Patriotism has been a large aspect of morality since thousands of years ago. Behaviors considered showing “love to nation” are great virtue, while those considered being treasonable are serious. taboos. Under the wave of nationalism, who dares to do anything against the patriotic axiology of the nation?
My first task of “representing” Macau since coming to the United States was holding the Regional Flag of Macau during the opening ceremony of the A.C.U. school year. After I knew that I got this job, I was very glad. This was not the first time for me to be the representative of Macau (I had been one which is far more difficult to be), but as it was the first time to represent Macau in the West, I was quite excited. Before the ceremony had started, I asked Ryan, who is a lecturer of English course in a Chinese University and the holder of the national flag of the P.R.C. (People’s Republic of China), to lend me the flag for a while. I took the flag and swung it; at the same time, there was a question springing in my mind: why was there an American but not a Chinese who held the national flag of China?
Before I left from Macau for the U.S., some people asked me to bring new values and ideas for the breakthrough of politics in Macau. Macau is namely the Special Administrative Region, but except that people may criticize the government without being arrested, and directly elect legislators not exceeding half of the total, the city itself is not very different from normal cities in Mainland China, for the reason of the “incident of the 3rd of December”, in which pro-communist associations defeated the Portuguese colonial government, and those association demanded the government to expel all anti-communist groups out of Macau.
Contributing to the democratic reformation of Macau and even China is one of my life ambitions. I have learnt some about the differences about thought nature between Chinese and Westerners from books written by Chinese intellectuals. As I want to have a more detailed and thorough knowledge of features and essences of Western Culture, I came to the U.S. to have an undergraduate education.
As I was swinging the flag, I was charmed by it. The national flag is a totem of a nation. Holding it in my hands, I felt the excitement of being a Chinese. It is an image which can represent the entire Chinese nation. Although the ruling Chinese Communist Party has been corrupt and autocratic to Chinese people, and the P.R.C. is the political entity which belongs to the party, I am one of the people of this country, so I should be proud of, faithful to and dedicate myself to the development of China under this flag.
The ceremony started. Flag holders walked into the stadium one by one. During my turn, I held the flag of Macau in the most solemn way. I walked with large steps and my body up straight, as well as a respectful facial expression but not too stern in feeling.
Afterwards, I saw Ryan holding the flag and walking to his place with halting paces—he had been caught in an accident before and had one of his legs hurt. His image of hobbling resolutely with the flag of the P.R.C. in his hand made me think of much about the history of China, a series of misery of Chinese people.
The proceeding ceremony had stopped me from thinking about it. As the national flag of the U.S. was entering the stadium, people cheered in a high spirit.
After that, all the U.S. citizens stood up to recite “the Pledge of Allegiance”. Their spirit became even higher. They swore to make contribution to the liberty and justice of the country, with all their hearts, and with all their soul.
Loyalty is a universal virtue, but the way of expressing it is different all over the world.
The Chinese use obedience. They think that obeying orders and supporting the governing superior means loyal. I was in such a culture for so many years. I am glad that I lived in Macau but not China, or I would be ignorant to my ignorance.
The Westerners make contributions. Obedience does not mean loyal to them. They protect their own rights and benefits, as they think that individualism is of great value of the nation, because the country is composed of human beings.
I was shocked. These people are from different families, from different cities, and from different states. However, they all live in the country of the U.S. which protects their liberty and human rights, and they are all basically willing to make contributions to the equality, democracy and prosperity of their motherland.
What about China?
I thought of many nasty past events in China, such as the Great Leap, the Cultural Revolution and the Calamity of the 4th of June.
Before I was in Form 2 (equivalent to Grade 8 in the U.S.), I was a “communist youth”— a stupid young boy who thought that the ruling party of Mainland China was a great representative of Chinese people, mainly because of the thought effects from my family; what it did was in favor and in the interest of the country. I agreed with its opposition to democracy and human rights, as it was the great party which did that.
After receiving the education of Chinese History in my Catholic secondary school, I began to recognize the true face of the CCP (the Chinese Communist Party), recognizing that it brought many sufferings to the Chinese people. More than eighty million Chinese people died during its fifty-five years of governing. Twenty million were killed during the Cultural Revolution. The Cultural Revolution not only killed numerous people, but also killed the culture and ethics of Chinese, as Mao Zedong indulged the Red Guards to destroy all the elements of old culture and “knocked over” their elders. Even sons and daughters overthrew their parents and students overthrew their teachers. They also damaged many antiques as they “represented old culture”. All productions in factory stopped. People only needed to knock down people or be knocked down and learn Maoism during the ten years. In such a situation, morality of the Chinese was murdered, and they are even more loyal to the CCP, by means of obedience.
Thirteen years after the end of the Chinese Revolution, the undergraduate students in Beijing started a movement which urged the CCP to eliminate the corruption in the government and accelerate the democratic reformation in the Mainland. The movement spread all over China. It was initiated by the death of a leader of the government who was a reformist. The result of the movement was not reformation, but a bloody suppression which killed and arrested an unknown number of students. After such a series of actions, Chinese people no longer dare to stand out to give any opposition to rulers.
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