RALEIGH, N.C.— On the afternoon of March 8, retired law professor Jim Beckwith attended the final local performance by Shen Yun at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina. He praised Shen Yun for safeguarding the cultural foundations of civilization.
“I came here because it’s a moral issue,” Mr. Beckwith said. “You are combining the preservation of ancient cultures—and, as Edmund Burke and others have said, that is the foundation of a civilization. It’s not something the Marxist materialists can create.”
In his view, supporting Shen Yun’s mission carries profound moral significance.
“Supporting what this wonderful organization is doing is morally important,” he added. “The Chinese Communist Party is an instrument of unspeakable evil and must be resisted. Americans need to understand the message you are sending.”
Mr. Beckwith previously served as a law professor at North Carolina Central University. He also served as editor of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Journal of Business Law. In recognition of his contributions to legal education, alumni of the university’s law school established a scholarship in his name in 2007.
“I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “You have to win the culture. You can’t just rely on talk shows or politics. You have to keep alive what is sacred so you can resist the Marxist lie.”
He added that materialism ultimately leaves people spiritually empty, whereas Shen Yun appeals to both emotion and intellect.
“Materialism is so empty,” he said. “This gives people something in their heart, while also appealing to their brain.”
Endowed with 5,000 years of civilization, China was once known as the “Land of the Divine.” For millennia, its people believed that by keeping their hearts pure and upholding high moral standards, they would receive blessings from the heavens.
Mr. Beckwith also emphasized the importance of ensuring that the message conveyed through the performance continues to be heard.
“It’s so important to keep that message alive—that you will not destroy our ancient culture,” he said. “Good will prevail over evil.”
“Coming here to the concert is an act of moral courage,” he said. “Many Americans don’t realize what you’re up against—or what we are up against.”
Mr. Beckwith said the performance’s portrayal of faith and traditional values deeply moved him.
“It conveys courage, wisdom, and a recognition of what is truly important in life. It shows the importance of faith—and how faith can prevail over the travails of material life,” he said.
Seeing that message expressed through the performance strengthened his own convictions.
“It inspires me to be even more committed,” Mr. Beckwith said, “because you actually see a demonstration of faith, and you can carry that in your heart.”
“I’m dazzled by the athleticism and the delicacy,” he said. “At first, you might think the women are simply graceful, and the men are acrobatic, but then you see the women performing some remarkable gymnastics as well.”
He added that watching the performance from close range makes the dancers’ abilities even more striking.
“Thank you,” he said. “Have courage, and know that you are doing something transcendent. With every breath you take, you disprove the Marxist lie.”
He also offered praise for the artistic director behind Shen Yun. “I would like to shake your hand and say: You are a genius,” Mr. Beckwith said. “This is truly a blessing.”
