For some reason I didn’t sleep last night. I suspect it might be some new tea I drank that might have caffeine in it. At any rate, I stumbled out of bed this morning to check my email and all…when I came to this incredible article posted on Facebook by a friend. The Nobel Peace Prize just went to Liu Xiaobo of China. After their selection last year, I have absolutely no respect for the Nobel Prize committee. I didn’t hear much about this man, Liu Xiaobo, and didn’t think anymore about it until this morning.
This is his final statement, I believe after which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. All I could say was, “wow.” It is so encouraging to see people around the world giving their lives for the same ideas that I’m promoting. The note before his statement is interesting as well. The person (writer for that website? I’m not sure of their name) pointed out that these political dissidents don’t appeal to the rights they have as Chinese citizens but as human beings. Liu Xiaobo’s arguments are universal. They are the same arguments we should be using.
Anyways, without further delay, I would like to quote my favorite part of his statement:
“I have no enemies, and no hatred. None of the police who monitored, arrested and interrogated me, the prosecutors who prosecuted me, or the judges who sentence me, are my enemies. While I’m unable to accept your surveillance, arrest, prosecution or sentencing, I respect your professions and personalities. This includes Zhang Rongge and Pan Xueqing who act for the prosecution at present: I was aware of your respect and sincerity in your interrogation of me on 3 December.
For hatred is corrosive of a person’s wisdom and conscience; the mentality of enmity can poison a nation’s spirit, instigate brutal life and death struggles, destroy a society’s tolerance and humanity, and block a nation’s progress to freedom and democracy. I hope therefore to be able to transcend my personal vicissitudes in understanding the development of the state and changes in society, to counter the hostility of the regime with the best of intentions, and defuse hate with love.”
And what can I say? He has said all that I have ever thought, and much more eloquently than I could ever hope. And even more poignantly, he has a life that gives silent testimony to his staunch belief in these ideas. May we be brave enough to not only blog about liberty but also live it.
