Kneeling Down of Many Others
By Dan Ran
"We Want A Rest By Standing Up" is the name of a newly erected sculpture by a Shanghai artist called Jin Feng, who claims together with several critics that the longstanding historical sculpture, "Qin Hui And Wang On Their Knees," is a violation of human rights and that the two figures should be "helped up" so as to show our concern for human rights.
Yet the righteous eyes of the elegant artist and critics ignore one thing, one thing that really matters.
Is Qin Hui's and Wang's kneeling-down a simple one? Never. Hardly any Chinese citizen with an adequate knowledge of history denies that their kneeling down here was a powerful expression of the Song Dynasty people's anger towards the evil couple. Chinese people's hatred towards the devils was expressed. Chinese people's fundamental moral sense was expressed, so perfectly, so thoroughly, so drastically, and so completely that to this day millions of visitors still cannot help spitting on the kneeling sculptures.
Suppose the new sculpture does take the place of the old one? In the future, how do we explain to our children when they see the couple being helped up right after they've read of the couple's sin in their history textbooks? How do we pass on to our children the historical and cultural heritage of the basic moral sense of our ancestors: respect those who fight for the interests of the nation and loathe those who collaborate with foreign invaders?
People have the inclination to follow any current consensus of history, some say, and therefore society needs to have those who will make challenges, those who condemn the "violation of human rights" reflected by the kneeling sculpture. Now, no matter how wide I open my eyes, I see no grounds for any such violation.
The issue of human rights is of significant importance, which I will never deny. Nevertheless, do we require the governors of the feudal China of 500 years ago to be aware of the necessity of caring for human rights? Do we blame the Chinese government for ignoring human rights merely because it rationally keeps an ancient sculpture that embodies invaluable historical and mental significance? Does the government now force those who murder, corrupt, or plunder to kneel down before the victims or the citizens?
"Ridiculous" is the word I least wish to use. Yet, I search my vocabulary high and low and still cannot find a better word to describe the act of creating a new sculpture in the name of "protecting human rights" while distorting the long held basic moral sense of the Chinese people.
It is such a pity to see those who should kneel down forever helped up because there are people who falsely apply the term "human rights" everywhere. Yet it is more of a pity to see those who should remain on their feet made to kneel down because there are people who totally ignore the meaning of "human rights"!
We heard of a 16-year-old worker in a clothing factory who was forced to kneel down in front of the director because he helped his workmate to escape from the appalling working environment and extreme low pay of the factory. We heard of eight rural laborers that were forced to kneel down before the principal because they made a mistake about the size in cutting a piece of wood. We heard of a PhD. student in China Central Art College who was forced to kneel down before the anchor of a TV program because the student informed him of bribery. We heard of a 16-year-old girl who was forced to kneel down before a driver because she ran into his car on her bike and did not have enough money to pay for the scratch on the car. And we heard of a three-wheel cab driver that was forced to kneel down before a dog because he accidentally killed it as he dodged a car!
The list is endless. And the list is ironical. While Qin Hui and Wang are now so kindly helped up, countless innocent flesh and blood people are so cruelly coerced to kneel down. The condemnation against these heartless people has long been buzzing around people's ears. The sympathy for these miserable victims continuously rolls in people's hearts. But the fact is we see more and more news about workers being forced to kneel down by directors, or students being beaten by teachers, or the poor being insulted by the rich. It is really time for us, not only the critics but all of us, to reconsider our care for the weak.
Where should human rights be applied? So many people are so busy caring about the "human rights" of the evil couple from 5 centuries ago, they have no time to concern themselves with the human rights of actual human beings who suffer under the same sky as them.
What a disappointing reversal we see today...to help up the guilty, yet force the innocent to kneel down; to cry for human rights for the non-human, yet deny human rights to the human.
"We Want A Rest By Standing Up" is the name of a newly erected sculpture by a Shanghai artist called Jin Feng, who claims together with several critics that the longstanding historical sculpture, "Qin Hui And Wang On Their Knees," is a violation of human rights and that the two figures should be "helped up" so as to show our concern for human rights.
Yet the righteous eyes of the elegant artist and critics ignore one thing, one thing that really matters.
Is Qin Hui's and Wang's kneeling-down a simple one? Never. Hardly any Chinese citizen with an adequate knowledge of history denies that their kneeling down here was a powerful expression of the Song Dynasty people's anger towards the evil couple. Chinese people's hatred towards the devils was expressed. Chinese people's fundamental moral sense was expressed, so perfectly, so thoroughly, so drastically, and so completely that to this day millions of visitors still cannot help spitting on the kneeling sculptures.
Suppose the new sculpture does take the place of the old one? In the future, how do we explain to our children when they see the couple being helped up right after they've read of the couple's sin in their history textbooks? How do we pass on to our children the historical and cultural heritage of the basic moral sense of our ancestors: respect those who fight for the interests of the nation and loathe those who collaborate with foreign invaders?
People have the inclination to follow any current consensus of history, some say, and therefore society needs to have those who will make challenges, those who condemn the "violation of human rights" reflected by the kneeling sculpture. Now, no matter how wide I open my eyes, I see no grounds for any such violation.
The issue of human rights is of significant importance, which I will never deny. Nevertheless, do we require the governors of the feudal China of 500 years ago to be aware of the necessity of caring for human rights? Do we blame the Chinese government for ignoring human rights merely because it rationally keeps an ancient sculpture that embodies invaluable historical and mental significance? Does the government now force those who murder, corrupt, or plunder to kneel down before the victims or the citizens?
"Ridiculous" is the word I least wish to use. Yet, I search my vocabulary high and low and still cannot find a better word to describe the act of creating a new sculpture in the name of "protecting human rights" while distorting the long held basic moral sense of the Chinese people.
It is such a pity to see those who should kneel down forever helped up because there are people who falsely apply the term "human rights" everywhere. Yet it is more of a pity to see those who should remain on their feet made to kneel down because there are people who totally ignore the meaning of "human rights"!
We heard of a 16-year-old worker in a clothing factory who was forced to kneel down in front of the director because he helped his workmate to escape from the appalling working environment and extreme low pay of the factory. We heard of eight rural laborers that were forced to kneel down before the principal because they made a mistake about the size in cutting a piece of wood. We heard of a PhD. student in China Central Art College who was forced to kneel down before the anchor of a TV program because the student informed him of bribery. We heard of a 16-year-old girl who was forced to kneel down before a driver because she ran into his car on her bike and did not have enough money to pay for the scratch on the car. And we heard of a three-wheel cab driver that was forced to kneel down before a dog because he accidentally killed it as he dodged a car!
The list is endless. And the list is ironical. While Qin Hui and Wang are now so kindly helped up, countless innocent flesh and blood people are so cruelly coerced to kneel down. The condemnation against these heartless people has long been buzzing around people's ears. The sympathy for these miserable victims continuously rolls in people's hearts. But the fact is we see more and more news about workers being forced to kneel down by directors, or students being beaten by teachers, or the poor being insulted by the rich. It is really time for us, not only the critics but all of us, to reconsider our care for the weak.
Where should human rights be applied? So many people are so busy caring about the "human rights" of the evil couple from 5 centuries ago, they have no time to concern themselves with the human rights of actual human beings who suffer under the same sky as them.
What a disappointing reversal we see today...to help up the guilty, yet force the innocent to kneel down; to cry for human rights for the non-human, yet deny human rights to the human.
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