"Her Husband's Execution, Then a Bag of Ashes"
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/
Zhang Jing is a political activist, knowledgeable in both Chinese criminal law and the brutal practices of the chengguan, "the widely reviled army of low-paid code enforcement officials charged with keeping urban order". She has more than 100,000 people following her on social media and offering her their support.
Ms. Zhang, who only has a middle school education, acquired her knowledge over the last four years while she fought to save her husband's life. Her husband, Xia Junfeng, was executed for killing two officials, although it was widely believed that Mr. Xia was trying to defend himself. Public sympathy, particularly through social media, was quick and widespread. Many people, including his family, believe he was killed in order to maintain the status quo of the chengguan. With her husband's life on the line, Ms. Zhang, with help from the lawyers who took up Mr. Xia's cause pro bono, became educated in both law and social media. She is described as an "eloquent voice for the downtrodden". She has toiled for four years to clear her husband's name and save his life.
However, all appeals were denied. The court never gave a clear reason why he was not cleared. On Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013, Xia Junfeng was executed. Ms. Zhang, who had not seen her husband in over two years, was given only thirty minutes to say goodbye. Separated by chain link, with his arms and legs bound, the husband and wife strained to touch each other one last time. She was able to caress his cheek as the guard counted down their last minutes together. A few hours later, she was given a bag containing his ashes.
Too often, we hear about the abuses of another country, but so rarely are we given such an intimate look at the people on the front lines. Ms. Zhang suffered incredible heartbreak. Instead of standing back and taking the abuse, she is determined to end it. She recognized that understanding the intricacies of the law and speaking out on social media were her best weapons in the fight for her husband's life. In what ways do the tools of the modern world bring about or slow down change?
What is it that propels different people into fields like social work and social justice? People such as Martin Luther King, Jr., have shown that sometimes, we need a single voice to galvanize us into action. So long as there exists injustice, there will be martyrs like Xia Junfeng. There will also be the voices who carry us into action, like Zhang Jing. Could any of us, with our chosen careers, find the strength to challenge a huge, faceless entity capable of murder? She now has the strength and tools, but only at a heartbreaking cost.
Sometimes, I feel like we maintain the status quo because it's too difficult or scary to go up against power. Despite the support of the public, Ms. Zhang could not save her husband. However, her actions now may save others somewhere down the line. Will history look back on her as one of those agents of change, like Dr. King? Where do we, as social workers, fit into a world where there are such clear miscarriages of justice? This was a poignant reminder that we are all lucky to have chosen the path of a social worker. Ms. Zhang did it because she saw she didn't have a choice.
Very well written, Rachel. To me, being a social worker means that we are willing to work with and help the people that most others wouldn't want to work with and advocate on behalf of those that don't have the power, means, or voice to advocate for themselves. I think that social media, in this case, is a very important and powerful tool to get stories like hers out there, so that potential changes in the future might be more likely to happen.
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty bleak story. The question of when to go up against power is a pretty important one. It's hard to imagine things changing without people who are willing to do that, similar to what's been done through the Arab Spring. Despite the repression that we face in the U.S., it's a whole different situation in China, where speaking out against the government can be punished by torture and/or death. Still, we need to be resilient in this country when our rights are infringed upon, which happens often.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting blog to read because lately on social media, I have been viewing how other people have been executed for incidents that were not true. I believe in Ms. Zhang did the right thing of reaching out for others for help to fight for what is right. As social workers we are advocating for different people who do not know how to represent themselves. Although this is what happened in another country, how is it right to execute someone and they not have the right to see their loved one longer than 30 minutes before they are no longer on this Earth? Many times social workers face battles that are not easy to fix, but as long as we fight for the good then justice will be served in some way.
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful story about a woman's long battle for social justice. It was very disheartening for me to hear that not only that he was executed but that reasoning was not given for the denied appeals. It seems like the chengguan was doing all they could to cover this up and make it look like her husband's murders were hate crimes. Where was the evidence to show that it was most likely in self defense or not? Everyone should be entitled to the truth and reasoning for their decision. At least Zhang Jing can carry on her life proudly and know that she put forth her best effort to exonerate her husband.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult, but easier to fight when you're fighting for yourself, and when you feel like you have nothing to lose. However, when tasked with a similar battle on someone else's behalf, our challenge as social workers is more difficult.
ReplyDeleteAdrienne, that's an excellent point. In a professional capacity, though, how can we keep up the passion for social justice without completely losing ourselves to it? We have jobs that are incredibly hard to just "leave" at work- I can't tell you how many times already this school year I'll be out with friends on the weekend and suddenly jot down a note about a student. It's hard to balance our personal feelings with the professional distance we have to keep. Maybe this is why so many social workers, teachers, and nurses burn out- we give it our all until there's nothing left to give. The stakes for Ms. Zhang were excrutiatingly high, but it seems like she's still going to keep on fighting the good fight. I hope she and her son remain safe in the process.
ReplyDeleteIt IS hard to leave it at work. I miss my teen moms, but I couldn't do this program if I were still working with them. I need to have a job where I can just leave it at the door. (no need to obsess over textbooks on the weekends, thank goodness!)
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I do see a lot of teachers burning themselves out here in my school district. This is my son's first experience in public school in seven years, and we wouldn't be here without the wonderful teachers he has. He's in a self-contained autism class, with two certified teachers. I'm terrified that one will burn herself out before he graduates. She answers work email on the weekend and at 11:00 at night. The other is just as dedicated to the kids, but she goes home and enjoys her family.
We really do need to find balance, but it's easier said than done. But if we DON'T find balance, we risk not being able to do our job for very long.