My valued readers,
For the last three decades, I have done my best to provide you with the most accurate, and honest opinion as to what has happened in our great nation. This incredible journey has taken me all across the country, from my home, to my time in school, to Yenan to observe the early Communist Party, and more recently to the countryside to report on land reform and the hardships of the recent natural disasters. I have tried to stay true to my roots when reporting. I know that I come from a more privileged background when compared to many of my fellow citizens, and this fact has not been lost on me. However, I’m afraid that it has caused me to make several grave mistakes in my reporting. Chairman Mao once said, “It is man’s social being that determines his thinking” (Mao, 96). I have spent the last weeks tirelessly studying the works of the Chairman, working out my wrongdoings, and understanding how I need to think and act better.
When reporting on land reform almost a decade ago, I contradicted the Party’s policies by voicing an opinion that I didn’t think that fairly achieved wealth should be taken away. This was a mistaken opinion, as I should have put my faith in the Chairman and the Party, as they are the ones who dared to create positive change. As the Chairman said, “A revolution is not a dinner party” (Mao, 14). While I was at first taken aback by the violence, through reflection, I have come to understand how it was necessary in order to create the socialist society of the future. I hope that you all can forgive me for my transgressions, and see how hard I have worked to correct my thought to continue to bring the best possible reporting.
孙诚