An issue that interest me are the protests that are occurring in Hong Kong. As mentioned before, in my rhetorical analysis, these protests started in response to an extradition bill that would allow extraditions from Hong Kong to mainland China. However, these protests have a deeper meaning. They are not just protesting against a bill. What they are actually fighting for is to keep their democracy and self-autonomy intact. They are fighting to preserve their rights from being taken away before their due time. Hong Kong use to be a British colony for 99 years. In 1997, Britain gave Hong Kong back to China under a special agreement called “one country, two systems”. This agreement made Hong Kong a part of China, but it had its conditions. It stipulated that Hong Kong was to remain as a semi-autonomous region with democratic freedoms such as the right to vote, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the right to assembly. Unfortunately, this agreement doesn’t last forever. It’s said to expire in 2047. Hong Kong is suppose to fully become a part of China, where it operates as an authoritarian government that doesn’t allow the same freedoms as present day Hong Kong. This topic interests me because these Hong Kong protests aren’t a local struggle. They are just a recent battle from a long lineage of fights for democracy around the world. It’s what America has also fought for. It’s what America stands for – liberty, freedom and hope. I can’t imagine what it’s like having an expiration date on your human rights. I wish to learn more about past Hong Kong protests that have occurred over this issue. How can these current protests make a meaningful difference? Can they bring about the change they so desperately want?