By: Byron Kimball
Freelancer

On Feb. 23, Salem resident Timothy Gebhart held free viewings of the 2015 PBS documentary “Hard to Believe” for local residents. Directed by Ken Stone, the documentary concerns the practice of forced organ harvesting from Chinese prisoners.

Filmed in the style of a police procedural, “Hard to Believe” is one of many documentaries in recent years that aims to raise awareness of the issue.

A CNN report done on June 24, 2016 claimed that China was “… still engaged in the widespread and systematic harvesting of organs from prisoners.”

As the documentary discusses in further detail, the organs, ranging from kidneys to hearts, are often harvested from a person shortly after execution. The organs are then sold to so-called “transplant tourists,” who travel from all over the world to China for life-saving organ transplants.

For Gebhart, the issue is personal. He is a long-time practitioner of the meditation practice Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, which has been outlawed in China since 1999. Many of the victims of forced organ harvesting are fellow Falun Gong practitioners, according to www.stoporganharvesting.org.

When asked to share his thoughts about both organ harvesting and the documentary, Gebhart responded, “Not too many people are aware of organ harvesting in China or of the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China. We have found that once people know of this issue, and are familiar with it, it is much easier for change to occur.”

He suggests that viewers emboldened to action after viewing the documentary help raise awareness through social media and by writing to their local legislators.

Viewers who wish to learn more about forced organ harvesting are encouraged to visit both www.hardtobelievemovie.com and www.stoporganharvesting.org to learn about the practice and find out what they can do to help.

Contact the author at bkimball16@wou.edu