Banned in the PRC

As I told you last week, Mike went to China. He landed in Beijing and then travelled by train to Tianjin where he spent the majority of his week. He went back to Beijing early on Friday to try to do some sightseeing before coming home on Saturday only to find that pretty much the entire town was shut down for a parade rehearsal for the 60th anniversary celebration of China’s communist regime.

Mike mentioned a celebratory parade to me and I pictured flags and colors and dancing dragons and all manner of exciting things.

Do you want to know what a celebratory parade looks like in communist China?

Tanks.

Missiles.

Military.

At the point that he took these pictures, they were well into hour 3 of this parade. A parade that would have captured the heart of my 4 year old son… for a few minutes.

I read this evening while doing a little surfing that our own Empire State building in New York City is displaying red and yellow lights in honor of this 60th anniversary of communist rule in China. Like many Americans, this disturbs me.

Why would we want to celebrate a country’s government which stands for everything that we [at least should] stand against?

Tyranny.

Oppression.

Dehumanization.

I read an interesting article on the subject at Investors.com. It’s a really good read. Here’s the link.

"Honor China, Not Its Communism"

I find it interesting that when Mike and I talked on that Monday, he happened to mention that he tried to pull up my blog, this very blog that you are reading, but couldn’t. This little ol’ blog has been blocked by the People’s Republic of China.

Do you understand why?

Their government has filters on its internet service, much like what you would have on your home internet for your children's safety as they surf the internet researching a paper on the Greek goddess Athena. But instead of blocking pr0n, it is blocking sites like this one that talk a little too much about GOD, JESUS and the BIBLE. He could look at his political blogs and whatnot just fine. But not this little ol’ blog whose author loves to talk openly about her faith in Jesus Christ.

I’ve been banned in the PRC.

And I decided that, pretty much, I’m fine with that. It’s just interesting knowledge to have and not something I ever expected to know about my blog.

And never did I expect for us in the United States of America to so overtly celebrate a government that so ruthlessly stifles freedom of speech.

Shame on you, whomever you are, that made this decision for the Empire State building. Shame on you.

By the way, Mike and I have decided that the above title would be a great blog title. So, no stealing it, okay?