This Statue Must Stand

History lesson, kids. On June 4, 1989, pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, China erected a large statue in Tiananmen Square. This statue was named the "Goddess of Democracy." It resembled our own Statue of Liberty, a gift from the French on July 4, 1884, that sits in New York Harbor. Now, unlike the statue in Beijing, our statue was meant to symbolize what was already a political fact in the United States. The French gift was meant to show us, and the world, what we already represented and continued to strive for. The "Goddess of Democracy" was meant to symbolize something absent and suppressed, and therefore, had to be demanded. Five days later, China's Communist regime let loose with a brutal assault against the protesters. Not only was the statue destroyed, but other symbols of the movement and, most importantly, untold lives were destroyed, as well. That campaign is ongoing to this very day in China, as it is in every country where freedom is something yearned for, but not allowed.  

    The most striking thing, although not at all surprising, is that China not only viciously suppresses any discussion of the Tiananmen Square massacre, but also censors the Internet and blocks any social media sites or reporting on the massacre. There are no public gatherings allowed; not even by a group such as the "Tiananmen Mothers", who attempt to commemorate the protests and the loss of loved ones. And remember the "Tank Man"? He was the young man who famously stood alone in front of a huge line of Chinese tanks. He was THE symbol of the protest. He's gone. Poof! Nowhere to be found. Three people know what happened to him; NO, BAH, and DEE. You'd have a better chance of finding the Loch Ness monster.

    Many of today's young people in China don't know clue one about Tiananmen Square, or the history that led to it, let alone the aftermath. Can you imagine young people in the United States today, not knowing about Kent State, or the various protests/riots since the 60s? How about closer to now? Somehow the word never gets out about George Floyd? Some of you may want to think about that the next time you want someone banned from Facebook or wherever because they are of a different mind than you.  

    What's all this leading to, Boss? Well, I'm glad you asked, Sancho. Even though they could not build memorials in Tiananmen Square to honor their heroes, as time went on statues started going up all over the world in support of the protesters. One of these places was Portsmouth Square Park in San Francisco's Chinatown section. They put up a replica of the "Goddess of Democracy" statue. It was a remarkable effort by people in another country trying to preserve the memory of one of the most important events in modern Chinese history. Trust me, it wasn't easy. 

    As early as July 1989, there was nearly unanimous support for the statue. But there was internal debate within the city council. It was later reported that the Chinese Consulate was trying to strong-arm the city council into dropping its plans. Well, the ensuing outcry after that report, all but sealed the deal for the statue. It was dedicated on June 4, 1994...the fifth anniversary of the massacre. All the appropriate politicos were there including Frank Wong, founder for the Chinese Democracy Education Foundation, as well as seven of the "21 Most Wanted" student leaders from the protests. This event united Americans and our tradition of defending democratic movements and values with the Chinese people and their desire for freedom, as well as other peoples all around the world. 

    Now, after all this...and all these years later...the Chinese government may finally get its wish. Last month, the sculptor, Thomas Marsh, claims he was told that the city government may have plans to renovate the park and according to sources, surrogates for the Chinese government are pushing for the Goddess of Democracy to be removed for the project...and not returned. Really? My passport says USA! And even though San Francisco may act like a socialist state sometimes...it's still in the USA, right? Right, boss. Then, what the f*#k is going on? Sorry about that...

    Look, I understand that China has been disgustingly consistent in its efforts to influence democratic states around the world. The Chinese government under Xi Jinping has an incredible disdain for democratic values. They have also reportedly undertaken efforts to interfere with Chinese-Americans' speech and political activity. And while the accusations I have written about above for this particular issue have remained unconfirmed by the California state and local governments, I have little doubt as to their veracity.

    This memorial is viewed by many in the San Francisco, Chinese-American community as a symbol of resilience and hope, and also, not to put too fine a point on it, for Americans not to take Freedom and Democracy for granted. And at the VERY least, that San Franciscans and Americans work to ENSURE any effort by the Chinese government to have the statue removed from Portsmouth Square Park is soundly and overwhelmingly defeated. 

    This statue must stand.

write to Peter: magtour@icloud.com