Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has a well-earned reputation for being a loose cannon, often making insensitive or outlandish remarks in public. However, he has outdone himself this time, trampling over the serious issue of suicide and being insensitive toward so-called “marginalized” people, who each have different problems and should in no way be lumped together.
Ko made the remarks on Thursday, first asking people not to self-immolate in apartment buildings, as doing so poses a deadly hazard to other people and it makes sense to discourage such behavior.
However, he went on to say that society should not have so many “marginalized people” such as illicit drug users, alcoholics, and people with personality disorders or depression.
Even worse, he followed up with: “Even if you want to kill yourself, please take sleeping pills and do not burn yourself in an apartment building, alright?”
That is not something proper to say under any circumstance, especially when attending events in support of World Suicide Prevention Day, which was last month. Ko could have stopped at asking people not to self-immolate, but he seems to lack the common sense to know when to stop.
This came less than two months after Ko did not apologize for calling Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) “a fatter version of [Kaohsiung Mayor] Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜),” saying that “fat” and “thin” are mere adjectives to surgeons like himself.
None of this is acceptable.
Of course, people should work toward reducing the number of so-called “marginalized people” in society, but making such a comment implies that they simply should not exist, while ignoring their circumstances and refusing to offer help.
There are more people with depression or mental health issues than is apparent, and many of them are fully functioning members of society — far from being “marginalized.”
Lumping people with depression and other legitimate mental health conditions together with “marginalized” people only perpetuates the stigma and discrimination toward people with depression or other problems beyond their control.
Drug and alcohol addicts are often victims of their circumstances, which frequently result from mental health issues, and should be encouraged to seek help instead of told to disappear.
Ko reinforced a stigma that makes people with mental health issues feel ashamed and reluctant to seek help, which is a major problem in Taiwan.
However, instead of engaging in self-reflection, he seems to be taking the position that there was nothing factually wrong with his comments, but that is beside the point. Many of the remarks that bullies use to make fun of people are based on truths, but being a decent and respectful human being is so much more than just sticking to the facts: It is about respecting other people’s feelings. This is basic human etiquette, and it is astounding that someone who has made it in the political field for this long cannot comprehend such a simple concept.
Being a politician, especially the mayor of the nation’s capital, carries social responsibility. Ko needs to lead by example, not normalize and legitimize hurtful and insulting remarks.
He might or might not have Asperger’s syndrome, but even if he does, it is no excuse for making offensive remarks and refusing to apologize for them.
If Ko does have Asperger’s, he is trampling on his own condition by labeling people like himself “marginalized” when he clearly is not.
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