Front Page News Article

                Chairman Mao dies                                                              

 Li-Shen Wu

     

  Beijing Post Reporter

BEIJING -- Today is one of the saddest days in recent memory for China. Today our great leader, Chairman Mao, has passed. He died yesterday, September 9th, in Beijing at the age of 82. One week ago today, as many of you know, Chairman Mao suffered a severe heart attack. His health had been in critical condition since his heart attack, and he was put on life support shortly before noon after falling into a coma. He was taken off life support just before midnight. He died immediately afterwards. The day was supposedly chosen for his death because the ninth day of the ninth month would be easily remembered. 

Over the last six months or so, Chairman Mao’s health had seemed to be rapidly declining. His lung infection had been worsening, and it was one of the leading factors in his death. When walking through the streets of Beijing today, the only sound in the air were the sobs of the Chinese citizens. Tang An Ming, one of the prestigious Red Guards, expressed his sorrow over the loss of Chairman Mao. “There is no doubt that today is the by any standard the saddest day of our lives. Chairman Mao has revolutionized a country in despair into one of great prosperity, and China is now headed in the right direction because of him.”

Unbelievably, there were some people whose opinions differ from what you would expect. One anonymous source was quoted as saying, “The death of Chairman Mao is actually a great event for this country. He has destroyed the culture that we so greatly valued, and corrupted the minds of our youth. China will be a better place without Mao Zedong at the helm.”
          
          
Hua Guofeng, Chairman Mao’s designated successor, will take over as the leader of China. Whether you think that Chairman Mao hurt our country or made it great, there is no doubt that we lost one of the most influential people in the history of our great nation.