Community Chat

[Bhvbum]

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@esmerelda wrote:

@Anonymous032819  Probably not.  And this will seal it:

I heard audio yesterday of the people in Hong Kong singing OUR National Anthem.  And I'll bet ALL of them were STANDING!

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But that is what we have, the freedom to stand or not to stand. That is what it is so important and probably that is what they want too. 

Just because someone wears a flag pin, stands, etc. doesn’t necessarily mean they are more patriotic.  Our Freedom means we have a choice.

[bikerbabe]

If you believe in the rights given to us in this country, then you really should believe in the right to peaceful protest, even if you disagree with it.

[proudlyfromNJ]

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@Bhvbum wrote:

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@esmerelda wrote:

@Anonymous032819  Probably not.  And this will seal it:

I heard audio yesterday of the people in Hong Kong singing OUR National Anthem.  And I'll bet ALL of them were STANDING!

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But that is what we have, the freedom to stand or not to stand. That is what it is so important and probably that is what they want too. 

Just because someone wears a flag pin, stands, etc. doesn’t necessarily mean they are more patriotic.  Our Freedom means we have a choice.

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@Bhvbum.  Exactly. And that is why we are not N. Korea. There it would be stand or else. Thank goodness for a wonderful country like ours that allows CHOICES.

[bathina]

Hong Kong does not revert to Chinese rule until 2041. China is trying to assert its rule a little early. The Hong Kong government is standing down to China instead of supporting their right to autonomy from China.

[sfnative]

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@goldensrbest wrote:

Honestly, i can not think about those countries,when there is so much troubling things going on in our country.

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@goldensrbest 

I find it impossible to ignore scathing human rights violations, years of famine, wars, I could go on, regarding countries around the world.

The way I look at it, if China is ignored, which they'd love, it would be like one big domino effect: if bigger players around the globe are not there to place checks and balances on power and land hungry China, they will do what they do best - "collect real estate" and in doing so, "re-educate" the populace in the Stalinist/Maoist/Strongman communist school.  And, in doing so, any small freedoms the individual may have owned, will be summarily wiped out, fini, gone in a second.

We must be vigilant against such horrors abroad, as well as like here at home, of which I just read this morning, in a faction attempting to take down one of our institutions.

At this time and place in the history of this planet, we are experiencing the forces of mania - - - and it is extremely frightening.

[beach-mom]

I spent a week in Hong Kong when I taught in Japan. To me, it was Shangri-La! We sat and ate on the porch of a hotel in the hills overlooking the city  with the ceiling fans going and I was transported to the 19th century. We rode the Ferry, ate at a floating restaurant, and toured the city. We also went north and were advised not to wander into the walled cities. I felt perfectly safe. 

Today is different. DS knows someone from college who is stuck there and can't get out. She spent the summer in China and stopped in HK before coming home. She is not worried and she has been told there are some flights that will be leaving. I'm not so sure. I'm worried about the Chinese military overtaking the local authorities. 

[bathina]

The local authorities dont seem to be resisting, the people seem to be doing all the resisting.

[Lion]

Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997, when it was given back to China, BUT with restrictions.   

From a  BBC description:  " Hong Kong is governed under the principle of "one country, two systems", under which China has agreed to give the region a high degree of autonomy and to preserve its economic and social systems for 50 years from the date of the handover."

China was supposed to leave HK's society alone until 2047 under the 1997 agreement.   But China isn't abiding by that agreement  with their new extradition law attempt.

That's why the HK people are protesting.   China is overstepping its bounds.

[Lion]

People protest in different ways for different reasons and places.

5 people have protested by committing suicide at the Hong Kong protest already.  

I've heard of people doing protests by lying down, sitting down, chaining themselves to objects, forming human chains by linking arms, chanting, singing, etc, etc, etc.

It's not the protest method, the main thing is the reason for the protest.

Last I heard, there were estimated to be 50,000 protestors.   That's an amazing number.

[Cakers3]

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@bathina wrote:
Hong Kong does not revert to Chinese rule until 2041. China is trying to assert its rule a little early. The Hong Kong government is standing down to China instead of supporting their right to autonomy from China.

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@bathina  2047 and there are at least two parties (BSHI and HKIP) actually calling for return to British rule.