I know that I personally gained a lot from the Tiananmen square massacre that plagued china 19 years ago. I’m thankful for the sacrifice, and proud of the courage of those students who stood up for what they believed.
Many have painted them as traitors, and have said how they do not love their own country and people. I disagree. I believed them to have loved their country and people more than any who have simply voiced their love, I honour their courage to stand up for their love for the betterment of their world, and I grieve for the sacrifices they were forced to make, some to the point of death.
And so, on the 19th anniversary of the Tiananmen square massacre, an event that catalysed and defined my future adult life. I remember…
I remember the sadness of hundred if not thousands of lives were lost that day…
I remember the finality of the crashing of dreams and hopes…
I remember the courage of the soldiers who refused to fire upon their own…
I remember the resolute defiance of individual to stand up for their belief…
I remember the cover ups done by the government, not just the numbers but also the facts…
I remember the corrupt members who made money off the blood of those who believed…
I remember the many people who were captured but then never heard from again…
I remember the shock and the anger that forever changed China…
It is not just the economical success that I carry with me… but also the sadness and loss of rights
It is not just the pride of belonging to the strongest race of people to walk this earth… but with it the knowledge of guilt
It is not just the oldest culture and many virtues so valued… but also knowing they mean nothing when you are but a drop in the ocean
Many refuse to believe that China has ever wronged, but believes they have been wronged by everyone else. Today I morn the wrong done, not to anyone else, but to those of us we hold most dear… ourselves.
We must remember the past, in order to prevent the cycle in the future… Lest we forget.
