I hope that I will be the last victim in China's long record of treating words as crimes.
Liu XiaoboRead
For those of us in the opposition movement under dictatorships, part of our job is confronting police and spending time in prison. So, a dissident not only needs to learn how to oppose oppression but also how to face the crackdowns and time in prison.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the struggles faced by dissidents under oppressive regimes, emphasizing the need for courage in the face of adversity.
Liu Xiaobo's quote underscores the harsh realities that individuals in opposition movements must confront when challenging authoritarian governments. It speaks to the dual responsibilities of dissidents: not only must they learn to advocate for freedom and justice, but they must also be prepared to endure the repercussions of their actions, including arrest and imprisonment. This highlights the bravery and resilience required to stand against oppression.
In practice
This quote can be used during a rally to inspire activists.
I hope that I will be the last victim in China's long record of treating words as crimes.
Free expression is the base of human rights, the root of human nature and the mother of truth. To kill free speech is to insult human rights, to stifle human nature and to suppress truth.
In order to exercise the right to freedom of speech conferred by the Constitution, one should fulfill the social responsibility of a Chinese citizen.
Ultimately, change will happen when problems persist and enough people are concerned.
There is no force that can put an end to the human quest for freedom, and China will, in the end, become a nation ruled by law, where human rights reign supreme.
If there has been any progress in the Chinese society and politics over the last 20 years, it is all because the citizens have been pushing for change.
I will do what I promised." He whispered. "No matter what. I will not send you into the darkness alone.
So instead of acknowledging applause, I stand there unmoving while they take part in the boldest form of dissent they can manage. Silence. Which says we do not agree. We do not condone. All of this is wrong.
I have learned that a woman can be a fighter, a freedom fighter, a political activist, and that she can fall in love, and be loved, she can be married, have children, be a mother... Revolution must mean life also; every aspect of life.
I feel like my career is to speak truth to power, and a lot of times, that sounds like troublemaking. If speaking truth is troublemaking, then yes, I will consider myself a professional at that.
It is easy to be disgruntled if you are denied rights and freedoms to which you feel entitled. But if you are not coherent, if you cannot put into words what it is that displeases you and why it is unfair and should change, then you are dismissed as an unreasonable whiner. You may be lectured about perseverance and patience, life as a test, the need to accept the higher wisdom of others.
The crisis is arrived when we must assert our rights, or submit to every imposition, that can be heaped upon us, till custom and use shall make us as tame and abject slaves, as the blacks we rule over with such arbitrary sway.
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