It's the money, stupid !

If this doesn't create an outrage in China, then I wonder what happened to human dignity. And at least in this instance, the China Daily also seems to get the priorities right.

More than 200 people in camouflage gear demolished a school of disabled and mentally retarded children and beat students who attempted to block the demolition, media reported yesterday.

A Beijing court ordered the school to move out last September because it had no right to use the land on which the school was built. A private company that recently leased the land began sending demolition crews to the Zhiguang Special Education School last Friday.

As of Monday, only several buildings were left untouched. About 70 students and teachers were forced to stay in five dorm rooms at the school in Changping District, reported The Beijing News. Another 30 children returned to their homes in the capital city.

I can perfectly live with a court order stating that the school should never have been built, if that is according to the rule of law of the country.
I can perfectly live with a company claiming it's right to the site, if that is it's lawful property.

And there it stops !

Because after that, you have children, disabled and retarded children as a matter of fact, victims in every possible way of the word you can imagine. Then to hire a gang of 200 thugs to go and demolish the only safeheaven this children may have gotten in their life, just because the land on which the school sits must be turned to profit (let me guess, would it be another skyscraper or another factory ?), is just beyond words.

What about sitting down with all parties involved, how about discussing relocation scenario's for the school, what about leaving the school where it sits and seek for compensation for the company ... what about a spark of humanity in the debate ?!!!

No, none of that. Some guy, in some office, decides that there is no time left to discuss and that he can't be hampered with the fate of a couple of kids that life itself didn't treat mercifully, so the school will have to be demolished, if not by free will, then with violence. And down it goes.

So what's next, I wonder ? How far can you push the buttons of chinese society before it reacts ? Is chinese society WILLING to react to injustices that don't have to do with personal loss or gain, in other words, is there still enough altruism left to fight acts that debase mankind ? I'll be watching.

As for the guy, the woman or whoever issued the command to demolish the school: I hope that next time he or she enjoys some time off on the golfcourt, somebody takes good aim and slaps the ball, real hard, and that there is enough altruism left then to take him/her to a hospital.