Awaiting a Democratic Hong Kong.
Today I bumped into Martin Lee while he was out campaigning. I shook his hands. What I wanted to say was “Thank you for speaking out all those years, thank you for so tirelessly reminding us of our rights and what we don’t have, thank you for insisting for a democratic China and Hong Kong, and keeping the faith when the rest of us were too lethagic, hopeless, and non committed to give a shit about the political situation in our home town. Thank you for just being around and laying the ground work when none of us were listenning, thought you were a ranting man and wished you would shut up. Thank god you ignored all of us, because in the end you were right and we are listenning now. So thank you.”
Instead I just nodded to him and said, “Number 4” which is the ballot number I will be voting on September 12th this year to cast my vote for the Democratic Party and their three candidates for the Hong Kong Island constituency. It will be the first time i have voted in the election because for the first time I actually have something I want to vote for, which is to get as many democratic supporting candidates into the legislature.
Number four, number four, number four. That’s all I have to know and have to remember on that day. That little tick on a piece of paper will culmilate to what I have been saying here for over a year. Funny isn’t it. Such a simple concept that could mean so much.
Yan Sham-Shackleton Online 