BOSTON—Will the birthplace of the American Revolution be the birthplace of awareness, the place where the eyes and hearts of Americans are opened to the lies and horrors underlying China's "One World One Dream" slogan? The overriding message from the diverse group of speakers at the rally for the Human Rights Torch Relay held on the Boston Common this past Sunday is that China's dream is mankind's nightmare.
Under a sparkling blue sky, at 12:20 p.m. on March 30, Paul Guzzi, a physical education teacher in Wellesley, ran the 27-mile marathon course from Hopkinton and entered Boston Common carrying a flaming torch that represented hope for human rights in China. Torches were symbolically lit for each of the 50 states as an estimated 1,500–2,000 people gathered.
Boston is the first city on the East Coast to host the Human Rights Torch Relay that began in August 2007 in Athens and has traveled to 26 countries and 80 cities with a direct message: The Olympics and crimes against humanity cannot coexist in China.
Speakers from all walks of life, from diverse backgrounds and points of view, spoke at the rally. Each shined their light onto the Chinese regime's inhumane actions, which have accelerated as China "prepares" for the upcoming Games.
Support for the Human Rights Torch Relay (HRTR), initiated by the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, was broad and strong with incisively worded resolutions from the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine. These can be viewed on the Web site www.hrtrnewengland.com along with a petition to show support for the HRTR.
Speakers included state Senators Edward Augustus Jr. and Dianne Wilkerson, and Boston City Councilor Michael Ross. Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch attended the rally, and state Senator Jim Marzilli sent a letter of support.
Mary Byrom, New England coordinator for the HRTR, said: "The Human Rights Torch Relay is a unique campaign that 'connects the dots' to all the groups suffering human rights abuses by the Chinese communist regime. Due to the large-scale nature of the CCP's human rights abuses, it is difficult for the average person to see the connections. By 'shining the light' on the perpetrator, the Chinese Communist Party's agenda and just how much damage they are really causing in the global community will be seen clearly."
Representatives from Physicians for Human Rights, New England Falun Dafa Assoc., Initiatives for China, Vietnamese-American Community of MA, Voice of the Martyrs, Doctors Without Borders, John Birch Society, Tibetan Assoc. of Boston, Students Against Genocide (STAND), Uyghur American Assoc., Save Gao (Gao Zhisheng, a human rights lawyer imprisoned in China), China Support Network, and The Party for Freedom and Democracy in China spoke at the rally.
Various speakers targeted specific atrocities. Whether they spoke under the banner of Dafur, Tibet, Falun Gong, the Uyghur Muslims, the pro-Democracy movement, or Christianity in China, the list of horrors was endless.
The event was punctuated with music and songs such as "America the Beautiful" by the Divine Land Marching Band and "Feels Like 1936 Again," which placed in the top five for Lyric Writing in the Great American Song Contest. There also were original songs from Marcus Gale, a performer from North Berwick, Maine, who seemed to capture the mood with lyrics like:
"All around the world, this Torch of light,
Brings the flame of hope to China's darkest night…
People deserve to be free…
One Torch, One Flame, One Light
Held high for all the world to see."
Senator Edward Kennedy, in a letter of support read at the rally, wrote: "In China, freedom of the press is being undermined, and freedom of religion is under attack for religious minorities. Like all of you, I am deeply concerned about the continuing reports of Falun Gong practitioners in China who are suffering from restrictions on freedom of belief and expression, arbitrary detentions, and even torture and death in custody.
"We as a nation also have an obligation to speak out about China's recent actions in Tibet and its role in human rights abuses in other nations as well. Especially now, as China prepares to host the Summer Olympic Games this year, it is time for the United States to urge all nations to come together to meet this great challenge."
Some say that out of the mouths of children, words of wisdom ring clear. Maybe the song performed by the children from the Boston area Chinese Minghui School, caught the spirit most directly with the lyrics: "Set them free, free the Falun Gong, free the Chinese Christians, free Tibet."
In New England, HRTR events will take place in Providence, RI, on April 5; Portsmouth, NH, on April 12; Portland, ME, on April 19; and New Haven, CT, on April 26. For more information, visit www.humanrightstorch.org.
Can the 1,000 or so people who came out in support of the event on Boston Common make a difference? The supporters of the HRTR certainly think so, and the Torch will be crossing America over the next few months. Senator Kennedy in his letter quotes his brother, President Kennedy, as saying that "each of us can make a difference, and all of us should try."
Steve Gigliotti of the Boston HRTR Steering Committee said: "The Human Rights Torch Relay uses the Olympics as a backdrop to light up the widespread horror that is rampant in China and that has also spread to countries around the world. The Torch is coming to many cities in America. It's time to take a stand."
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