Chang Ming was brought
into the present moment as two prison guards stood at his cell door. The courtesy of formal introductions was
bypassed as one guard collected Chang Ming’s breakfast tray, while the other
guard shouted orders at Chang Ming.
Chang Ming’s mind was hazy and he only understood that they were going
somewhere. He was not able to discern
where they were going.
In prison, he had no
clock, but from the light peering into his cell he surmised that breakfast
occurred each day shortly after dawn & then the guards arrived maybe a half
hour later. In the days to come, Chang
Ming would learn to take comfort in the consistency of this routine.
Life before prison, his
work schedule was the only semblance of routine in Chang Ming’s life. He stayed up late nightly and awoke at
varying times each morning somehow always arriving at work on time. Chang Ming preferred the quietness of the
night when most people were resting and the streets were finally silent. His disposition was inclined to all things
nocturnal and his wife constantly chided him about the bad spirits roaming
during the night. He would not fear
supernatural spirits at the cost of the solace he found in twilight.
He instead feared the unknown
of the day ahead of him as the prison guards escorted him through a long corridor of identical cells; a
small window on each white door. They
arrived at an opening where several more guards were gathered. Chang Ming was transferred into their custody
as his escorts returned down the corridor.
A guard stepped forward and threw Chang Ming to the ground, rolling him
on to his stomach, the guard jarring a heel into Chang Ming’s back. This action was unnecessary. Chang Ming was not trying to move. He had no intention of escape especially if
such an action would provoke more punishment from the guards.
There was no rhyme or
reason as to why or when the guards would act out of brutality toward Chang
Ming. He had already told them that he
would not release the names of the others even under the harshest
circumstances.
In truth, he only knew
the names of six others; the one above plus five who were directly under him in
the movement’s communication pyramid.
Sure he had seen hundreds of others at gatherings, but these people were
anonymous faces who themselves shared in a common experience or were compelled
to act because someone they loved was impacted.
Chang Ming grimaced in
pain as the guard further twisted Chang Ming’s arm behind his back and pushed
his face into the ground. Remembering
his own wife bound to a surgical table, Chang Ming conjured an immunity to pain
as strong as the conviction in his heart.
He must take this punishment for his wife and the other women in his village living under the
microscope of forced abortions, pelvic exams and continuous government
monitoring of their menstrual cycles.
His village was not alone in their anguish. Millions of women throughout China suffered
the same inspection and worse as the government continued to rape their dignity
both physically and emotionally in carrying out China’s Family Planning Policy.
This policy dictates
that most families are allowed only one child by law and violators will be
fined 6. Rich families
affording the penalty could keep their children. Such is not the case for the less fortunate
families. In practice, these violators are
not only fined, but are forced to have abortions by local officials if they cannot
afford to pay the fine. If the child has
already been born, many are forced to abandon their child to the care of an
orphanage or relative.
Families destroyed in
the wake of this policy united to seek their inalienable rights as human
beings. Chang Ming was moved to
act. Prison was a small sacrifice. Aberrations
of babies crying forever haunted all of their souls. He would protect the others’ names at any
cost.
To Be Continued...
______________________
Footnotes:
6 China’s Family Planning Policy (aka the One
Child Policy) was implemented in 1979 and continues in the present day. Chinese Health Ministry statistics indicate
336 million abortions and 222 million abortions have transpired in China since
1971 (New York Times, May 21, 2013). 
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