 |
| Chen Guangcheng |
A dissident can be like that relative everyone agonizes over when the invitation list is being drawn up for that holiday dinner or family barbecue. Their behavior at one family function might be beyond reproach on one occasion and a total disaster on another.
Every family has one of those relatives. You spend months working on the lawn for that 4th of July family picnic and as everyone compliments you on how nice the yard looks Uncle Fred reminds you of your social obligation to compost your yard debris, eggshells, and food scraps, and then goes on to lecture you on the science of the evils to come by using a gas powered lawnmower. You see a fairway at The Masters, Uncle Fred sees Death Valley.
Chen Guangcheng has worn out his welcome at New York University and I think I know why the administration at NYU waits in breathless anticipation for the day that his visa expires and he is on the way back to China.
"Chen Guangcheng (born 12 November 1971) is a Chinese civil rights activist who worked on human rights issues in rural areas of the People's Republic of China. Blind from an early age and self-taught in the law, Chen is frequently described as a "barefoot lawyer" who advocates for women's rights, land rights, and the welfare of the poor. He is best known for exposing abuses in official family-planning practices, often involving claims of violence and forced abortions." - from Wikipedia
The last thing any institution of higher learning needs is a self educated individual on campus that will conduct lectures and seminars for their students. Universities and colleges tend to be outspoken on the merits of socialism in the classroom or the lecture hall, but when it comes to tuition and fees they seem to be admirers of the classic robber barons.
One doesn't invite a college dropout like Bill Gates of Microsoft fame to a college campus to teach a business course. A Bill Gates is offered an honorary degree in the hopes that he brings a suitcase full of cash to the commencement ceremony and then gives a speech to graduates who in turn will be offering their own suitcases filled with cash for years to come to pay off their student loans.
Unfortunately for Chen he did not come to NYU with a suitcase full of cash. What he brings to NYU is a living example of courage. Blindness imposes a certain amount of isolation. Speaking out against evil and not being able to see the jailers punch coming tells me that Chen sees far more than we see.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/351315/chen-guangcheng-and-nyu-editors
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/activists-departure-from-nyu-draws-fear-of-chinese-pressure/
