This special issue marks the 250th anniversary of American Independence. On our front and second pages, we look back on two and a half centuries of freedom’s journey — from a single sheet of parchment signed by fifty-six men in Philadelphia to the nationwide celebrations unfolding across America today. It is a story of a promise made, and, however imperfectly, kept. Yet in that very same week, a different story unfolded on the other side of the country. Tibetan activist Lobga Rangzen, who had spent years advocating for Tibetan independence while living in exile in the United States, self-immolated in protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on the evening of July 2nd, and later succumbed to his injuries. Pages three and four report on this tragedy, as well as the memorial vigil held in Los Angeles by members of the Chinese Democracy Party in his honor. As one nation celebrates the freedom it has long possessed, another still pays for it with life itself. This issue is offered as a reminder to our readers: freedom has never been freely given — it is asked for, fought for, and, for some, paid for with everything they have.
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