Violence

The commander gave the summary report:

• So in the past month we have solved all 5 major cases and transferred the files to the Procuracy. In these 5 major cases there are 9 criminals in all. We predict the court will sentence at least 5 of them to death because of the brutality of their crimes.
  The first case: killing an elderly couple in their house to rob them; the culprits were two who had only just reached adulthood.
  The second: defending a village girl, scuffling with young men from another village, then taking a knife to waylay and stab someone in revenge, and fleeing to Laos.
  The third: a dirty look, a beating to teach a lesson, which landed on the son of a tycoon; the tycoon hired gangsters to take revenge, and while they were at it they killed 4 of them.
  The fourth: a brawl in a bar, with the drink going to their heads, using a broken bottle to slit the opponent's throat, killing him on the spot.
  The fifth: the wife demanded a divorce, and he killed both his wife and his daughter.

I challenge you, comrades, to find what these 5 major cases have in common.

The officers and soldiers discussed it eagerly. After a while many opinions were put forward about common points, such as unhappy families, little education and all sorts of things, but the commander rejected them all. When everyone had run out of arguments, the commander said unhurriedly:

• You comrades haven't paid attention to where these criminals come from. Now they are scattered in different places, but they all spent their childhood in these two villages, X and Y. You probably don't see what this village connection has to do with anything. Let me report to you that these two villages hold a festival of killing animals at the start of the year, in front of the entire village, including children.
  At the start of the year, village X holds a ritual of stabbing a buffalo to bring luck to the village. Village Y holds a ritual of slashing a sheep to bring luck. Blood everywhere, pitiful screaming.
  You don't know this, but I am from village Y myself. I once stood watching the slashing of the sheep and cheering with delight. My father dragged me home, gave me a beating, then took his wife and children and left the village for good. My father said that if I witnessed such killing scenes I would develop a tendency towards violence, belittle the pain of others, and run a very high risk of committing crimes.
  I am grateful to my father for that stern warning. You comrades should also know that I took my master's degree with a thesis on criminal psychology. Through these 5 major cases I have come to feel my father's warning all the more deeply. Clearly childhood is very easily influenced by the surrounding environment. Adults must create a healthy environment so that children can be imbued with what is good. 🦙

A festival does not have the right to exist just because it carries the label of a traditional festival, if it has a bad influence on the character of children.
Nor is it that, because something carries the label of nature, we have no right to intervene and adjust it. Human beings must use intelligence to adjust things so that nature becomes better.
Nor is it that, because something carries the label of religious belief, no one may intervene to reform it. Belief too must be adjusted to progress.
Nor is it that, because something carries the label of freedom, one may do whatever one likes. Freedom must still comply with the law.
In the end, building the morality of people across many generations is our sacred duty.