The June 4 massacre shattered the hope for immediate change, but it also gave me a lifelong mission. After surviving prison and eventually rebuilding my life in the United States, I came to understand that freedom is never guaranteed. It survives only when ordinary people are willing to defend it, often at tremendous personal cost.
The courage of the Tiananmen protesters, the unknown Tank Man, the Tiananmen Mothers, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, and countless others has taught the world two enduring lessons. First, the Chinese people deeply value freedom, democracy, and human dignity, and many are willing to sacrifice everything to defend those ideals. Second, acts of conscience have a power that transcends both time and borders.