I was disturbed to read that supposed “controversy” surrounded the approval of a recent Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center rental agreement for a classical Chinese dance competition, where our 17 year-old daughter won silver, a result of countless hours of dedicated practice.
She, (and her parents) practice Falun Gong, a meditation and spiritual discipline. The benefits have been immense. Focus, humility, kindness, responsibility, meaning, joy and confidence, to name just a few. As a public high school teacher I can say the maturity seen in our daughter is sadly absent in many of my students.
That some members of the Sugar Loaf community maligned my daughter’s dance competition and our belief with false accusations of violence and KKK/Nazi beliefs is absurd and unfounded. I am Caucasian, my wife Southeast Asian, our two daughters attend multicultural arts schools and our son serves in the military - we’re racist Nazis??
Actually, Falun Gong is a peaceful practice that has inspired tens of millions in China to live by Truth, Compassion and Tolerance. For 25 years, practitioners in China and globally have stood up to genocide by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with non-violent means, despite the fact that thousands are confirmed dead, with perhaps hundreds of thousands missing.
Earlier this year U.S. House of Representative unanimously passed the Falun Gong Protection Act, targeting perpetrators of the genocide.
Falun Gong teachings are free for download and barriers such as rosters, rituals or membership do not exist. The faith has spread around the world, touching people of every faith, race and creed in dozens of countries. It has also inspired practitioners to establish arts-focused schools like the ones our daughters attend.
But the CCP’s demonizing propaganda has successfully spread around the world, too. With an extensive overseas network, the CCP has leveraged mainstream and social media to spread pernicious lies like those voiced when my daughter’s dance competition came to Sugar Loaf.
I would personally like to thank the Chester Town Board for not caving to the hurtful falsehoods and would urge people to learn the facts at faluninfo.net.
Liam O’Neill
Sparrowbush