| Here is a small trivia challenge for you. Who | | | | to endure when confronted with some of the |
| said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to | | | | extreme tortures thrust upon them is the |
| justice everywhere"? If you guessed Dr. | | | | stuff that only the greatest are made of. |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. you would be correct. | | | | |
| | | | It makes one shudder to contemplate being |
| However, you may not have heard this next | | | | forced to live in a cage that is too small to |
| quote. Doctor King said, "He who passively | | | | stand up and too narrow to sit down. The |
| accepts evil is as much involved in it as he | | | | enormous horror of living in that situation |
| who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts | | | | day after day strikes at the very depth of |
| evil without protesting against it is really | | | | the soul. Everyone should be fully aware of |
| cooperating with it." | | | | what is happening in China today. |
| | | | |
| That is a powerful wake up call. Reading it | | | | The plight of the Falun Gong practitioners is |
| brings to mind a human rights tragedy | | | | a noble one, deserving of support. Without |
| happening right now. | | | | freedom, quality of life is diminished to a |
| | | | shadow of what it should be. |
| In China, many Falun Gong practitioners are | | | | |
| struggling to obtain one of the most precious | | | | In response to their enormous suffering and |
| of all human rights. That is the freedom to | | | | equally enormous endurance, visit the |
| believe what they choose in the space between | | | | Faluninfo website to more fully understand |
| their ears. | | | | the tragedy and learn what you can do to help |
| | | | eliminate the continued suffering of these |
| Here is a not so trivial question. Who is | | | | brave hearted men and women. |
| withholding that right from them? | | | | |
| | | | Here are two more Dr. King quotes. "In the |
| If you answered, "the Chinese Communist | | | | End, we will remember not the words of our |
| Party", right again! With their track record | | | | enemies, but the silence of our friends" and |
| of killing those who support democracy and | | | | "The time is always right to do what is |
| those who support other freedoms, it wouldn't | | | | right". |
| have been hard for you to guess. | | | | |
| | | | The power to make a difference is in your |
| What is amazing about the Falun Gong | | | | hands. To support the just and good is a |
| practitioners is that much like Ghandi and | | | | choice. And the choice you make may be |
| Dr. King, they believe in the way of peaceful | | | | remembered throughout history. |
| non-violence. These noble men and women are | | | | |
| working towards that precious freedom without | | | | A simple action to take is to call the |
| hate and without physical conflict. Many have | | | | Chinese Embassy in New York or Chicago and |
| given up their lives to do so. | | | | say three simple words, "Stop the |
| | | | Persecution". They will understand exactly |
| Between the torture and killings that are | | | | what you mean even if they pretend not to. |
| rarely reported in the world's media, the | | | | |
| price paid so far has been extremely high. | | | | The New York Embassy phone number is: |
| Your heart aches upon thinking of those who | | | | 212-868-7752 (US). |
| have endured so much torture and for those | | | | |
| who have paid the ultimate price to obtain | | | | The Chicago Chinese Embassy phone number is: |
| freedom. Yet, the struggle is not won and | | | | 312-803-0098 (US). |
| continues right at this moment. | | | | |
| | | | When the horn of freedom is sounded in times |
| Admiration for those who remain firm in the | | | | of need, men and women of the highest |
| face of such terror is boundless. The courage | | | | character heed the call. |