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Against Xenophobia and Absurd Moralism

Paulo Rego*Paulo Rego*

A video capturing a traffic altercation, involving gestural insults between two parents vying for a parking spot in front of the Escola Portuguesa, went viral last week. It sparked the typical flurry of mental and moral absurdities we are treated to daily on social media. If it werent for the venomous provocation of hate and xenophobia, the incident would be merely ridiculous; as it stands, its worth clearing the minefield before it explodes in all our faces.

Yes, the woman seen pointing her finger and telling the other driver to get lost is a lawyer and is Portuguese. But she didnt react that way because shes a woman, white, Catholic, or a Benfica fan—I have no idea what she is. She acted as any Chinese man, Buddhist, and Sporting fan might have in the same situation. Poorly, as all genders, beliefs, and ethnicities would agree. The driver, who refused to give up the space requested, decided it was appropriate to honk repeatedly and intimidate someone who had boldly—perhaps recklessly—cut in front of him. Understandable. He was upset and lost his cool. But theres no excuse for the false innocence and xenophobic attack.

It makes no sense to vilify the woman for being “foreign,” and the incident certainly doesnt warrant the campaigns calling for her to be fired—or even deported. If a boss of the 14k triad had been in front of the camera, blocking the way with a limousine and security detail, would he have dared to honk? Would he have posted it on social media? Would there have been campaigns to have him arrested? That would have been a display of testosterone worth watching.

The man who posted the video, conveniently muting the sound to obscure his role in the altercation, isnt at fault for being Chinese, Malaysian, or Filipino; nor does he deserve punishment. Whats worth considering is whether he can, with some common sense and perspective, grasp the real issue here. He was angry and went overboard—it happens; its no big deal. His only fault is believing the woman, because of her different skin tone, doesnt belong there. Ironically, this happened in front of the Escola Portuguesa, where he chose to enroll his child(ren), a place where he, too, deals daily with the challenge of dropping off his kids. If hes so moralistic, perhaps he could show some solidarity with someone facing the same problem. Skin color doesnt divide them; they share much in common: they are both parents, trying to get their kids to class on time, then heading to work—presumably dealing with bosses and clients. They live in Macau because they want to, because they like it, and with the same rights as anyone else. At that moment, in that context, they couldnt have been more alike. In fact, both made mistakes and overreacted—making them, in a way, accomplices and allies.

The stance of the authorities is interesting: they fined both parties, which proves there were no victims or villains. Every day, cars stop there; the police are well aware and generally turn a blind eye since theres no alternative. But since theres a circus on social media, the authorities feel compelled to act. Now that theres a police presence on every corner—which is good, at least for traffic—perhaps it would be better to station an officer there to regulate passenger drop-offs, maybe on the first side street to the left, next to the Lisboa. For that to work, the school would need to open its side gate and participate in solving the problem.

Lastly, this habit of filming everyone with a dashboard camera deserves reflection. Its part of the local culture, even accepted as evidence in court, but it clearly violates the principles of privacy—and common sense. Just because were in public doesnt mean we should be subjected to absurd moralism and social media chaos. Protecting ones image is a right for everyone—even for those filming today, because tomorrow, they might find themselves on the other side of the camera.

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