Legislator Zhuang Rui-xiong from the DPP and Fan Yun, secretary general of the DPP caucus, gave interviews this morning. Media pointed out that discussions around "Iron Fist Education" on bullying-related topics have led many netizens to leave comments on the social media platforms of Lai Ruei-long, the DPP's mayoral candidate for Kaohsiung. However, some have questioned whether such content was being censored. In response, Zhuang Rui-xiong said that if one’s own child were involved in bullying and the incident were exposed by the news media, it would certainly be a significant pressure—especially greater for political figures. He believes the person currently under the greatest pressure is undoubtedly Lai Ruei-long.
Zhuang Rui-xiong mentioned that Lai Ruei-long had previously come forward with sincere apologies. As parents, when one’s child bullies others, it’s naturally embarrassing and reflects poorly on parenting. Lai has already admitted the incident, which serves as an important lesson for society. He urged netizens not to put excessive pressure on Lai Ruei-long, emphasizing that Lai is simply more famous. Excessive political attacks are ultimately unhelpful in terms of how government agencies and schools can prevent and improve bullying situations.
Fan Yun stressed that Lai Ruei-long has consistently supported educational reforms and advocated for providing teachers with more resources during his time in the Legislative Yuan. She believes that, if elected mayor, he could help Kaohsiung surpass itself. She also expressed hope that professional education issues will continue to be closely monitored together, aiming to alleviate stress on teachers and parents alike.
When asked whether Lai Ruei-long’s alleged censorship of online comments should be criticized, potentially affecting his campaign prospects, Zhuang Rui-xiong responded that dealing with differing opinions expressed by netizens is indeed troublesome and unpleasant. He noted that if media professionals encounter such situations, unless they have ample time to engage in debates, their first action is usually to delete or block the content. Everyone handles such matters differently. Regarding Lai Ruei-long’s situation, Zhuang believes his team must have discussed the issue, but he finds it hard to believe that Lai himself has time to personally review all posts—and even harder to imagine him blocking content just because he dislikes it.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867669442322432/
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