Speaking of Heroes
Posted by Danielle Bean in News on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 4:23 PM
Did you read the news about Michael McMonagle, a 55 year old American who staged a pro-life protest in Tiananmen Square?
With the one-child policy that encourages abortions, couples can now have more than one child—if they pay a fine. For many families, that can be more than a year’s salary.
“In some parts of China, 10,000 yuan [or about $1,400] is the price of life,” said McMonagle, cofounder of Generation Life, which advocates chastity for young people.
McMonagle said he was trying to raise money to channel to Chinese women who can’t afford the fines but don’t want abortions.
The protesters were taken to the police station and threatened with jail time before being sent back to Philadelphia. They believe they were treated “lightly” only because the world was watching.
I am such a wimp. Back in college, I once wore a “Pro-Life” t-shirt to a party where I knew it wouldn’t be well received. I also once organized a campus display of hundreds of white crosses to represent the number of abortions that take place in one hour in the United States. What’s most embarrassing is how uncomfortable even these small kinds of protests make me.
Naturally, the location of McGonagle’s protest calls to mind the brutality of China’s past response to public protest. I am not sure I would be willing to risk Chinese jail time (or worse) in order to draw international attention to the plight of Chinese women and their babies. But I am awfully glad people like McMonagle are.
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