20-Year Anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre

Tomorrow, June 4th, marks the 20 year anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Early on the morning of June 4th, 1989, thousands of Chinese troops rushed Tiananmen Square and the surrounding area in Beijing, China, with tanks and teargas. The communist government brutally killed students, intellectuals, peasants and factory workers who were there to call for political freedom and to end government corruption. The protests, sparked by the death of beloved Communist Party Chief, Hu Yaobang, lasted a total of seven weeks and at its height saw an estimated 1 million people fill the Square.

It is hard to believe that just 11 months ago we, as a family of four, stood on the same ground on which this horrible event took place and was subsequently televised to the rest of the world. Our visit there was a meaningful one in many ways. I knew that I was standing in a place where horrendus crimes against humanity took place, yet during my visit is was mostly a place of beauty. It was a place where people were gathered to observe, to take in the sights and sounds, to learn, to reflect...and for us, to try to gain an understanding and respect for our daughter's birth country. I must say, however, there was still a certain amount of eeriness for me among the beauty. I'm not sure how else to put it.

With that being said, it has been difficult to read articles and see pictures of the events that unfolded 20 years ago in the same exact place I stood with my family less than one year ago. Two perspectives, two contrasting pictures, two moments in time.

Then...

Now...


May those who lost their lives rest in peace.