Bring dog owners to heel

A 78-year-old waste collector was bitten to death by six dogs in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, recently for which the dog owners were detained by police. Dog-related incidents have become a social issue and a challenge for urban management, says an article on eastday.com. Excerpts:

The popularity of pet dogs among urban residents can be attributed to their better material life. As long as pets do not become a nuisance for society, there should be nothing to complain about.

But dog-related incidents in China are the second highest in the world. Their numbers are 14 times higher than the injuries caused by traffic accidents. And the frequency with which they are occurring nowadays shows that keeping dogs is no longer just an individual choice. Added to all these are the problems created by dog wastes and the threat of diseases.

But dog owners, not dogs, should be blamed for the problems. So the authorities should follow strict norms before issuing pet licenses.

Since the lack of a proper service mechanism adds to the problems, the authorities must make all dog owners register their dogs, and provide necessary services such as vaccination, sterilization and safety education.

The authorities should also establish a mechanism for prevention and control of dog-related incidents, and institute a system to regulate dog management and punish dog owners who do not fulfill their social responsibilities.

Film criticism not justified

Professor Xiao Su, of Central China Normal University, criticized the blockbuster movie, Lost in Thailand, for being a bad example of low-brow, negative entertainment. But he didn't justify why every film must carry a message, says an article on xinhuanet.com. Excerpts:

Lost in Thailand has created a string of national records: the most profitable domestic film ever, the highest audience in a single day and the first domestic film to rake in more than 1 billion yuan ($160.6 million).

Though Xiao Su argued that the cultural industry carries the mission of raising Chinese people's cultural taste, the film's audience thought otherwise.

People went to watch the movie for entertainment. And going by the film's box office returns, they did seem to enjoy it.

The professor should understand that by saying that Lost in Thailand is philistine, vulgar and caters to low taste is not helpful for the development of China's film industry.

Some have it young

Xu Yi, a 9-year-old boy in Chongqing, has sparked a heated public debate by joining the local writers' association, says an article in Jiefang Daily. Excerpts:

Some people cannot believe that Xu started writing at the tender age of 6, had his first poetry collection released at 8 and has already published more than 100,000 words of poetry, fairy tales and novels.

But Xu is not the first of his kind. Some years ago, a 9-year-old boy, Yang Yang, was labeled China's Harry Potter after authoring Time Mirror and another 9-year-old, Zhao Li, was hailed for her 80,000-word book.

Such rare talents deserve to be encouraged by society and none can do that better than a writers' association.

But at the same time, people should know that Xu's is a special case and that they should not force their children to work hard to follow in his footsteps. In fact, many parents have set literary goals for their children after Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Such people should realize that they cannot transform their children into writers or poets if they don't have the talent.

(China Daily 01/10/2013 page9)