Lucky
Uploaded by CollegeKid2002 on Oct 22, 2001
When I was little, I used to dream about being the Governor of Hong Kong. I still remember the composition I wrote in my primary school, in which I conveyed my vision and even outlined the policies I planned to carry out once I became the leader of the government. After a few years, I realized that it was almost impossible for me to be the Governor of Hong Kong, because the position was in fact appointed by the British government. This was a piece of disheartening news. I tried to console myself by saying that at least I had aimed at entering politics. In my mind, politicians are not only smart, but also selfless and I sincerely appreciated their contribution to the society. In Hong Kong, however, it was unusual, if not odd, for a young boy to want to be a politician. You might accuse me of over-generalizing, but this was what I thought at that time.
A few years later, as my general knowledge of the world outside my classroom gradually developed, a gleam of light was shed on my dream again. I realized that Hong Kong people would eventually have the chance to choose their own governor some years after the handover of Hong Kong back to Mainland China in 1997. The idea of Hong Kong being returned to China was frightening to many Hong Kong people in the early 80s, but the handover turned out to be a joyful and memorable moment for most of the citizens. Today, Hong Kong is no longer a colony of Britain and Chinese are holding most of the top positions in the government. More significantly, the Governor, now renamed as the Chief Executive, is also Chinese. In other words, I still have my chance.
I am convinced that not only I, but the Hong Kong community in general welcomes this political change, which brings more power to the hands of Hong Kong citizens. Possessing more political rights seems to be a foreign concept to us, but it definitely sounds like something positive. People used to wonder why Hong Kong people were so indifferent to politics. I think I know the answer now. It is indeed very straightforward. Hong Kong people were essentially unable to make an impact on the government, as we were under the rule of foreigners. We tend to stand aloof from politics, since we have grown...