Fans must not break bounds of decency

"YOU ARE MY NANJING TREATY, and you mark the start of my falling down." A group of fans of entertainment star Cai Xukun followed each other in posting this sentence to show how much they adore their idol. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

What is the Nanjing Treaty?

It was the treaty signed by China and Britain on August 29, 1842 that ended the first Opium War. It marked the start of the subjugation and humiliation that China subsequently suffered at the hands of foreign imperialist powers until the founding of the People's Republic in 1949.

All Chinese should treat that period of history in a serious way. To make jokes or other inappropriate statements about it is like making jokes about the Nazi holocaust in Europe.

The Nanjing Treaty not only meant shame for the nation, it also came at the cost of tens of millions of lives, because after that one foreign invader after another sought to take advantage of China's weakness.

Some say it was China following in the steps of the world, which might be true, but that does not change the fact that foreign forces brought untold suffering to Chinese people.

Yet someone organized the fans of Cai to worship their idols. "Foolish" and "ignorant" are the two best words to describe what they do.

The organizers of the incident not only offended the nation, but also belittled the suffering of tens of millions of families whose fate had been changed. Maybe they meant no harm, but they should learn more about the history of the country to avoid repeating the mistake again.

For Cai and others, the incident is not good for their image as it is now associated with them, even though there is high possibility of them not knowing about it at all. If fans really love their idols, they should show it in more appropriate ways.