=========================================================================== From: xlli@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (xiao-lin li) Subject: Second Draft to CBS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear CBS President, We are very disappointed with the CBS Evening News on Thursday, May 19. In this news program, Connie Chung made a report about the Chinese spies in the United States. Besides a brief report about a restaurant onwer who stole millitary secret for China, Ms. Chung claimed that every day there are people entering the United States from China legally and many of them could be spies. She used the words such as "fish at the bottom sea" and "it could be your next door neighbor" to imply that any ordinary person with Chinese national origin could be a spy for China. Such language will create serious distrust, even hostility between the majority of American people and people with Chinese national origin. Most importantly, the report hinted that any Chinese who is hired by an American Company might steal national secret for China. We are concerned that such an irresponsible statement may produce an even stronger discrimination against people with Chinese national origin who have already suffered some disadvantage in their career, job and livelihood. It is our belief that most people with Chinese national origin are law abiding citizens. Many of them have their love to both the United States and China. They love the United States as a country which privides them with freedom and hospitality. They love China because the country is their motherland, a place where they have their childhood memory. It is understandable that most of them have good wishes to the Chinese nation. It is for this purpose that they care about the economic development, the political progress and human rights condition in China. However, none of these should prompt the imagination that they are spies trained to steal the American national secrets. Many people ============ worked for US companies and institutes, devoting their energy and intelligence ============================================================================== for the prosperity of the country. Also, many of them ===================================================== have worked hard to enhance the understanding between the people of China and America. They are working to bring China to the international family. They are working on trade and academic communication between the two countries. Many of them who enjoyed the hospitality in the United States, returned the same good will to their American friends when they went back to their home country. As a generation of Chinese who witnessed the radical Chinese Cultural Revolution in 1960-1970's during which many innocent people were suspected as "KMT agent" and "American spies", we are particularly sensitive to the allusion made in the CBS report. We are concerned that such allusion may contribute to a very damaging steorotype image of the people with Chinese national origin. Although, we agree and even admire the First Amendment of the American Constitution and we believe Connie Chung and CBS should have the right for free speech, we are seriously worried about the implication and impact of the CBS report on the daily life of many innocent people. We believe the American principle that a person is innocent unless he/she is proven guilty. We love America for its democracy and freedom. It is our belief that the potential discrimination against people with Chinese national origin as a result of the CBS report by Connie Chung is against the spirit of human rights. We demand an apology from CBS and aired on CBS for Connie Chung's irresponsible ========================= statement and allusion. Otherwise we will stop watching the CBS Evening News Program in order to protest its biased report and may also take legal ==================== action. =======