Gallery Exhibit Canceled

If you like the drawings of a 10 years old boy, so do I.

Alas, a planned gallery exhibit at the http://www.juelab.com/">Jue Lab of Shanghai was canceled in the last minute, because the boy's father committed a crime.  Xia Jianqiang's father Xia Junfeng was a peddler in Shenyang.  When he was beaten by a gang of para-police for no-reason, he managed to fight back and killed one of the mobs accidentally.  Although lawyers across the nation rushed to stand for his defense, Xia was sentenced to death.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in China, Wang Shengjun, spoke on a seminar for chief judges of middle-level court that whether or not to impose a capital punishment should not rely on the law.  "It should reflect people's willingness", said Chief Justice Wang.

W-h-a-t are t-h-e-y afraid of?

Remember September 18th, 1931

Japanese army attacked the Northern Garrison (Beidaying) in Shenyang, the headquarter of then Northeastern Command of Chinese army on September 18th, 1931. The incident was remembered in Chinese history as 918 Incident. September 18th was recognized as the Day of Shame of China. Commander General Zhang Xueliang ordered the troops 'do not resist'. The order was to lock all weapons in the arsenal, and stay inside rooms. The Chinese soldiers were told that they would 'sacrifice for the nation's benefit'.

The 10 years from 1927 to 1937 was often referred as the 'Golden Decade' in Chinese history, while the economy was booming, and infrastructures were built. Leaders of China (Chiang Kai-shek, etc.) did not want the fast growing to be disturbed by anything, such as a war with Japan. One prevailing theory at the time was that once China became prosperous and strong, Japan would no longer dare to invade.

History proved them to be wrong. The invader would not wait for the day when China became strong enough to deter external challenges.

Remember September 18, 1931, and remember the 30 million Chinese killed by the Japanese invasion.