June 5, 1989, 25 years ago this week, an iconic event occurred. This was the day after Chinese troops had stormed through Beijing and into Tiananmen Square to thwart a political uprising that had been fueled by students. Perhaps you've seen the image: a line of tanks proceed down the street when suddenly, during this demonstration of power and authority, a man in a white shirt, carrying what appeared to be two grocery bags, stepped in front of the foremost tank.
Julie Makinen of the LA Times recalls:
"The lead vehicle halted. It moved right and left to avoid the defenseless man. Each time, he adjusted his position to remain in the tank’s path. Finally, he shifted the bags to one hand, jumped onto the tank and appeared to talk to its driver. The standoff, just east of the square, was captured by newspaper photographers and TV news crews. The standoff lasted but a few minutes, but was so tense with drama that witnesses recall it feeling like an eternity... To this day, no one knows for sure the man’s name, or whether he’s dead or alive. Still, Time magazine named the man one of the century's top 20 revolutionaries, whose 'moment of self-transcendence [was seen] by more people than ever laid eyes on Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and James Joyce combined.'"
Tank Man has become an icon of being true to ourselves and standing up for what we believe in; standing against oppression and standing up for the truth.
A few weeks ago, I posted the story of the "Lie Log" assignment that I was given in school and how keeping the log made me question what true honesty really is. Some who read the article told me that they felt like the ideas presented in it flowed together well and that it was thought provoking, but apparently that flow was brought to a screeching halt when I quoted Gordon Hinckley, who suggested that the virtue of honesty falls under an umbrella of absolute truth. I'm familiar with the idea of religion being a conversation stopper; who wants to argue with someone who says that the reason why they believe that something is right or truth is just because deity told them so? Is there such a thing as absolute truth, some kind of standard of morality all should adhere to?
I spent two years as a missionary in Alaska and the Yukon Territory and during that time we would frequently go door to door searching for those who would be receptive to our message. Yes, I was one of those guys who wore a white shirt, tie, and name tag, knocked on your door and asked if you'd like to hear a message about Christ. Occasionally we would get a response that went something like this: "I'm sure that that works for you and I'm happy that you've found what makes you happy, but its just not for me." It really made me think, is truth truly relative?
I'll leave that up for you to decide, but I will say this: the only reason why governments are able to promote and maintain any kind of order and peace is because of an agreement amongst the people of values that they would like to uphold together. Aren't there some truths that we all can agree on and stand up for?
I spent two years as a missionary in Alaska and the Yukon Territory and during that time we would frequently go door to door searching for those who would be receptive to our message. Yes, I was one of those guys who wore a white shirt, tie, and name tag, knocked on your door and asked if you'd like to hear a message about Christ. Occasionally we would get a response that went something like this: "I'm sure that that works for you and I'm happy that you've found what makes you happy, but its just not for me." It really made me think, is truth truly relative?
I'll leave that up for you to decide, but I will say this: the only reason why governments are able to promote and maintain any kind of order and peace is because of an agreement amongst the people of values that they would like to uphold together. Aren't there some truths that we all can agree on and stand up for?
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