June 4th

Today marked the 20th anniversary of the student strike at Tiannamen Square, Beijing. It is a solemn occasion filled with sadness and sorrow. Despite the heavy media coverage on June 4th every year, I believe a moment of silence is the most appropriate way to remember the tragic event. In addition, we should also continue the discourse on June 4th which is a way to honor those student demonstrators who died tragically that dark night. What will that discourse entail?

Some possible questions to explore are:

- What does it mean to have a 'voice' in politics and policy-making? Think about our lives in terms of the institutions we participate in (e.g. school, local government,). How is 'voice' related to the disenfranchised and the disempowered in society? Who are they? To what extent is 'voice' relevant or not to one's livelihood - socially and economically?

- What do we know from primary and secondary sources about June 4th (e.g. text publication, audio recordings, video, news coverage)? Whose point of view are those sources derived from? How do we know that?

- How do we compare and contrast the following systems of governance - politically and economically? 'Communism', 'Democracy', 'Capitalism'
What connotations do they carry in China, in the United States, in the West, in the East? What judgments do we have on those ways of governance and why have they failed or succeeded in the context of all societal power structures?

- Is there a difference between a socio-political revolution, student movements and civil resistance? How should June 4th be characterized as? What other examples in history could we draw upon to explain how the differentiation is relevant to a potential outcome in the context of the system of governance?

- Individual rights and freedom are the fighting cause of the June 4th demonstrators. Do you agree with their cause? Why or why not? What does it really mean to have individual rights and freedom? How would that look and feel like?

- The student demonstrators were from mostly affluent and educated backgrounds, how does that play out on the grounds of China? How does that characterize the aftermath of June 4th, people's lives and livelihood and the direction of governance in China?

I believe this kind of discourse is missing on June 4th and of course this will never take place in China. But, I for one am indebted to the student demonstrators of June 4th, who courageously spoke out against their own government. It is their fight that allows us to have moments of freedom and liberty everyday. As abstract as those ideals could be, those are larger than life itself. We have not quite reach true democracy even in the United States, we still have a long way to go.

But, we have to remember that 20 years ago to this day, a grassroot organizing action started from a seed of thought by students who may have appeared naive and out of control by China, but have risked themselves, ultimately their lives, on the cause of individual rights and freedom. May their spirit and their fight continue to move our hearts and minds for generations to come. Let's not forget what they wanted, not just for themselves but for all of us. Thanks for reading.