Palden Gyatso

The cruelty of it, the way humans can treat each other.

[drumming] It makes me think about a Tibetan monk named Palden Gyatso.

Several people have told me his story lately.

He was imprisoned by the Chinese after that country's ruthless takeover of Tibet, and sentenced to 18 years of prison.

He was giving aid to a woman who had been tear-gassed by immigration officials.

Then those same officials shot him at least seven times, counted the bullet holes instead of checking his pulse, and then one agent turned to clap his hands in celebration.

Preti's last words were, "Are you okay?" Like Palden Gyatso, he wasn't thinking of his own wellbeing.

He was thinking of the woman who was tear-gassed.