每周一文：貼標籤不能解決仇恨與暴力，閱讀好文這篇別漏掉！ Less labeling and more love for that certain someone around us.

illustration by Harriet Lee-Merrion

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Less labeling, more love for the potential Cheng Cheihs

When you stab someone with a knife, it creates two gashes傷口: first by entering the victim and ultimately via the scar left in their loved ones' hearts. It is inevitable that grief gives way to會讓人決定去 a burning desire to seek vengeance燃燒著復仇的渴望; an urge迫切的要求 that would consume吞噬 even the most logical of people.

We who are not directly affected will then label an attacker as a murderer把攻擊者貼上殺人犯的標籤, a senseless killer毫無理性的殺手, a psychopath變態/病態 or a bloodthirsty嗜血的 student who has dedicated his life to violent mock-battles on the Internet在網路上模擬殘暴的攻擊性戰爭 — as was the case in Taipei's recent metro killings. A rare case of random stabbing隨機刺殺 penetrates the people's deepest fears, as they have no means of detecting where and when the next volley of attacks一連串的併發攻擊 may occur.

Emotions have been running high and thick as four people lost their lives due to a cowardly act of the lowest degree: their lives were taken only because the aggressor was paving the way for his own death. Having decided he wanted to leave his hateful world at 11 years of age, yet unable to drive the knife into his own heart, the 21-year-old directed the knifepoint at a train full of unarmed civilians手無寸鐵的平民百姓 instead — it is not difficult to summon fury 感到極度憤慨over針對 this outrageous action.令人感到髮指的行為

Society's curiosity also bubbles over沸騰. How did he have the audacity? The police said he wanted to do “something big幹一番大事,” and that meant going on a killing rampage大開殺戒 on the MRT? Unable to reach a conclusion on our own, we reach out to slap on the second label: the scapegoat代罪羔羊.

“The kid does nothing but play violent video games in which he must have practiced endless mock stabs不亂反覆練習模擬刺殺 at people,” “his parents are scared to face the ugly truth,” “all they care about is their reputation and the amount of money that their son's rash act衝動行為 will cost them.” Not to mention the last thing a child wants to hear: “my son stays home all the time, all he does is play video games that involve killing,” — parents' attempt to shy away from 迴避/避開their flesh and blood or Mom and Dad worrying that they will be attacked by angry crowds when apologizing for their son in public.

The need for society to pin the responsibility on咎責 something or someone is natural; the labeling procedure eases us from pain into logic貼標籤的過程舒緩我們，將痛苦邏輯化. To protect themselves, people herd把…聚在一起 dangerous and different “others” behind bars and into stereotype labels透過成見去貼標籤, bunching them together 綁在一起as “the contaminated有問題的/壞的” who commit acts of cruelty犯下殘酷暴行的人 out of an outrageous lack of empathy缺乏同理心.

Scapegoats located被揪出來 and scrutinized被檢視, society tries to piece itself together and go on with life繼續過日子 once more, muttering 低聲咕噥death threats meant for the culprit罪犯, while the metro is no longer a symbol of safe rides or a temporary spot in which to rest. The student has tainted the trains, opening a potential killing field and a similar pattern for future killers. But one should keep in mind that the case is a rare one in Taiwan's history of homicides, and whether the assailant攻擊者 deserves capital punishment死刑 or not, there may be a way to drain the quiet desperation and neglect embodied in student and murderer Cheng Chieh.

His actions are no doubt cruel and unforgivable, but as the police are dispatched to patrol the trains and stations, many claim that the order was issued more to soothe the people's anxieties撫平人們的焦慮不安 than to prevent actual copycat assaults預防模仿犯案. While it regains trust, society should reconstruct itself by reaching deep into every individual's mind for signs of despair, sadness or unquenched anger無法遏止的憤怒 — all emotions one has not mustered enough courage to expel 鼓足勇氣去驅散or those people who have been given up on by被…放棄 others and labeled hopeless cases.

Tunghai University, Cheng's school, was determined not to give up on him despite the ruthless murders on the MRT. The school released a letter that made its condolences to the victims 對受害者致哀, apologized to society 對社會致歉and kept a firm hold on 對…不離不棄 the boy no one would come near. “Cheng Chieh is a part of our family ... everyone in Tunghai is a family member. We love them, yet we did not love them enough,” the letter stated.

We cannot claim that Cheng's actions could have been stopped with extra doses of love and care多一點愛與關懷, but too many of us cannot deny that we have long neglected長久以來忽略的 a certain someone near us我們身邊的某一個他/她because he or she was too weird古怪, too obsessed with strange things對於怪事情過於入迷 or too quiet太安靜了. There is a possibility that they too are disappointed with society and its iciness冰冷.

Perhaps a kind word and some restraint from habitual labeling不要亂貼標籤(節制類似行為) may prevent emotions and pain-induced anger 因為痛苦所引發的憤怒from going horribly wrong走偏了路(引發難以收拾的結果).