(Clearwisdom.net) The large banner, 200 x 58 inches, from Northern Michigan University was dense with signatures, each one representing a kind heart that supports the Human Rights Torch Relay and calls for an end to the violations of human rights in China.
Many students signed the banner
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.) borders Lake Superior. It is home to Northern Michigan University, a comprehensive university with more than nine thousand students located in Marquette.
To welcome the Human Rights Torch Relay to Detroit on May 10, 2008, a group of university students voluntarily collected signatures on campus. These kindhearted students helped to collect signatures after class. "I have chalk in my car," said one, "so we can let more people know about this." They wrote "Stop Human Rights Violations in China! Come in and Sign the Banner!" on the cement walkway in front of one of the main buildings on campus.
For three days they started collecting signatures at 8 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m. On the last day, the activity was held outside of Starbucks until 9 p.m. "Would you like to sign the banner calling for an end to the persecution of human rights in China?" called the students.
Each signature represents kindness. Many students signed and then called their friends to sign.
A student was moved to tears after hearing about the CCP's organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners. She signed her name and left quietly.
A professor signed his name and said to the volunteers while giving thumbs up, "Good job!" Someone said that he asked the students in his class to go downstairs to sign the banner.
Another professor in class on the second floor heard about the signature collection event. He said indifferently, "I never sign any petition letters." When he walked downstairs and saw the countless signatures on the large banner, he was touched and said as he picked up a pen, "I'd like to sign."
A gentleman pointed to the sky after signing and said, "Heaven is clear that the CCP will pay for its many inhumane crimes."
"The CCP is conducting organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners for lucrative profits. The CCP is also committed many wrongdoings in violating human rights. Please keep this flyer and let more people know these facts." "Yes, I will." Similar dialogs were heard again and again over the three days.
Some students read the truth-clarification flyers and came forward to sign the next day. Others sat outside the coffee shop to study and came forward to ask what was going on. A student that worked in the writing center asked after signing the banner, "Can I take a few more flyers and put them in the writing center so that more people can learn about this?"
On the final day, countless signatures covered the banner. People had to look hard to find a free space to sign. When it got dark, a few Japanese students came and talked with the volunteers for quite a while. They talked about religious persecution and the persecution of Falun Gong. Everyone shared what he or she knew about the CCP's crimes in trampling human rights. They hoped the tragedies would end soon. "I want to sign my Japanese name," one student said.
"Where will the banner be sent?" some people asked. "We will mail it to Detroit. It will be hung at the press conference for the Human Rights Torch Relay in Detroit. It represents the voice of our faculty and students from Northern Michigan University." "Great!" Many people were excited. (It is about an eight-hour drive from the University to Detroit.)
The large banner arrived in Detroit as scheduled. Under bright sunshine, it represented the kind thoughts of many people from Michigan's U.P. and helped to welcome the Human Rights Torch Relay.
