Henan Knife Attack and US School Shooting, Chinese Reactions

On Sina Weibo:

郑渊洁: 2012 December 14th was a sad day for all children in the world. On the very same day, extremely tragic attacks targeting children occurred in the world’s first and second ranked economies, the United States and China: The cutting down of 22 students in China’s Henang province Guangshan country Wenshu town Chen Peng Complete Primary School by 36-year-old male Min Yingjun and the shooting of 28 people in United States’ Connecticut Newtown County Sandy Hook Elementary School, violating the lives and dignity of children, are unforgivable heinous crimes.

Comments on Sina Weibo:

Yilia王祎婵：

Horrible…what’s wrong with this world! May those innocent lives rest in peace.

外剛里弱的文姊：

There is nothing we can do, only pray that humanity can be more normal! If you’re going to cut people down, then go to the Great Hall of the People and cut down those evil government officials!

大写弥撒MASSA：

If China legalized gun ownership… I bet the current population would be less 1 billion. What more, I bet there would be less than half the number of various “party branch secretaries”.

520那个夏天：

The United States have lowered their flags to half-mast, I want to know what China has done.

我抵制日货：

Democracy is a very complicated thing, so complicated that it is the only thing Chinese people have not been successful in shanzhai‘ing.

Sunder_Coo：

We’re unable to treat the elderly well and we’re also unable to keep our children safe. We have no past and we’ve lost the future as well…

清泉明月光：

School campus safety truly is a huge problem!!!

JACKIE梦里不知身是客：

Yesterday, I watched an entire day’s worth of CCTV4 news. I watched how America is in chaos and an abyss of suffering, with guns spreading unchecked, and had no idea whatsoever about the extremely tragic crime in Henan! May the children rest in peace.

Hey大灰狠：

This is because gun ownership is prohibited. If gun ownership wasn’t prohibited, with the character of Chinese people, shooting down 200 people wouldn’t even be considered a lot.

自嘆不如：

For these poor children, perhaps the 2012 apocalypse has come early! Hope you guys will have it better in heaven.

张旭婷Serena努力攒RP：

Their Obama cried and lowered the flag to half-mast. What about us? The gap, this is the difference between first and second.

BOBO成长图记：

One attacker suffered from mental illness, one attacker suffered from autism. They were so small!!!

hailin2198：

The lives of children, in any country, and the most important and of the highest priority for protection.

pangkaiguang：

There is no such thing as perfection. This is the price of choosing human rights, and the sacrifice of these children is just the tip of the iceberg. Examples of paying a price in the struggle for human rights in the history of the United States are too numerous to count.

攒波防：

They should issue a bulletproof vest to every American elementary school student as their school uniform…

On Sina Weibo:

@头条新闻: Obama Sheds Tears While Talking About Shooting: Our Hearts Are Broken – This morning while talking about the elementary school shootings, Obama was choked with sobs multiple times, filled with tears. He said: “The majority of those who died today were children, they had their entire lives ahead of them. Among the fallen wre also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams. So our hearts are broken today.”

Comments on Sina Weibo:

Len_hekiei：

Them given heartbroken speeches lowering the flag half-mast, we cover it with major reports and special reports. Our own news we don’t report at all~ Truly something to think about.

Scorpii：

I admire a leader with blood and meat… [a leader with emotions, who is human]

春天去哪了呀：

In the face of Henan children suffering harm, did our country’s leaders shed a tear!? Why is it that when this kind of incident happens, they always pretend to be deaf and mute!? I’m not saying that our leaders have to be like Obama shedding tears, but can we at least be like others in facing [addressing, acknowledging] the incident? Instead of the mainstream media not even covering it, hiding it, attempting to avoid it every time the country has a “special incident”. I’m not a fenqing, I’m just sad and pained for the children!!

华丽的钻石：

America’s only shortcoming is too much private gun ownership.

探路神者股爷：

China’s was “mental disorder”, America’s was “deviant”.

攒波防：

Several months ago, our school buses had accidents, and our government immediately issued laws and regulations regarding school buses, as well as vigorously provided schools with proper school buses. Whereas in the United States where school shootings happen every year, with innumerable deaths and wounded, we don’t see Americans doing anything, their false tears and half-masts completely unable to change the problem from its root.

那年初冬：

May I ask, good or bad, Obama still shed tears… but what about our children who were attacked? Which of our high officials have come out to say anything? Do you guys really don’t know or are just pretending?

攒波防：

[Obama will] attach importance [to gun control] my ass, what has he been doing since the theater shootings in the first half of the year? Are there still too few school shootings in America? If you guys had attached importance [to the issue of guns], would it still keep happening? Some of our countrymen don’t even think before they kneel down to lick their American masters.

小張-志坚：

Aren’t they a free democracy? Since they war, what is a few dozen lives to be afraid of? Why don’t they think about that when attacking others?

想不到任何合适的名字：

I just want to know what new measures will be enacted. What bullshit use is saying a few words and lowering the flag?

Sunnywords：

Those who are saying he is just acting must not yet be parents. Please watch your extremely irresponsible remarks. Politicians of course have their dark sides. After all, without ruthlessness and tricks, how could you govern a nation and become president? With a pure and kind heart? However, on the basis of having the most basic humanity, please don’t go questioning [Obama’s tears].

哟希哟希：

Do China’s leaders know about the knife attack on children in Henan? Have they expressed anything? Have they put on a “show” yet? Those people saying Obama is just putting on a show truly are suited for living in this cold and apathetic country.

A的小树洞：

You guys say he’s just putting on a show, but China’s leaders are too lazy to even put on a show. At least the lives of American citizens get some respect, while the lives of Chinese citizens no doubt seem cheap and even ignored.

irvire：

I don’t care if Obama is sincere or insincere, at the very least he did what he should do…

事问天：

27 children and teachers are shot dead in an elementary school in the United States, and President Obama sheds tears grieving several times while speaking; 22 students are cut down and wounded in a primary school in Henan province, and a county official even says: “What’s the point in discussing this?” What a night and day difference! Can we let everyone know the name of this official please?