Talking politics: from “debate maniac” to Opinions Reporter
I hate talking about politics. Well, it’s more of a love-hate relationship.
I love debating and the feeling of adrenaline it brings. I still remember a particular debate from my sophomore year of high school: my partner and I were able to come back from the lowest ranking to finishing second place in the tournament. The competitions were burdensome, involving research, writing scripts, and practicing with my partner—but, we enjoyed the process. My debate coach and parents were very encouraging, and I think that was how we earned second place.
I was once called a ‘debate maniac.’ I argue with everyone about everything, as simple as a comparison between cats and dogs, and as complex as economic policies. When I was still very involved in debate, I did not care about which side I was on. I loved being the devil’s advocate and arguing for the opposite side. There were, however, two things that I cared about: winning and taking a side. I viewed hesitant people as pliable, as if they do not think for themselves. In fact, isn’t remaining neutral also taking a side? However, at that point, I was certain that neutral ground was just a fantasy.
My passion for debate died in the summer of 2019. I watched the protests in Hong Kong gradually escalate from peaceful demonstrations to violent confrontations. My uncle living in Hong Kong was injured badly, but thankfully, he was taken care of in a timely manner that saved his life. This time, I firmly supported the Hong Kongers. I traced back to the start of the protest, proving that it wasn’t an independence movement.
The peaceful demonstrations were omitted from Chinese news reports, and the violence was in fact started by the Hong Kong police.
But, I could not convince myself of the cause behind the violence that was directed against my uncle. Then, I started losing the debates. Perhaps I have never treated anything more serious than defending the Hong Kongers since I truly cared for their right to protest and their freedom. What I faced was ambiguous. The antinomies of action crushed my will: I will for the freedom of Hong Kong people! Yes, indeed, I will kill all those that are in opposition! I, for the first time, adopted a neutral position.
COVID-19, that is the winter of 2019 into spring of 2020 meant lockdowns and economic depression. Then, in 2021, the trampling of Uyghurs’ human rights occurred, and then, in spring of 2022 the Russian-Ukraine war continues. I have tried to avoid world events. I locked myself in the ivory tower, repeating to myself again and again that those are not my concern; some responsible leader will take care of those. But, this news sneaks in, even in meme posts!
Lately, the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai has been severe. People are starving at their homes because they are under mandatory quarantine, and the supplies are running short. This kind of bad news is always hard to hear, but it makes me feel responsible, like I should do something.
This is why I hate talking about politics. I want to help. I hesitate to help because I am well aware that my words have consequences. By witnessing human rights crises, I worry that I am directly depriving people of their freedom. As I write about these difficult topics and form a representation of other peoples’ realities, I feel responsible for the killing, the starving, and the freedom of these people.
~ Conrad Wen `25
