A sanitary worker died at the Beijing Film Academy recently after a brawl over a parking dispute with a student driving an Audi. This has, as expected, drawn public sympathy for the garbage collector and raised doubts over the university's conclusion that the death was the result of a melee. The fact is that if either party had compromised, the quarrel would not have ended in such a tragedy, says an article in Beijing Times. Excerpts:

Even though the status gap between the perpetrator and the victim is the potential reason for this tragedy, we should not exaggerate it as the rich bullying the poor. In fact, the minute the quarrel developed into a physical fight, the social status of the two became less important factor.

What would have happened had the sanitary worker killed the Audi-driving student? If people would have regarded that as the "victory of justice", we would find laws and regulations becoming ineffective and the boundary of justice obliterated.

The rich bullying the poor seems too simple and abnormal a view to warrant a second thought. It is similar to judging a world by defining people dressed decently as villains and the shabbily dressed as heroes.

Similar tragedies have reflected the anxiety and impulsiveness of our times. Some people have become ruthless because of the wealth and power they wield, making the poor extremely hostile to the rich. This by no means is the normal product of a civilized society ruled by law.

How to accurately differentiate between right and wrong has become a severe social problem. Apart from improving the lives and livelihoods of poor people, improving social justice and fairness can also help change such false and extreme beliefs.

We should grieve the death of the garbage collector. But we should also think about the reason why so many people today lose their temper over even trivial and petty matters.

(China Daily 12/13/2011 page9)