Ezra Klein: Tiananmen Square

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June 04, 2005

Tiananmen Square

Today is the 16th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. I was barely conscious when the Chinese government decided to stop down on an incipient student protest, but the image that survived the confrontation has always stuck with me as the most powerful photo I've ever seen. So what better way to commemorate the day than to show the picture?

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June 4, 2005 | Permalink

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» How much do you love freedom? from Dean's World

I am informed that Saturday was the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. The remarkable thing about the incident was the extraordinary leng... [Read More]

Tracked on Jun 5, 2005 12:15:28 PM

» 16 years later from asiapundit
photo via glutter (this post will be updated throughout the day.) Horse's Mouth has several posts on now and then. Glutter has photos from Hong Kong and a new banner. Also, Yan makes an excellent point about the photo [Read More]

Tracked on Jun 5, 2005 8:00:16 PM

Comments

The last 3+ years, the word "courage" has been bandied about, marketed, bought, sold, defined, overused.

But here is a man, who grew up in a society where everyone is taught their place, where understanding one's role and respecting the authority of others is one of the supreme goods. He did not know what was going on, he did not see the cameras, he did not pose. He saw the tanks and in an instant decided that what they were going to do was wrong, and that he should stop it.

I salute him, and anyone who makes a decision, who takes a stand - not because there are cameras around, not because they're running for office, but because they know what is right and cannot keep silent or still any longer. This man probably does not know the profound impact he has had on people. But it has indeed been a profound impact, and those of us who have been inspired by him should continue to speak out and stand up, to write letters and volunteer, to run blogs (even if they don't reach the unpersuaded), to vote and to give, to speak out against injustices and bigotry and hatred small and large. We should do this in the hopes that our small acts will prepare us, if ever we find ourselves facing down a line of tanks on our way home from work.

Posted by: Stephen | Jun 4, 2005 2:58:20 PM

While I join in your salute to this young man's courage, I'd also like to express my dismay that this photo (and the anniversary of this event) inevitably gets more play in the American press than the anniversary of the killings at Kent State University, an event that produced a powerful image of its own.

Posted by: zeke | Jun 4, 2005 3:57:33 PM

I was conscious (if grad school can be called "conscious"), but certainly naive, and I vividly remember being absolutely stunned at the news. The exercise of military power to crush a protest was just so blatant and unapologetic, it left a vivid impression. On the other hand, the protesters provided a memorable example of true heroism -- except in China, where essentially all memory of them has been erased.

Posted by: Sean | Jun 4, 2005 6:01:33 PM

Does anyone know who that guy is? Or what happened to him?

Posted by: Thad | Jun 5, 2005 5:44:55 PM

I believe he was imprisoned, then died in prison...

Posted by: Xerixes | Jun 5, 2005 10:02:20 PM

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