After digesting the somber and eye-opening documentary Petition, I was particularly struck by the persistence of so many Chinese petitioners. The film highlighted so many lives that were utterly destroyed by the immoral and unjust actions of the state or its representative figures. Some lost their jobs, some lost their health, and others lost their loved ones. With such severe cases it is only logical and natural to seek some sort of reparation, however many of the petitioners that are turned away, or unjustly ignored decide to persist. Many individuals featured in the film spend months, years, and even decades living on the streets and fighting for some sort of resolution to their problems. Some of these individuals have dedicated their lives to this mission of justice, and in so doing, destroy whatever portion of a life they had left. The film also displays the utter incompetence and failure of the petition offices to even address these grievances. This combination forms a vivid picture of the states inability or blatant disregard for the wellbeing of it’s citizens and the utter hopelessness that this causes. Despite the dead end of corruption, Chinese petitioners keep marching on.