2 problems that we have to grapple with bc history/herstory is what happened: The British Empire should not be excused for the terrible aspects of colonialism and it should be stated that their “ownership” of Hong Kong was a part of that. It should also be noted that a major reason Hong Kong became what it is now is bc the British poured money into it bc, as a major hub of trade, it grew profits sky high.

Would this have happened had China (or whatever local region/country) retained control and “ownership” of Hong Kong? Who’s to say? As noted, better or worse, it just is. Now, 2nd: the question of whether it should have been given back to China or not - again, who is to say what’s really right in that respect? More importantly, and as Frances describes, is the respect for everyone’s perspectives and needing to converse and come to understandings of each other as human beings.

It can be said on all sides that each had not done that in the past 1st with British colonialism forcing itself upon Hong Kong and then China or various Chinese citizens acting towards Hong Kong after taking back “ownership” without respecting a clear cultural difference bc of differing upbringings. That misses the point of needing to empathize and be open to communicate in non-violent ways that further our understanding, and love ultimately, for each other and our contributions.

Whether individually or collectively, we all contribute in some way. Future generations will judge whether it was positive or negative by looking through the lens of history/herstory as we are now. Only by understanding ourselves and each other can we realize the legacy we wish to leave as we make our, albeit oftentimes small, mark on the world. There are tenets that can likely be found to be shared among the differing groups once understanding of their strong emotions on the subject are

recognized and given emotional space to air out. One could be “do no harm”, which I’d hope could be understood as both an individual and collective value we should be sharing as humans. It can get complicated quickly, I understand. Hence the need for open communication and talking through our differences and what we share. I will note that I put “ownership” in quotations mostly due to a personal belief in the things we as humans do to attempt control over this planet are largely inaccurate.