Zhou was nothing but a criminal

Some weird online comments have followed the shooting down of serial robbery and murder suspect Zhou Kehua in Chongqing on Tuesday, says an article in Oriental Morning Post. Excerpts:

Some netizens have ridiculed police's inefficiency because it took them eight years to find the suspect. Others have argued that Zhou became what he was only after being imprisoned for driving an overloaded bus and carrying a shotgun. Still others have posted stories describing Zhou as a good student, loyal to friends in school, and saying he only robbed the rich and helped the poor.

But Zhou deserves anything but sympathy. Police records show he was the prime suspect in 10 murder cases in the past eight years. He also had a criminal record in his early years, including molesting women, stealing a shotgun and carrying guns illegally.

It's not prison that turned him into a criminal. And no, he was not Robin Hood. He was just a murder suspect.

The arguments in Zhou's defense are not the first of their kind. Similar arguments were furnished in 2004 for Ma Jiajue. Quite a few people said Ma was a "poor guy" from the countryside who was bullied by his rich classmates to such an extent that he was forced to kill four of them. Some people also "believed" that Bai Baoshan, who killed 15 policemen and civilians, was sent to prison unfairly.

One can't help but ask that even if a person is treated unfairly, can he justify going on a killing spree like Zhou, Ma or Bai?

Our society is experiencing contradictions and facing new problems as the social and economic reforms deepen. So we should reflect on the deep social causes that have led to cases like Zhou's, and find ways to mend social rifts, reduce crime and foster social harmony. But there is no excuse to glorify the criminals like Zhou.

Books with good contents needed

A "handbook" on book burning by writer Ma Boyong has started a heated online debate. Ma has said that books on success, self-inspiration and healthcare and celebrities' autobiographies will be the first ones he would burn to seek warmth if he was locked inside a library in extreme cold. Many netizens have agreed with him because most of such books lack substantial contents, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

It is an open question whether such books should be burnt or not, but the popularity of such books, to some extent, characterizes the time we live in. In a rapidly developing society, readers are expected to incline toward pragmatism and utilitarianism. Therefore, even if such books are burnt, their demand may not necessarily diminish.

Netizens' agreement with Ma suggests that they are unhappy with publishers for churning out poor quality books in the four categories. To make money, almost all publishers focus on a couple of hot topics and authors, for example, a biography of Steve Jobs, which shows that the boom in the publishing industry comes from wasteful repetitions.

The publishing industry should follow the path of sustainable development and provide literary works of good quality instead of just catering to popular appeal.

In fact, there are some excellent books on the four subjects. But the problem is they are buried under the weight of the useless ones.