Face it

Again today, I heard the discrimination of youth by the adults today. The background is about a boy who, years back when he was schooling, demanded his teacher, who wronged him, to apologise. This became a subject of discussion on 95.8FM's call in show.

As usual, many callers expressed that it is not appropriate for the youth to demand apology from someone who is more superior and elder. "Should give the teacher some face", "Should respect elders" are some of the repetitive phrases heard.

Now, I am quite ashamed of those expressing their ideas along that line. Firstly, the direction of debate is somewhat flawed. Why question whether it is right for a student to demand apology from a teacher who erred? At one look, all the adults will zoom in on the words "students", "demand" amd "teacher", when it should be "apology from a teacher who erred". Face, why should people debate whether someone who erred needs to be given face? When Mr Koizumi apologised while he was the Premier, did all people spare a face for him? And to think he has not even erred. Finally, the concept of "elders" needs some repositioning in the adults. They should be educated that being an elder does not automatically entitles them to immunity from apologising when they does something wrong. An adult who murders a child is equally guilty as an adult who murders an elder. One caller has the shame to call in with a rhetoric, "When a mother spank a child, does she has to apologise?" Someone tell her please, she is out of point. She was already blinded by "students", "demand" amd "teacher"