January 19, 2001

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to take a moment and express my extreme dismay and concern over the persecution that the Chinese Government continues to carry out on the practitioners of Falun Gong. This spiritual exercise represents an apolitical and non-violent form of meditation exercise based on traditional Chinese culture. Since 1999 many of its followers have been jailed and tortured for refusing to discontinue the practice.

As a member of the Texas House of Representatives, I am especially concerned about stories of harassment and mistreatment of Texas' residents. America has flourished because of our basic beliefs of human rights and freedoms. These rights, as pointed out in the U.S. Constitution, come to us from God, rather than from a supreme government. As such, these freedoms should never be taken away.

I would encourage fellow Americans to research these brutal stories for themselves and stand up to support the free exercise of religion and expression in China. More importantly, I would implore the Chinese government to take a look inward and cease further persecution of the followers of Falun Gong.

Sincerely,

Frank J. Corte Jr.