Chapter 13: "Enoch's Speech about Free Speech"

[This post is dated 1-17-20 to create chapter sequence. Back to Chapter 12.]

Enoch is writing his first research paper as a student in the US. The topic is actually published by the local County Bar Association for Law Day 2019. 

The essay (which later becomes a speech) is in response to this statement: It's been 50 years since the Supreme Court said that students do not "shed their constitutional rights...at the schoolhouse gate." (Tinker v. DesMoines, 393 U.S. 503, 1969) Have student rights evolved since then and if so, has their right to free speech increased or diminished in school?"

Enoch was wrestling with this topic because he had never heard of "Tinker v. DesMoines." Have you? It is about a SCOTUS decision ruling in favor of students being allowed to protest the Vietnam War by wearing black arm bands so long as it did not disrupt the learning environment of the school. The paper is not about that case; it is about whether or not free speech has expanded since that case. 

It may not be what the teacher is looking for, but here is Enoch's introductory paragraph:

The topic of freedom of speech and a free press is very new to me, because I am from a country where these freedoms do not exist. Here in America I learn about the historical case of Tinker v. DesMoines which allowed students to protest the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands to school. This is the 50th Anniversary of that Supreme Court case. My home in China is about 388 miles from Vietnam. In my country, China, it seems like there is no historical case decided in favor of free speech for students. In my country there is a historical event known in the US as The Tienanmen Square Massacre in which many thousands students not much older than I were killed for gathering in the nation’s capital. 2019 marks the 40th Anniversary of that day that was the death of free speech in China. So you will forgive me if I address this topic from my own experience. It is possible that free speech for students and a freedom of the press has become stronger in the US over the past 50 years, but I can confirm that these freedoms have been smothered in China in the 40 years since The Tienanmen Square Massacre. In this paper, I will look at how Freedom of press is more restricted, freedom of religious speech is outlawed, and freedom dissenting political speech is silenced.

As Enoch was rewriting his sentences and reading them aloud to me, he wanted a word that meant "restricted" in "...these freedoms have been restricted in China..." I suggested the word "smothered, " which he did not know. "Does this mean restricted?" he asked as he looked up the word on his phone. Then he read the definition out loud: 

"'Smother: To kill something by covering the nose and mouth causing suffocation' Yes. That is the right word. I believe this to be true, but do you know that in China the people would tell you they are not smothered. They think do have freedom of speech.”

This perplexed me. “I’m not sure what you mean. How could they think that?” 

“They do not know they cannot talk about things they do not know about. Like Tienanmen Square 1989. They do not know not to talk of it because they do not know it happened. So if it comes up--but it does not come up—they are free to say, ‘Yes. I heard something about a riot that almost happened but the government took proper action to keep harmony for Chinese socialist values.”

“But how do you feel when you see these videos of what really happened?”

“It is horrible, but until I see it. I was not really sure it happened. This is just one example that the whole world knows except the people in China do not know.. There are many more examples that the people do not know. They are washed brain…how you say? … brain washed. They know only what they are told to know. That is why I say they believe they have free speech because they are free to say what they want about only the things they know to talk about... Like that. You see?"

“Yes. You've explained it perfectly. Let's say it this way: 'They will not know that they are not free until they are free to know what they are kept from knowing.'"

Enoch's face scrunched. "That is confusing."

I'll shorten it: "They will not know that they are not free until they are free to know the truth. See? When I was in China, one of my hosts (a Communist Party member) told me the internet was 'subversive' because it exposes the Chinese people to what they have been forbidden to know."

"Oh, yes," Enoch smiled. "That is true. If they do not know what they do not know, they think they are free."

"Yes. That is even more clear. Enoch, how have you figured this out? Do you talk about these things in school?”

And here Enoch made a face we have come to know as his shock face. His eyes go wide like the  boy in that Norman Rockwell illustration who discovered a Santa suit in his father’s dresser.  The look of shock is universal around the world, but when Enoch does it, his mouth is a bit more agape and his lips extend beyond the opening like the beak of a small bird waiting to be fed. It is a charming expression. 

We see this same look when Enoch learns we are having lasagna for dinner (he loves lasagna); we see it when we say an amazing fact like "There are free refills on pop"; but more often we see it when we ask a question that is unthinkable. In this case, the very thought of Chinese high school students being free to use free speech to talk about a lack of free speech took Enoch's breath away.

“Impossible! Such things are never mentioned... never talked about. No one would even think to bring them up. I know this because... one time…one time only… I asked Ms. Glum about Tienanmen Square 1989 and she stare back at me and say, ‘Do not to believe conspiracies of foreigners.’ That was the end of that question.”

“I'm not surprised. When I visited Tienanmen Square in 2014, I asked our interpreter about 'Tank Man' and she said, 'I do not think that happened.' The government controls what the people know." Enoch nodded in agreement, "But since the Tienanmen incident happened long before you were born and since China does not talk about it, how did you even know to ask that question of Ms. Glum?”

“My father told me. We talk about these things at home. That is how I know to say that free speech is only…um…only as free as what the people are allowed to know. If you are taught only one thing you are free to talk of one thing, and it feels free…not re-stric-ted…but it is…but they do not know they are not free until they learn what they have not been told. Does that make sense?”

I sat dumbfounded as his words soaked in. “Wow,” I sighed. “I do understand what you mean. I understand clearly. You explained it very well. So most people do not miss free speech because they think they have it?”

“Yes. And I tell you something else. In school, I am taught that the US is our Enemy. Did you know that? Our books say America is … “busy body”… Do you know that word?”

“Yes. I think they mean that we sometimes seem to put our nose in other country’s business.”

