Majora Carter, American Hero!

From:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/04/10/2008-04-10_olympic_torch_bearer_from_bronx_in_tibet.html


"As she ran with the flame, Majora Carter, 41, a South Bronx environmental activist, whipped out a small Tibetan flag to condemn China's human rights abuses in the Himalayan province. Carter, who hid the flag in her sleeve, was quickly hustled off the route by surprised police who seized the torch.
"I was expressing my right as an American citizen using freedom of speech in support of people who don't have it," Carter said. "It just became really clear to me what was going on in Tibet and I wanted to do something."

Thanks, Majora - You make me proud to be a fellow American!

University of Washington censors the Dalai Lama

The Seattle PI newspaper had an article online that said this today, at http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/schoolzone/archives/136186.asp

"The Dalai Lama will spend five days in Seattle starting Friday. On Monday, he will receive an honorary degree from the UW, then talk about the importance of compassion and answer questions from students. Those questions have already been selected by university officials, and conflict regarding Tibetan autonomy will not be discussed, UW spokesman Norm Arkans told the P-I on Wednesday. "

I am an alumnus of the University of Washington, and I am ashamed and outraged that the UW would censor his holiness. He has traveled 10,000 miles to the land of the free and the home of the brave, only to be censored in one of the most liberal states in the Union.

Here is my post on that web page on this subject:

"As a UW Alum, I am so appalled that the UW would dare to muzzle the Dalai Lama that I intend to protest it by marching with a sign in front of the Hec Edmundson while the Dalai Lama speaks, to the extent that he is permitted top speak. The sign will read, "Shame, UW Muzzles Dalai Lama!" I invite anyone who shares my feelings to join me. Contact me at: webmastersfortibet.blogspot.com/ "

I asked UW for comments on this question:

Here is UW's response to the claim that the Dalai Lama is being censored, written in an e-mail to me by Mr. Norman Arkans, representing UW:

"No one is censoring or muzzling the Dalai Lama. Contrary to what you have read, the event on Monday is part of the Seeds of Compassion series of events, which have been designed with the Dalai Lama to focus on sowing seeds of compassion in the hearts and minds of youth as as strategy to improve the world. At our academic convocation, he will be receiving an honorary doctorate degree and will address the audience of more than 7,000 people for about 40 minutes. He will speak on whatever he wants to."

I thank Mr. Arkans for quickly clearing up this issue, and I both hope and expect that the Dalai Lama will receive a warm welcome in Seattle, where an entire sports stadium has run out of tickets for His Holiness' appearance this week. Free Tibet!

I am not an enemy of China or its people, and neither is the Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama reminds me of Gandhi and Martin Luther King. The behavior of the Chinese government reminds Americans of the KKK, and Nazis. When China abuses and represses Tibetans and Han Chinese civil rights activists, China reminds me of everything we Americans despise. I want to be friends with China, but not at the cost of losing my ideals!

I am not condemning the Chinese people, I am condemning the Chinese government. Nothing would please me more than being able to like and respect the Chinese government, but that will not happen until it respects religious freedom and civil rights.

If Chinese people believe that critics of Chinese government policy hate China and the Chinese, how can they reconcile this with the fact that I know the names, Zhao Ziyang , Hu Yaobang, Yang Chunlin and Hu Jia, and admire and respect them? My earnest hope for freedom and civil rights for all citizens of China, including Tibetans, is a sign of my good will towards all of the citizens of China--even though I do not regard Tibet as truely a part of China.

Like the Dalai Lama, I would be able to tolerate Chinese rule of Tibet, if China would restrict is role to that of defense and foreign affairs, and stop repressing the Tibetan people.

Jesse Owens and the Nazi-hosted Olympics

Chinese propagandists are saying we should go to the Olympics because we sent Jesse Owens to the Nazi-hosted Olympics. Bringing up Jesse Owens is a red herring, because, of course, sending an African American to compete in the Berlin Olympics was a rebuke to Nazi racism. There is no such point to be made by simply sending athletes to the Chinese Olympics. We could make our point by doing as Ms. Pelosi suggested, and boycotting the opening ceremonies. Better yet, if we could find athletes with the courage, would be for them to wear black armbands to the Olympics, and have them explain to reporters that they were in mourning for the Tibetan people. That would be a gesture worthy of Mr. Owens!

The Olympic Torch isn't the Chinese people's torch

The Olympic torch was lit today in China, but it isn't the torch the Chinese people wanted. Their torch was held aloft by their Statue of Liberty, the one that they built. That torch was torn down, and the people were attacked and killed or jailed by the "People's" army in Tiananmen square in 1989. Young adults in China today know nothing of this, because the Chinese government propaganda machine has vilified the patriots who demonstrated for freedom that day, and dismissed them as a few anti-social hooligans. This process is, of course, taking place today in China, only it is currently directed against the Tibetan demonstrators. If the Tiananmen Square demonstrators had been successful in reforming the Chinese government, I doubt if there would have been the demonstrations in Tibet, because the people of Tibet would probably have had far fewer grievances.

See: Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989

Those with nothing to hide don't ban reporters

A regime with nothing to hide doesn't remove all independent reporters, indeed, all foreigners, from a location. This gives independent onlookers every reason to fear for the worst in the way of repression and human rights violations. People don't riot en masse if all is well, either. Obviously, the Chinese government has a great deal to hide.

Blaming a prominent Buddhist monk for violence is, of course, absurd. For the Chinese government to demand that the the Dalai Lama forswear violence would be amusing if it weren't so tragic, as he forswore violence when he took his monastic vows, and preaches non-violence constantly in all venues. If some Tibetans have been pushed to the point of violence, that is an extra element of tragedy in the extensive abuses which have pushed this peaceful people to violate their religious traditions by engaging in violence. Despite the murders, beatings, torture, and decades of unjust imprisonment of nuns and monks in Tibet, many older Tibetans strove to restrain the younger Tibetans who are less confirmed in their Buddhist faith.

The Chinese government has striven to stamp out Buddhism in Tibet, and we see the result-there are fewer committed pacifists in Tibet than there used to be. It is very sad that the Chinese government is unlikely to realize that they have created the conditions that are leading to rioting in Tibet, and that they are foolish indeed not to work with the Dalai Lama in restoring peace and harmony in Tibet.

I support the people of Tibet in their struggle for religious freedom and human rights!

Heroic Chinese scholars and intellectuals speak out on Tibet

Some day the Chinese people will realize that the 29 intellectuals and scholars who published an open letter to the Chinese government urging a reform of Tibet policy are heroes. I am deeply concerned about their welfare, as these brave moral leaders will almost certainly be punished by the Chinese government for their outspoken criticism of the government's brutal Tibetan policy.

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I support the Tibetan people in their struggle for religious freedom and human rights.