The Price Of Life
A couple of nights ago on Law and Order there was a murder committed for the purpose of getting the victim's life insurance money. It reminded me of the quarter-million-dollar insurance policy that I'm getting from my company. My parents and relatives could really put that money to good use, I thought. Then I chuckled as I realized how stupid it was to think this way. I remember how shocked my grandpa was when he came to the States to visit and heard on the news that some guy's family was awarded tens of millions of dollars as a part of a wrongful death lawsuit. He said, "If my children could receive that much money, I would die too." What really saddened me was that he was only half joking.
When I was growing up in China, I read countless stories and watched myriad movies constantly reinforcing the notion that one should always be altruistic and not be afraid of sacrificing one's life. Chinese history is replete with accounts of people willing to sacrifice themselves for country, family, friends, lovers, honor, principle. There are legends that praise noble court scholars and advisors who were put to death because they dared to question and denounce ruthless tyrants. I've read vivid tales of warriors who fought and died valiantly while trying to defend their kingdoms against invading armies that outnumbered them 10,000 to 1. In one of my elementary school textbooks, I read about the martydom of Dong Cunrui, a soldier in the People's Liberation Army who gave his life to blow up an enemy stronghold. The countless selfless acts of Lei Feng, another PLA soldier, were also documented in my textbooks.
In one of the most ludicrous Chinese movies I have ever seen, two female bank employees were fatally stabbed while trying to fight off a bank robber. Although I saw this movie when I was around 8 or 9 years old, I can still remember watching them crawling on the ground drenched in blood and one of the women clutching in her hands her own severed ear, all in the name of protecting the People's money stored in the state-owned bank. When my family first arrived in the States, we were surprised to see movies depicting people hitting the floor as soon as a bank robber waves a gun in the air. Even the armed security guards!! That is absurd, we said. How could so many people be frightened by one lone gun man? They could totally overpower him! Looking back now, the only thing that was absurd was our reaction. These cowardly Americans have their priorities straight. How much money could a robber steal that would justify risking even ONE person's life? The money can be recovered, the robber will be caught, and justice will be served, but no one can be resurrected.
Just as we initially could not comprehend why no one would try to subdue a bank robber, most Americans do not understand how anyone could strap on an explosive belt and be willing to kill himself as well as other innocent people. I am not at all surprised that there are so many suicide bombers: growing up as a kid in China, the most trying hardship that I had to endure was the paucity of meat at dinner every day, and yet I was idealistic enough or brainwashed to such an extent (it's all a matter of interpretation) that I would not have ruled out sacrificing my life for the "Party" as Dong Cunrui had. I wasn't told that 72 beautiful virgins would be waiting for me in Heaven after my martyrdom. I wasn't told where I could and could not go by what I perceive to be invaders who have feuded with my people for centuries. I didn't have a five-year-old kid brother who was killed in a crossfire or a home that was bulldozed. I never felt as powerless as someone who has only rocks to fight tanks. And yet I had so little concern for my own life that I could have thrown it away just like that. Of course I would never condone or justify something as horrific and inhumane as suicide bombing. I just don't think suicide bombers should simply be dismissed as crazy zealots (most of them are not even terribly religious, according to an Israeli expert on terrorism who was interviewed on "60 Minutes"), or Islam attacked as a "wicked" religion.
Ok, one random question before I finally post the longest blog entry I have ever written: Do the female suicide bombers get 72 virgins too? How would she know if these guys are virgins since no guy will ever admit to being a virgin?
A couple of nights ago on Law and Order there was a murder committed for the purpose of getting the victim's life insurance money. It reminded me of the quarter-million-dollar insurance policy that I'm getting from my company. My parents and relatives could really put that money to good use, I thought. Then I chuckled as I realized how stupid it was to think this way. I remember how shocked my grandpa was when he came to the States to visit and heard on the news that some guy's family was awarded tens of millions of dollars as a part of a wrongful death lawsuit. He said, "If my children could receive that much money, I would die too." What really saddened me was that he was only half joking.
When I was growing up in China, I read countless stories and watched myriad movies constantly reinforcing the notion that one should always be altruistic and not be afraid of sacrificing one's life. Chinese history is replete with accounts of people willing to sacrifice themselves for country, family, friends, lovers, honor, principle. There are legends that praise noble court scholars and advisors who were put to death because they dared to question and denounce ruthless tyrants. I've read vivid tales of warriors who fought and died valiantly while trying to defend their kingdoms against invading armies that outnumbered them 10,000 to 1. In one of my elementary school textbooks, I read about the martydom of Dong Cunrui, a soldier in the People's Liberation Army who gave his life to blow up an enemy stronghold. The countless selfless acts of Lei Feng, another PLA soldier, were also documented in my textbooks.
In one of the most ludicrous Chinese movies I have ever seen, two female bank employees were fatally stabbed while trying to fight off a bank robber. Although I saw this movie when I was around 8 or 9 years old, I can still remember watching them crawling on the ground drenched in blood and one of the women clutching in her hands her own severed ear, all in the name of protecting the People's money stored in the state-owned bank. When my family first arrived in the States, we were surprised to see movies depicting people hitting the floor as soon as a bank robber waves a gun in the air. Even the armed security guards!! That is absurd, we said. How could so many people be frightened by one lone gun man? They could totally overpower him! Looking back now, the only thing that was absurd was our reaction. These cowardly Americans have their priorities straight. How much money could a robber steal that would justify risking even ONE person's life? The money can be recovered, the robber will be caught, and justice will be served, but no one can be resurrected.
Just as we initially could not comprehend why no one would try to subdue a bank robber, most Americans do not understand how anyone could strap on an explosive belt and be willing to kill himself as well as other innocent people. I am not at all surprised that there are so many suicide bombers: growing up as a kid in China, the most trying hardship that I had to endure was the paucity of meat at dinner every day, and yet I was idealistic enough or brainwashed to such an extent (it's all a matter of interpretation) that I would not have ruled out sacrificing my life for the "Party" as Dong Cunrui had. I wasn't told that 72 beautiful virgins would be waiting for me in Heaven after my martyrdom. I wasn't told where I could and could not go by what I perceive to be invaders who have feuded with my people for centuries. I didn't have a five-year-old kid brother who was killed in a crossfire or a home that was bulldozed. I never felt as powerless as someone who has only rocks to fight tanks. And yet I had so little concern for my own life that I could have thrown it away just like that. Of course I would never condone or justify something as horrific and inhumane as suicide bombing. I just don't think suicide bombers should simply be dismissed as crazy zealots (most of them are not even terribly religious, according to an Israeli expert on terrorism who was interviewed on "60 Minutes"), or Islam attacked as a "wicked" religion.
Ok, one random question before I finally post the longest blog entry I have ever written: Do the female suicide bombers get 72 virgins too? How would she know if these guys are virgins since no guy will ever admit to being a virgin?
posted by Gary at
12:05 AM
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