The "U-lock" incident a hundred years ago is like a mirror of history, reflecting the dark side of rumors, hatred and ignorance. Although this history has been buried by the wind and sand of time, its lessons are still fresh and the object of our deep reflection.
In that era of change, a rumor was like a fuse that ignited, triggering an extremely absurd group violence. The so-called "U-shaped lock" is not a physical lock, but an embarrassing tragedy in history. An innocent person, because of the demagogy of rumors, ended up falling victim to group hatred.
On the afternoon of June 10, 1919, a thought-provoking group beating occurred in the area of Jiaozhou Road and Kangnaotuo Road in Shanghai, in which Cheng Kun, a highly meritorious hero of the Xinhai Revolution and a major general of the army, was beaten to death. Behind this incident is a tragedy caused by rumors, hatred and ignorance.
The rumor began with the rumor of "Japanese poisoning" in Shanghai, which stemmed from the rising anti-Japanese sentiment of the people at that time. In 1919, the May Fourth Movement broke out in China due to Japan's forcible seizure of Shandong's rights and interests at the Paris Peace Conference, and Shanghai became the bridgehead of the movement. Rumors spread in the newspapers claiming that the Japanese had poisoned the locals, leading to hatred and rejection of the Japanese by the population.
Logically, however, the "poisoning of the Japanese" does not hold water at the water source, because the Japanese also need it. In fact, many of the rumors are false, and when people see Japanese people near water sources, they assume that they are poisoning. Many newspaper reports, while promising, did not contain any actual poisoning.
Rumors intensified that the Japanese had poisoned everything from grain, oil, vegetables and other things in Shanghai, and even hired Chinese to poison them. Various superstitious methods have arose, such as testing poison with silver needles and asking the water dragon king to detoxify. A rush of buying followed, and the people panicked.
Rumors have exacerbated the people's hatred of the Japanese, which has led to frequent incidents. Initially, the Japanese were attacked, but as events unfolded, more and more Chinese became the targets of beatings. Business has been damaged, personnel have been affected, and social order has been greatly impacted.
The spread of rumors has caused all sectors of society to begin to reflect, and the comments call on true patriots to be sensible. In order to quell the rumors, public institutions have issued notices, the police have stepped up inspections, and hospitals have conducted scientific tests, and all parties have made efforts to gradually quell the rumors.
100 years later, looking back on the incident called the "U-lock", we cannot help but reflect on the tragedy caused by rumors, hatred and ignorance. This historical lesson is profound and painful, however, we also need to draw wisdom from it so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.
We need to recognize the power of rumors. The spread of rumors is like a plague, which can spread in a short period of time, manipulate the emotions of the masses, and cause innocent people to suffer unjustified injustice. In the information age, we should remain sensitive to information, be cautious about rumors, and not be misled by false statements. At the same time, ** and social platforms should also take responsibility to provide accurate and objective information to avoid becoming a medium for the spread of rumors.
Hatred and ignorance are the bane of group unrest. In the U-lock incident, rumors sparked hatred against the Japanese, but eventually spread to innocent Chinese. Hatred is blind, an emotion created by the instigators, and ignorance is the soil of hatred. It is only through education, advocacy and the cultivation of rational thinking that we can avoid the tragedy of hatred. As the patriots of the time appealed, true patriots should remain sensible, not confused by rumors, and not driven by hatred.
History gives us a warning. We should bear in mind the "U-lock" incident and be wary of the dangers of rumour, hatred and ignorance. Every time something happens, it is a test of social stability and human rationality. We need to remain vigilant, cherish peace, and avoid being captured by senseless hatred.
In today's world, we face a variety of challenges, but also unprecedented opportunities. Through deep reflection on history, we can better respond to the problems of the present. Only by thinking calmly and acting rationally can we work together to create a more just and harmonious society.
Although the "U-lock" incident a hundred years ago has become history, the lessons it left behind are always worth pondering. Let us work together to build a society of reason, tolerance and love, so that rumours and hatred will no longer be a footnote in our history.