As New Year's approaches, and thoughts about resolutions start their annual dance in the conscience, a disturbing story out of China compels me to resolve that next year, when critiquing the state of American democracy, I will always bear in mind how fortunate I am to have been born in the U.S.A.
Last week, China's Communist rulers tried and convicted a dissident named Liu Xiaobo -- for his role in writing Charter '08, a manifesto calling for "human rights, free speech, and an end to one-party rule."
The horrors. Reform, rights, choices. For that, he faces 11 years in prison. That'll teach 'em. Throw away the key, this guy's a danger to society.
Surreal.
Charged with inciting subversion of state power -- in a secret trial that lasted only two hours -- this scholarly essayist and literary critic is but the latest in a series of Chinese freedom seekers crushed by the tragically insecure sultans of suppression who run that country. Old dictators so afraid of a document that had only 300 signatures when the arrest order was first issued -- in a country of over a billion people!
Liu had already been in jail for over a year waiting for his show trial, staged by a country that lays claim to being a role model for how a rising economic power can offer its citizens a better life by loosening the marketplace, as long as the Communist party maintains a vise grip on power.
Meanwhile, the official news agency assured its readers that all legal procedures were followed, and Liu's litigation rights were fully protected -- while saying nothing about the harsh verdict. Instead, with the iron fist of doublespeak, they declared 2009 as the "year of citizens' rights."
Liu and the 10,000 other Chinese who have signed the Charter since it went online obviously have a different vision about citizenship.
Check out the actual text of the Charter, it's pretty interesting reading. Not just for them, but for us as well. Consider this line in Article III: "The time is arriving everywhere for citizens to be masters of states." Though the context and actualization of that means something different over there, the sentiment is one that American citizens would do well to adopt as well.
Or this bit about "fostering the consciousness of modern citizens who see rights as fundamental and participation as a duty." Odd that we never see the word duty in the same sentence as rights in most American discussions about politics. But we should, as citizen responsibilities are the grease that keeps our wheel of rights turning smoothly. Or not.
But like I said, it's all relative. So on New Year's eve I'll be making my resolution. And reminding myself of just how happy and lucky I am to live in America, no matter how many flaws we have. Especially when nearly all those flaws can be fixed if we, the citizens, choose to become masters of our own state.
Loading comments… 
