On the recordMay 30, 2014
On June 4, we mark the 25th anniversary of the massacre of peaceful protesters in Tiananmen Square in the People's Republic of China. These protesters were merely calling for democracy, an end to the dictatorship of the Communist Party, and an end to government corruption. The Chinese Government has tried to remove Tiananmen Square from the consciousness of its people by censoring social media and preemptively arresting those who would raise questions, pick quarrels, and provoke trouble. We will always remember. We will remember the art students who sculpted the ``Goddess of Democracy,'' a defining image of the Tiananmen Square protests, inspired by the Statue of Liberty. We will remember the Tank Man, who singlehandedly stopped Chinese tanks in their tracks. We will remember the hundreds, perhaps thousands--there has never been an official counting--of those who died that day. The spirit of the protesters lives on in these stories of heroism. That spirit lives on in all those around the world who value freedom and human rights. We will always remember the students of Tiananmen Square. And to the Chinese people who yearn for freedom, do not give up hope. One day, you too will breathe free. ____________________
