Dear Ride 2 Freedom Participants:
I am sorry that I could not be in Salt Lake City today to welcome these special young Ride 2 Freedom bicyclists who are traveling form many countries around the world to bring attention to the prejudice that exists in China and other countries toward practitioners of Falun Gong. We feel very privileged that you have included Utah in your ride across the United States of America beginning in Los Angeles, California and ending up in our nation’s capitol in Washington D.C. We admire and honor each of you for choosing to stand up for human rights, and for your sacrifice to help shine a light on the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China. Your courage and determination and your commitment to ride your bikes 3000 miles will help shine a light on the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China.
Falun Gong, is an advanced self-improvement practice of the Buddha school, rooted in ancient traditional Chinese culture. All of us appreciate that as Falun Gong practitioners, your practice is guided by the supreme qualities of the universe including Truth, Compassion and Forbearance. These are values that we also cherish and treasure here in Utah and which ring true with our American motto, “In God We Trust.” I and other Utahans think it is wonderful that Falun Dafa has also helped numerous people turn away from drugs, alcohol, violence, and other bad habits, helping them to pursue more meaningful lives. I appreciate the many years of effort of Bev Clark for Utah. She educated me to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners at the Utah Capitol years ago. Thank you Bev for your patience and perseverance in educating policy makers in Utah and around the world to the tragedy that is taking place in China.
We hope that the communist party in China will recognize the wrong they are doing and end almost 16 years of brutal persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners. These are gentle people who have helped to preserve human traditions and values such as honesty, courtesy, loyalty and unselfishness in the 70 plus countries where it is practiced. May God protect you young riders as you travel across this great nation, and may this Ride 2 Freedom truly open the hearts and minds of those who would embrace hate instead of love, and persecution instead of acceptance. I commit to doing more for this effort in the future and I look forward to doing what I can to change the policies in China and around the world that harm this great set of beliefs that people around the world follow to better themselves and others lives.
Sincerely,
Michael E. Noel
Representative District #73
June 12th, 2015
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