“Yes. Like that.” He said, not knowing how I felt about this characterization.

“Well, sometimes, I think that is true. Sometimes, I think the US should not get involved in other countries’ problem when their help is not wanted. But in the case of China, America has not put their nose in Chinese business, they have put their businesses in China. Do you know what I mean? Many many US companies and whole industries have gone to China and all of our technology and patents and designs are no longer in our own country. And now this is a concern. So we may seem to be interfering but we are actually protecting our economy. This is a new situation.”

“But in China the people here these things only from the Chinese perspective,” Enoch explained.

“Yes. We call that ‘propaganda’--information that is controlled by the state sharing only their side. In America ‘propaganda’ is a negative term, but in China I was once introduced to a ‘Minister of Propaganda’ at a fancy dinner. In China propaganda is an official role of the government.” 

“I know this. It is their job to help Chinese people like some Western things but also not like America interference. Some Chinese people say America busybodies are ‘sh_t of mouse.’ Do you know that term: ‘sh_t of mouse?’”

I laughed, knowing he had no idea that this was a taboo word in Christian circles.  “Yes. I get the picture. We sometimes say ‘mouse crap,’ but I did not know China says this of America. When I was there, they were very kind to the Americans in our group.”

“Yes. They do this to your face, but when you are not there, some say America is ’Sh_t of mouse.’ This word comes from... because mouse...you know... it looks like black rice but does not belong in rice and it ruins the whole bowl. If you make soup and ‘sh_t of mouse’ gets in pot, the whole soup is ruined. You cannot pick it out when it is too late. That is how some Chinese people about foreigner in China, but they know only what the Party tells them.”

“I understand, but I don’t think we should use that expression in our paper.”

“No. I won’t say that,” he smiled.

"Sometimes free speech makes people think they can say whatever they want however they want, but if we mean to sway or persuade with our speech, we try not to use rude words. There is a big difference between winning arguments and winning friends."

"Yes, I know this," he smiled.

I continued, "But isn't it interesting that Chinese people feel free to use that term, "shi_t of mouse" about America? Would they ever say those words about the Party?”

Here came the look of shock again.

“No," he gasped. "They would never think to say such a thing out loud, but free speech in China is to say these things about America." 

"Yes. Free speech that echos 'group think' is not really free is it?"

"Group think?" Enoch asked, looking up the word on his phone. "Oh, yes,1984, Utopia. 'Saying only what promotes harmony in the group.' That is what you meant when you said "If they do not know what they do not know, they think they are free."

And almost as a non sequitur, he smiled and said, "I like America.” 

“We’re very glad you do. It is not a perfect place, but here you are free to write this paper. Just think, Enoch. Only you can write this paper. All of your classmates have the same topic, but only you can write about this from such experience. It will be very good.”

"I hope so," he nodded. "Are we done for tonight?"

"We are done for tonight." I smiled

Below is the speech which was given to his class three weeks later [added 3-27-19]

The topic of free speech and a free press is very new to me because I come from a country where these freedoms do not exist.

Here in America I’ve learnt about the landmark case of Tinker versus Des Moines (dimoyn) which allowed 3 students to protest the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands to school. This is the 50th anniversary of that case.

My home in China is only about 300 miles from Vietnam, but I know little about the Vietnam War because the Party chooses not to talk about it.

In China, if you don’t talk about something, they believe it goes away. Like the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre in which 10 thousand students were killed for gathering in the nation’s capital. This happened ten years after Tinker versus DesMoines. (dimoyn)

It has been 40 years since  “Tank Man”  stood in Tiananmen Square just before the massacre. That day was the death of free speech in China.

So you may forgive me that my speech is based on my own experience. Free speech  has improved for students in the US over the 50 years since “Tinker”, but I am here to tell you that free speech has been smothered in China in since The Tiananmen Square Massacre. In fact, you are watching “first time” free speech before your eyes because I could not give this speech in my homeland.

Do you know that in China there is only one internet search engine, and if you search “1989 Tiananmen Square” you will find only one short article saying the government took proper action to stop a “political storm.”  Every word of the report is controlled by the Party. Not until I came to America in January did I see the endless videos and photographs of the heroic “tank man.”

 I did a Google search on the words “Tinker versus DesMoines” (dimoyn) and got over 4 hundred thousand results in less than one second. America celebrates this case because it is a symbol of free speech.

In China you are not allowed to disagree with the government.

I can tell you that first hand. My father is the pastor of a non-approved church in China called Living Stone Church. For many years, the church was small and met in houses. But by 2015, the church had grown and began meeting in an office building. The growing congregation angered the authorities and my father was arrested for preaching the Gospel without the permission of the Communist Party.

He remained in prison for 2 and half years. He was there for my 15th birthday. Still there for my 16th birthday, and was just released last summer in June of 2018. During his imprisonment, I was not free to talk about my church or my religious beliefs at my school in China. Two months after he was released and still under house arrest, my homeroom teacher in China asked my class if we were all atheists. She began by saying, “I do believe we have all atheists here. I will tell the authorities that we have no students believing in any Gods.”

You may wonder why I remained silent when my father was so brave to be imprisoned. Because even now, my father is under house arrest. If I exercise my “free speech” in China regarding religious matters, I put him and the hundreds of members of Living Stone church at risk. I know hundreds of people who pray for the day these things change.

In order for these things to change, China must embrace the same freedom of speech that students in America enjoy. People in China feel they do have free speech, but I say they do not know they are not free until they are free to know what they are kept from knowing. Without hearing all viewpoints they cannot choose what is best.  In China, controlling people's choices is done in the name of social harmony, but I believe in life, as in music, harmony is achieved by hearing more than one note at a time.  

[On to Chapter 13]