Hsu’s behavior unacceptable
In ancient Greece, the middle finger was a phallic gesture used to insult, intimidate and threaten. It was also sometimes used to symbolize sexual intercourse.
Giving someone the middle finger, much like cursing at someone, is a form of public insult. Using either might result in a lawsuit or even start a fight. Such a simple gesture as a middle finger can bring about a lot of unnecessary trouble, so why use it?
The truth is that everyone tends to develop the habit of using inappropriate gestures or language. However, those in positions of power, especially legislators, should be particularly careful to avoid losing control and using offensive words or inappropriate gestures. If such behavior is repeatedly reported in the media, it can set a bad example for children.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) pointed her middle finger to insult someone in front of the media. After it was reported, many junior-high and elementary-school students began imitating her by flashing their middle fingers. Schoolteachers were at a loss, as there were no specific penalties that could be imposed and all efforts to correct children’s behavior proved ineffective. In fact, scolding only made others more likely to follow suit.
While walking in my neighborhood yesterday, I came across a group of elementary-school students playing a game of tag where the winner could stick their middle finger up at the losers. Curious, I approached the children and asked if they knew what the middle finger means.
The children responded: “It’s an insulting gesture.” I asked: “Will your teacher punish you if you use it at school?” They said: “It’s fine as long as you make sure the teacher doesn’t see it.” I asked them where they learned the gesture. One child said: “I saw it in the newspaper and on TV. Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin taught me.” The sixth-grader added: “My parents both voted for her, but now they really hate her, because she always uses bad language and insults people. They even signed a petition to recall her yesterday.”
Over the past year, Hsu had bragged that she wanted everyone to see a legislator who “can defeat gods and Buddha alike.” She wore pajamas during a legislative session and openly caused a scene, physically striking a female Democratic Progressive Party legislator.
Hsu even publicly stated: “It doesn’t matter to me if I get recalled. With my qualifications, do you really think I won’t be able to find another job? Will I really be unemployed?”
The legislator’s vulgar behavior alone — especially her iconic middle finger — is enough to prove that she is unfit for office. Since she so brazenly claimed that she does not care about being recalled or unemployed, then voters in Taipei’s Songshan (松山) and Xinyi (信義) districts — regardless of political affiliation — should work together to fulfill her wish and remove her from office.
Yueh Jih-ming
Taipei
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