On April 20, a magnitude-7 earthquake struck the city of Ya’an in Sichuan Province. Despite the aftershocks, rescuers risked their lives to rescue people in the quake-hit area. Many moving stories happened around that time.

    For example, a rescuer saved a little girl whose forehead was hurt. As the rescuer comforted the girl, the girl said with a smile: “Uncle, I’m fine. I won’t cry. I’m very strong.” That moment was so touching. The video clip has been uploaded online by netizens.

    The girl then was called “the most beautiful little girl in the disaster area” by netizens, who said that even though the girl was hurt badly, she was still optimistic. She encouraged people around her with a smile. It was these facial expressions and actions that made people strong and reduced the negative influences of the earthquake. However, some netizens wrote online that the little girl would feel better if she just cried.

    Generally speaking, most little girls like her cry loudly when they get hurt, simply because they are young and vulnerable. They do not have psychological pressure as adults have. Many people argue that a little girl like her in such an unusual situation — threatened by such a terrible earthquake and hurt badly without the company of family or adults — should react like a normal child rather than what’s been described on the Internet and in newspapers.

    I tend to agree with the latter argument. Indeed, her reaction has brought positive influences to people, but the way it has been stressed among media is a way to cover the real cruelty of the disaster and then to discourage people from releasing their true feelings. When I saw the picture for the first time, I thought the action was worthy of being praised. But when I saw the picture for the second time, I felt sorry for her. For a little girl, what she did was more than what she could actually bear.