The Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles sent a letter to every Mayor in the United States, viciously maligning Falun Gong and asking them not to issue a proclamation. This action bothered Randy Voepel, Mayor of Santee, who believes that individual freedom needs to be protected with action.
He therefore wrote back to the Chinese Consulate, saying he would definitely issue the proclamation specifically because they asked him not to.
The people at a local television channel, KUSI, channel 51, had the same response to China's action. "Don't they have anything better to do with their time?" asked Doug Curlee, KUSI anchor and author of the piece. Therefore, they did a news segment on Santee standing up to China.
Norberto Santana of the San Diego Union Tribune also wrote several articles. Even the Voice of America got interested. Anyone who wants to is allowed to give a 3 minute speech at the Santee City Council meeting. Three of us spoke there specifically to thank Mayor Voepel. I showed the KUSI news segment Saturday night in Orlando. The response was immediate. I ran out of the tape because so many practitioners took copies. This morning I mailed out many more copies to those people who gave me a business card. If you want a copy, please contact me at (619) 280-5177.
Mayor Randy Voepel said these words in response to our thank you speeches:
"Just one comment. Actually two minor comments. Martin Luther King said,
"It's not your enemies words that hurt as much as your friends silence." So I think that's the lesson that I draw on these items. Sometimes you have to speak up.
And also, whenever routine freedoms must be defended by extraordinary measures that's truly the price of liberty. A lot of times something that just appears to be a routine freedom, the more opposition it has, the more you have to ask why. I think we all know the reason why in this room tonight."
Arleen Freeman
A Practitioner in California
Category: Voices of Support Worldwide
