(Minghui.org) The United States House of Representatives passed the Falun Gong Protection Act in June 2024. We started collecting signatures on a petition to support that legislation on August 13, 2024, in hopes that the U.S. Senate will also pass the legislation as soon as possible.

During the signature collection process, we found that people from mainstream society who shop at high-end supermarkets are more inclined to think, ask questions, take the matter and signing seriously, and want flyers. They are also interested in Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa). Some people took the flyers from us as they entered the supermarket, walked around the store, and then signed the petition when they came out. A few people who spoke with us said things like, “Shen Yun is banned from performing in China by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). I see the advertisements every year. It’s so beautiful!”

As we collected signatures in different places, we noticed a common phenomenon: The first half hour was often the most difficult, with no one showing any interest in our effort. I would then send forth righteous thoughts silently and say a few words to let every passerby know what we were doing. At the end of that half hour, the situation would change, and people would come one after another. We also found that all the subscribers to a certain newspaper clearly understood the truth. Some said, “Signing is not enough. I need to do more to help you.”

As we collected signatures in supermarkets, people kept coming over to us. I would repeat one sentence, “Please help stop the persecution of Falun Gong!” People would rush over and ask me to say the words “Falun Gong” again. Sentient beings are looking for Dafa. Their knowing sides heard “Falun Gong,” and they were afraid of missing it.

Two supermarket employees sitting on a bench taking a break heard me say, “Please help stop the persecution of Falun Gong!” The older one waved me over and signed the petition. She said, anger in her voice, “Too bad! How could such a thing happen?” She asked the young girl next to her to sign, too. As I spoke to a passerby who was hesitant to sign, the older employee held the flyer and said to the passerby, “Look, how could these people that meditate pose a threat to the government? The CCP is persecuting them. Isn’t it terrible?”

A man and a woman who signed the petition mentioned that they had read The New York Times report [on Falun Gong and Shen Yun] and said that the article was biased and they did not believe it. After he signed, the man expressed his gratitude again and again. The woman said, “The New York Times report shows us just how evil the CCP is. You must not give up.” She also said, “I have been looking forward to seeing Shen Yun—I won’t miss it next year.”

Over the Labor Day long weekend, I thought about taking a day off from collecting signatures. But then I reminded myself that time was tight and I couldn’t delay things that need to be done, so I collected signatures all day Saturday and Monday. On Sunday, I participated in group study and sharing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Tuesday, vacationers returned home and we continued to collect signatures.

On Wednesday, my right foot hurt a lot. I realized that I had been stuck in the mentality of doing things recently. I was not as righteous and steady as I had been in the beginning, so I studied the Fa teachings with more care and did the exercises. Although my right foot hurt when I put it down, I made myself sit, walk, and stand as usual. The more it hurt, the more I tried to move normally. I passed this test quickly, and it didn’t affect collecting signatures.

At the entrance to a high-end supermarket in Westford, a man who signed the petition said he understood the truth before he immigrated to the US and hated the CCP. When I asked him if he subscribed to a very good newspaper, he replied, “I have heard of it, but I don’t want to subscribe because I don’t have long to live.” It turned out that he had just had major surgery and was still very weak. He could no longer move his left hand. He used his right hand to pick things up and drive. I showed him a flyer and briefly introduced Falun Gong to him. Although he agreed to give it a try, he still seemed sad and in despair when he left. He’d said that he was only 61 and still had things he wanted to do. He didn’t realize that the bad habits of his youth would end his life. Hearing his melancholy tone, I thought, “If I didn’t practice Dafa and without Master’s care, I would be like ordinary people, generating karma without thinking, and then I would have no choice but accept retribution.”

Looking at the people passing by, my heart was filled with compassion, and I felt so grateful to be a Falun Dafa cultivator.