There are moments of pure evil in the world. Tiananmen Square was worse than 9/11. At least the hijackers considered us enemies. China butchered its own people. And we reward them with the Olympics.
Fifteen years. Still no answers. Still no reponsibility. Still no changes.
1989 was an amazing year. Freedom broke out everywhere. And the good guys finally won.
Except in Beijing.
Early June 1989 was a critical moment in my life. I made a big decision, took a big chance, reached out... and failed. (There's someone special who may or may not ever read this who knows what I mean.) It was a week that knocked me off my tracks and took me ages to think through. I'm still figuring things out.
Part of me thinks that the evil of that moment was so strong that it circled the world and impacted the experience I was living through, like some sort of unholy jinx. (They say that churches and halls can't get anyone to book September 11th weddings. Kinda like that.)
Maybe that's why this one, out of all the horrible things that have happened in the world in my lifetime, seems like the worst. The emotional intensity of that week burned this one into me deep.
Or maybe it's that the Chinese got away with it. Internal matter, too much business to do, see you at the Games in 2008. No boycotts, no war crimes trials.
Never forget the students of 1989. Freedom can't be stopped forever.
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