China
On The Run
Fan Meizhong is one of China’s most infamous people. Much like Sharon Stone and real estate tycoon Wang Shi, “Running Fan” has been mercilessly chided in the Chinese blogosphere since his conduct during the earthquake became public. A teacher in Dujiangyan city, he fled his classroom before any of his students had a chance to leave when the earthquake struck. Although the official line is that his school fired him, it is obvious that the negative backlash against Fan on the internet contributed to his dismissal.
Many netizens have decried him as the most “shameless” man in China. The disparaging “Song of Running Fan,” which was written to warn Chinese against acting in such a cowardly manner, will soon be released as a cell phone ring-tone. To his great credit, the opprobrium of the masses has not cowed Fan into issuing an apology or condemning his actions. “At such a life-and-death moment, I would only give up my life for my daughter. I would not do it for other people, even my mother,” he wrote.
The web-based attacks against Running Fan are the latest in a series of nationalistic outbursts against Chinese who aren’t sufficiently patriotic. The last such outburst was directed at Grace Wang, the Duke University freshman who along with her family received death threats after she attempt to reconcile Pro-Tibet and Pro-China protesters on the Duke Campus.
In the wake of the 1989 protests, the Party began to inculcate a stronger sense of patriotism and nationalism through a school curriculum that emphasized “patriotic education.” Twenty years and one generation later, it is easy to see the fruits of this campaign in the attacks on Running Fan and the post-earthquake proliferation of young people in Beijing wearing “I love China” t-shirts with a Chinese flag etched into the heart.
Showing one’s patriotism by lashing out at others online or wearing a t-shirt (or a flag lapel pin) is an easy and convenient way to feel good about oneself―and one’s country―without exerting much effort. Real patriotism requires sacrifice. This does not ipso facto mean dying or fighting for one’s country, but it does necessitate something more than a superficial indication that one is “patriotic.” For example, forgoing a lucrative job that is damn near bequeathed to one upon graduating from Peking University in order to teach in a place as rural and poor as Dujiangyan is the essence of a patriotic desire to give back to one’s country. And this is, of course, what Fan Meizhong did. Before more people run off to attack Running Fan for his actions, they should think about which is more patriotic: writing a scathing message condemning someone online, or devoting one’s life to helping those in need.
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2 comments for “On The Run”
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I agree with your point in this article.As a Chinese i also think there are too much patriotic education in our school.If something is too much,maybe for the most of time it’s not good. Maybe that is the reason why there are so many Chinese become more and more radical these days.They can’t tolerant anything negative to China,even sometimes it’s the real problem of China.As you said,there are many netizens just keep lashing out at others or condemning everything they think wrong online.Its absolutly meaningless and stupid.Or some Chinese young people wear a HEART CHINA T-shirt.They can’t change anything in those ways.These is also a problem of China.Many Chinese like show off more than basic things.I think wearing a HEART CHINA T-shirt or adding “HEART CHINA” on their MSN both are kind of showing off.It’s Ok,however as you said there are many better ways.
I’m a absolute Chinese guy.So I’m sorry,my English is not good.But it’s really great for me to know your thoughts about China especially about “Running Fan”.
I wonder if the outpouring of criticism is less a remnant of cultural revolution fervor and more of a form of self-expression. They say these terrible things because they CAN. And, of course, because it’s fashionable. Perhaps it’s a new way of competition among young people: “I’m more patriotic than you because I hate running Fan more than you” Or perhaps it’s simply the need to feel superior to someone–god knows so many Chinese have major inferiority complexes, and it’s unusual to have such tempting targets to criticize.