The language of kindness is no longer being spoken here

• Source: Global Times
• [23:30 October 28 2009]
• Comments

Illustration: Liu Rui

By Pan Dedong

Public brawls have become more common all over China recently. The close-up scenes of fights in Hong Kong crime and kung fu films and Hollywood blockbusters have come to reality.

During a recent sports competition in Southwest China's Chongqing, a basketball race with a slogan of "friendship first and competition second" gradually became a mass of boxing and kicking. The sports game instantly changed into a huge brawl.

The trigger was simple – Opposing players had some body contacts and it started small squabbles.

Then, when a player in one team was replaced, someone in the cheering squad of the other team shouted "Beat them!" Several men immediately responded by ganging up to attack people on the other team. A violent farce thus unfolded, and "fi ghting first, competition second" became the order of the day.

Chongqing is not the only place for abusive violence.

In June at a club in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, two waiters were both in love with their superior – a beautiful girl. The two decided to solve the confl ict through the old means of dueling. The fight was close, but there was no clear winner. Both thus called on friends and swore to defeat the other.

Recently in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, a netizen kindly saved a cat beaten byhis neighbor. But he was attacked bymore than 20 men called in by his neighbor. They also enter his apartment and destroy it.

Last week in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, three guys having a late supper were beaten up by a gang in a case of mistaken identity.

In Xuancheng, Anhui Province, some people were attacked by thugs hired by bus companies for taking taxis instead of the bus. When each member is a potential victim of a public brawl and everyone feels insecure, doesn't society need to reflect on this issue?