Occasionally, friends' of Gao Zhisheng will share with me their thoughts and opinions of him and his actions in defending Falun Gong. Comments and opinions from outsiders seem to be confusing. I would like to share my thoughts on what I understand about attorney Gao.
I will not comment on his political viewpoints. I will not discuss whether he is a Christian or if he is a "free thinker." These are names used to limit our full understanding of the whole person. Here I would like to talk about his character.
First, Gao is a person who shows great compassion toward all people, especially those at the bottom of society who others have forgotten. I have seen him crying over the hardships of workers. Usually we think of intellectuals as standing up for the rights of all in society including the weakest members. Due to his compassion for others Gao takes this one step further. Gao readily takes on the cases that many lawyers do not want to take on, not dare to take on due to pressure from the government, and/or not care to deal with. Gao took on the case of Ye Guoqing who committed suicide. He took on the medical malpractice case of an elderly woman who had nowhere else to turn. Even more unique, Gao takes on such cases pro bono , although he also takes cases related to business and charge his clients market price.
Gao is a smart man. He has a tendency to talk quickly and his words are usually accurate as he makes a point in an argument. So quick and so sharp are his words that some are startled by it.
Gao does not have a university degree. Sometimes the words he uses in the courtroom reflect this lack of a degree. However, this also means that he lacks the sham, affectation, and smugness exhibited by many lawyers who have degrees.
One thing I remember very clearly is the experience he had after bumping into the car of a government official. The driver jumped out of the car and shouted, "Damn you! Do you who you hit!" Gao replied immediately, "Flunky, how do you know my position is lower than your boss's?" With those well-chosen words, Gao had turned the situation around completely. The driver calmed down immediately.
Gao has a great memory. If Gao's family had not been so poor, there is no question that he would have obtained a university degree. Because of the need to support his mother and family at a young age, Gao was forced to give up the opportunity to attend a good middle-school. Gao easily recalls large numbers of legal terms and articles. Moreover, his use of these terms in the courtroom is fluid and on target in making a legal point. Gao has used his natural abilities to become an excellent lawyer within a very short period of time.
Gao is the most diligent and morally strong person that I have ever known. Gao starts work each day at 6A.M. He carries a heavy caseload and is diligent in dividing the time he spends on each case. Every year Gao sets personal goals for his professional development as a lawyer. Each year he masters a new legal field. Gao has spent much of his recent legal efforts on forced evictions due to urban development, the rights of construction workers, and freedom of speech including the Shannbei Petroleum Case. Most likely, the Falun Gong issue represented a special challenge to Gao. Whether or not he should have taken on this challenge to represent Falun Gong practitioners is not the topic of discussion here. Many people who think they are intelligent may have different answers to this question. The moral courage Gao has demonstrated during his defense of Falun Gong practitioners would be hard to find in any other lawyer in China today.
I need to point out that Gao is not a person who likes to take unnecessary risks. Gao has never underestimated the danger he would encounter during his defense of Falun Gong. He has mentally prepared himself for these risks and the very real dangers they represent. When early on Zheng Enchong was sent to prison, Gao saw the danger that lawyers who defended Falun Gong practitioners would face. Gao strongly believes that only by being a righteous person can disaster be avoided. However, his righteousness and unselfishness can offer him only limited protection. The bottom line in his defense of Falun Gong practitioners has always been that eventually he would have conflict with the authorities.
Gao has a great personality. He is one of the funniest people I have ever known. His sense of humor comes from the personal experiences and the values with which he has lived his life. Several times when people treated him with undue respect because they thought that he was old, he made fun of himself to make them laugh. Because of his influence, his young daughter Ge Ge also has a sense of humor. Gao said that his daughter has given him a lot of nicknames such as "Old Gao (Lao Gao, Gao Lao Tou)" and "Old Pig Gao (Gao Lao Zhu)." Gao knows that his daughter uses these nicknames in a loving way.
Gao was raised in a very poor family. Because of their poverty, he and his family had been subjected to all kinds of insults, humiliation and ridicule. He is very generous and forgiving toward others when he talks about the hardships he suffered. He rarely complains. When he studied for the college entrance examinations he gave it his full effort. He has never complained about those who made fun of him because he had lacked a formal education.
At the time of his marriage to Geng He, Gao had no money, no position and no future. His wife's parents were strongly against their marriage. At one time Geng He's parents had refused to visit with the young married couple. Gao never complained that his in-laws treated the young couple so badly. Instead, Gao treated his in-laws as if they were his own parents. Today, as a result of his compassion toward his wife's parents, they are a family united.
Gao has always said that his mother has had a big influence on how he lives his life. He was almost arrested once before. Afterwards, the police told him that they had monitored his phone for one year (this was before he had attracted the world's attention because of his acting as defense attorney in Falun Gong cases). The people who had tapped his phone discovered that he was a very honest person. The police at that time told Gao "we have found out that you love your mother very much." He was so happy to hear this and said, "You have found this out." He even became friends with those people who had monitored his telephones.
I will not deny that Gao sometimes uses extreme terms. I will not deny that there is room for improvement in his knowledge in theories of laws and philosophy. I admit that his attitude toward the opposing party is often antagonistic and that he needs to exhibit more tolerance toward differing viewpoints. Currently, I see an attempt of some oversea group to over-exaggerate the role Gao plays in China. Others have tried to make him look stupid by pointing out mistakes he has made. Still others have called him arrogant.
I have never thought of him as arrogant. On the contrary, because of his own life's experiences, Gao exhibits a kind of internal modesty and moral courage that is to be highly regarded. Many believe that these are very valuable characteristics of his personality.
We should not exaggerate Gao's influence nor praise him too highly. But let us admit that he has great moral courage, great compassion and a willingness to sacrifice himself for his ideals. These qualities may be present in both you and me, but he dares to express them. Let us cheer for him.
Let us pray for Gao in this time of need. Pray for his safety and for his early release. Let us also pray for the safety of his wife, son, daughter, and all his other family members. Although methods and actions may differ in the future, we need more people like Gao Zhisheng.
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