QotW: Olympic Torch Protests
The Olympic torch was lit in Beijing, China on Monday and will be taken on 130-day journey throughout the world. What is your reaction to the Tibet activist groups who plan to demonstrate in large cities as the torch passes through because of China's plans to take the torch through Tibet?
I am boycotting the Olympics, not just because of Tibet. I am boycotting because of the one-child policy and the resulting forced abortions and abandonment of baby girls.
If that's not enough, I am boycotting the Beijing Olympics because China will not acknowledge Taiwan's independence, and are a quiet threat to Taiwan every day. (Our own government does not recognize democratic Taiwan as a separate country; a cowardly reaction to China.)
Maybe that is not enough? Maybe human rights violations aren't close enough to home--they do seem unreal, don't they? Well, maybe you are a pet owner. Have you heard about China's sickening, government-sponsored slaughter of dogs and cats? This didn't happen decades ago, this is in the last year (cats) and two years (dogs).
Don't try to tell me China is improving. It is only whitewash. Their oppression of Christianity and other religion continues, despite the watered-down churches the Chinese government allows to meet. (Yes, as long as they don't preach the second coming of Jesus and other "revolutionary" ideas, and as long as no children are "forced" to attend by their parents...). They continue to persecute house churches thanks to the broadly-interpreted constitution, which states that `No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the State.'' Who gets to interpret what is "disruptive"? Who gets to design the educational system of the State? Yes, the Chinese Government.
I have been to Beijing, central China and Shanghai. I have been inside a Chinese orphanage. I have seen just glimpses of the poverty that China is trying to hide from the world as they whitewash Beijing for the foreigners. If you still think China is worth supporting by watching the Olympics, I challenge you to watch all 38 minutes of this video. I couldn't. If you don't have time to watch the whole thing, just skip to the last 5 minutes... about the length of a commercial break.
In 1938, China purposely flooded the Yangtze river to keep Japanese troops from advancing any further. The Chinese government decided it would be best not to warn their citizens. It is estimated that at least 500,000 died in this flood. Fundamentally, their mentality has not changed. To this day, the Chinese government believes that they alone can judge what is best for China as a whole. They do not take individuals into account, they have no respect for human rights, religion, freedom...even basic human compassion escapes them.
I visited Tienamen Square and never before or since have I sensed evil, but I did that day. It was thick and heavy. I refuse to watch the Beijing Olympics, and I hope you will also consider taking a stand.
Comments
Theresa:
You are awesome, thanks for doing this so people know the truth.
Linda Johnson Cottrell
Through my church and their missions I knew much about Chinese prejudice against religion. I was also aware through some recent news breaks that their is no value of life in Chinese culture. Until now, I've had a dim view of Chinese culture based on their business practices. Stealing and copying protected intellectual products, copying and selling every sort of technology undermining all international patents, etc., I was not aware however, of the backward thinking similar to India in regard to the value of one sex over another. This one child policy has created a dilemma for parents. Where are all those men going to find wives? What aggression will this breed when they are unable to marry and procreate? This will result in the next World War. If you think they treat their own badly, you have no idea what bad is. They do still have a conscience over this stuff because it is their own. The first generation of these 1 child rules are now looking for wives which are increasingly hard to find. The successful men are looking internationally for their wives, what happens when they finally decide to move militarily on Taiwan? You can thank Jimmy Carter for throwing that ally to the dogs. The word will hit the world like a giant slap in the face, nearly all men killed and all the women taken as sex slaves. Chinese aggression has been on a low simmer for a very long time and Tibet is being consumed by that much. Still the world will not act to stop Chinese aggression until they move beyond borders they've been claiming for centuries, but have not militarily acted upon as yet.