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Friday, October 21, 2011

The Many Layers of an Accident in Foshan

Wang Yue (Xiao Yue Yue), the little girl from Foshan who was severely injured in a hit and run and then ignored by many passersby, has passed away.

A few more words on this incident...

In referencing my first post on the subject Will Moss aptly wrote on Twitter "Many layers".  In following some of the many pieces written during the past few days I've seen the number of layers grow whether they are directly mentioned or subtly hinted at -- the lady who finally came to Xiao Yue Yue's aid being brought to tears because people were claiming she did it for the money or fame, the curious piece about "China's morality" by the Chinese publication Global Times, the claims that the behavior seen in Foshan could be tied to the cultural revolution, and many more. 

I've also seen some categorically recommend to not watch the video of the event.  I think it would take a long post to fully explain my view, so for now I'll simply say that I don't believe in sharing such videos simply for sensationalism and I do believe there was a potential benefit in sharing this specific video with a warning of its content.  And I maintain that view despite the fact that the day after I watched the video several images from it would disturbingly flash through my mind whenever I saw a little girl.

I think there are many issues to follow up on but for now, for me at least, I think it's best to spend some more time considering them.  Again, there are so many layers.  I may touch on them later, even if I don't specifically tie them to the topic of people's willingness to help accident victims.

For the moment, I'll express my hope that the conditions that allowed such an event to occur, whatever their scope, can be improved in time.  I also hope people do what they can to help make that happen.

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