It takes more than moral models to revive morality
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Shanghai Daily, September 26, 2011
Several weeks ago, I wrote about a cause celebre in which a driver in Tianjin was sued for knocking down a jaywalking old woman whom he claimed to have helped. The court ruling, which found the driver guilty as charged, dropped a bombshell.
In the weeks thereafter, there was a spike in incidents involving needy people who had suffered, or even died, due to lack of help from gawking spectators.
The fear that extending a helping hand might mean nursing a viper in one's bosom has led many Good Samaritans to be more calculating in rendering help. All of a sudden, society is bemoaning the death of morality.
This pessimism is echoed by an Internet posting that reads, "If Comrade Lei Feng lived to this day, he would have been bankrupted by countless lawsuits filed against him." Lei Feng (1940-1962) was a soldier hero who helped others no matter what in the 1950s.
In these times of cynicism, there still are those who see to it that Lei Feng's spiritual legacy is carried on. People's Daily reported on Wednesday that 54 such modern-day Lei Fengs were honored at a high-profile gala in Beijing on Tuesday night.
They were selected from more than 20,000 candidates and after several rounds of online voting, their names were inscribed on the honor roll of this year's "China's Moral Role Models." In an effort to encourage ethical behavior and good character, in 2009 China launched the annual role model program that glorifies ordinary heroes.
They are placed on pedestals for various reasons, such as saving people whose lives are in danger, devoting themselves to work and maintaining an impeccable record of filial piety.
To some, these commendations offer a glimmer of hope that morality isn't "finished" as it's said to be. Nonetheless, I have some reservations about the virtual canonizing of these role models.
It's not that I doubt the authenticity of these hero stories. Most are indeed laudable. But a few sound exaggerated. Even Lei Feng, who was depicted as a Spartan-looking and frugal young man, was later revealed to own a fine watch, a bourgeois privilege at that time.
Recent experience also suggests that some recipients of morality awards leave much to be desired.
A billionaire philanthropist who became a celebrated figure for dispatching relief in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake has now taken to asking recipients of his aid to pose for photos with him and the cash he gave them. He apparently was unconcerned about the humiliation he would bring to the helped.
Another problem with glorification of role models is that it in itself isn't that effective in influencing social behavior. Good Samaritans are a vanishing breed even though we constantly extol the bravery of people who sacrifice their lives to save others'.
That said, the government has sent a clear message with these polls, that it's deeply worried about the general moral decay.
People's Daily hailed it as a good sign that the rank and file account for over 90 percent of nominees for this year's vote of moral leaders. It's heartening that more ordinary citizens now occupy national moral high ground, it said.
