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Hmm...

The journalist who wrote this story is in Beijing, and the article contains direct quotes from this man, who is now facing a possible firing over his decision. I don’t understand at all where you are coming from saying that it can’t be true because there are too many “China Haters”.

My opinion of this man - whom I would consider a coward - has nothing to do with the fact that he is Chinese, or that he lives in China, or that I am anti-Communist (which incidently has everything to do with the Chinese GOVERNMENT, and nothing to do with being anti-Chinese - as in Chinese PEOPLE). My thinking he is a coward has EVERYTHING to do with the content of this man’s character, and judging by his words, and his actions...

Just FYI: I thought it might interest you to know that this story was originally reported on May 29, 2008 in the Shanghai Daily Newspaper - in Shanghai, CHINA.

Here is the original story...
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200805/20080530/article_361279.htm

Honesty not enough to make a coward a hero

By Wang Yong | 2008-5-30 | NEWSPAPER EDITION

FAN Meizhong is a courageous coward.

He is cowardly because he left all his students behind as he ran out to escape the earthquake that rocked his middle school in Sichuan on May 12.

He is courageous because he later posted his otherwise unknown cowardice on the Internet and defended it vehemently.

“I ran as fast as I could, almost on all fours, to the football field. I found myself the first person there. I saw nothing of my students,” he said. When his students finally found their way to the playground, they asked him: “Teacher, why didn’t you bring us out?’’

Here is his answer: “I’m not the sort of person who is ready to sacrifice his life. I care only about my own life. Don’t you know that? At another time one night I also ran quickly away from a fire emergency!’’

He later told his students: “Although I strive for freedom and fairness, I will not sacrifice myself to help others. At this critical time of life and death, I can only think about sacrificing myself for my daughter. I will not consider saving anyone else, not even my mother. I am not strong enough to carry an adult out of danger.’’

On May 25, he posted another article, explaining why he wrote the first one. One major reason, he said, was to “fight against hypocrisy.’’

“There are genuine sorrows for the dead but there’s no shortage of insincere tears,’’ he said.

Yes, there are insincere tears but you, Fan Meizhong, should have challenged hypocrisy with sincere tears.

At the beginning of his May 22 article, he said: “How I wanted to die because I was not born in the US - land of freedom and of human rights!’’

Send him to America and see if Americans will dare or care enough to take him.