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Opinion | Carrie Lam’s tough love is hurting Hong Kong children, families and the elderly
- The government’s flailing response to the fifth wave of the pandemic shows an administration out of its depth and out of touch with the suffering of Hongkongers
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If any chief executive was going to ban weddings just ahead of Valentine’s Day, the day of romance and love, it would be Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. As painful as the current Covid-19 restrictions are, such a certainty could almost be seen as welcome in our prolonged state of limbo.
Technically, of course, Lam didn’t actually ban weddings. The latest round of Covid-19 restrictions do allow two witnesses to be present at a marriage ceremony. Yet, places of worship, where many weddings take place, have had to close. So yes, love is tough.
When it comes to matters of the heart, we can count on Lam to give it to us straight, and maskless. She is the quintessential queen of tough love, and she has perhaps been toughest on the youngest in our society.
When we adults were young, school and playground time were normal events – but not for today’s children. Children develop during social interactions with families, their peers, and through school and culture. Forcing them to do so without one or more of these essential development tools harms their overall well-being.
Even Tarzan, the fictional feral child raised in the jungle, had the chance to develop in different social settings. Children simply cannot develop in isolation.
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Hong Kong imposes toughest social-distancing rules yet as Covid-19 caseload hits another record high
Hong Kong imposes toughest social-distancing rules yet as Covid-19 caseload hits another record high
Older school-age children are overdosing on tough love, too. They are being deprived of relationships and processes that help them develop their concepts of individuality and how they relate to their community.
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