At the critical age of thirteen, I, like all other thirteen-year-olds, transitioned from childhood into adolescence; unlike most thirteen-year-olds, however, I had the pleasure of experiencing one of those Earth-shattering revelations that rattled the foundations of the world I perceived, and this newfound lens would alter my understanding of… well, everything.
My mother has always been adamant that her children, though born and raised in the United States, remain connected to their roots. Consequently, as a child, I was fortunate to spend a fair number of summer vacations visiting my grandmother in Beijing and travelling around to see the sights that China offered. She also spoke frequently of her homeland—its language, its legends, its legacy. Thus, sometime between experiencing the country itself and discussions on the way to dance class, I learned about the “June Fourth Incident.” …show more content…
Things had turned horribly awry when Deng ordered troops to fire into the crowd at Tiananmen Square. However, overzealous as his actions may have been, Deng’s intentions, at least, were well-placed. With prominent party figures showing an unprecedented willingness to compromise, and witness to the unrest (and in hindsight, collapse) of the Soviet Union due, at least partially, to Gorbachev’s reforms, Deng responded with harsh, extreme measures out of a desire to implement revitalizing change without suffering the fate of the USSR. Furthermore, when supposed “visionaries” who rallied others behind their crusade, fled upon hearing the first gunshots to seek refuge in the US embassy, there hardly appeared to be a protagonist in the
My mother has always been adamant that her children, though born and raised in the United States, remain connected to their roots. Consequently, as a child, I was fortunate to spend a fair number of summer vacations visiting my grandmother in Beijing and travelling around to see the sights that China offered. She also spoke frequently of her homeland—its language, its legends, its legacy. Thus, sometime between experiencing the country itself and discussions on the way to dance class, I learned about the “June Fourth Incident.” …show more content…
Things had turned horribly awry when Deng ordered troops to fire into the crowd at Tiananmen Square. However, overzealous as his actions may have been, Deng’s intentions, at least, were well-placed. With prominent party figures showing an unprecedented willingness to compromise, and witness to the unrest (and in hindsight, collapse) of the Soviet Union due, at least partially, to Gorbachev’s reforms, Deng responded with harsh, extreme measures out of a desire to implement revitalizing change without suffering the fate of the USSR. Furthermore, when supposed “visionaries” who rallied others behind their crusade, fled upon hearing the first gunshots to seek refuge in the US embassy, there hardly appeared to be a protagonist in the