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After learning of the recent protest against CNN’s commentator Jack Cafferty, the PCC community voiced their opinions about Cafferty’s comments regarding China and its role in the the global economy.Protesting Sunday on Sunset in Los Angeles, people from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China, stood together yelling: “fire Cafferty” and “we fight together, no more media distortion.”

With a community already angered about the criticism revolving around the 2008 Olympic games being hosted in Beijing, Cafferty’s comments added more fuel to the flame.

The United States relies primarily on China for imports, a dependency not seen as favorable by everyone.

“We continue to import their junk with the lead paint on them and the poisoned pet food; and export, you know, jobs to places where you can pay workers a dollar a month to turn out the stuff that we’re buying from Walmart. So I think our relationship with China has certainly changed. I think they’re basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they’ve been for the last 50 years,” said Cafferty during the contested CNN showing.

With opinions varying throughout the campus, members of the PCC community reacted differently to Cafferty’s comments.
Adam Kratt, vice president for public relations believed there was some truth in Cafferty’s comments. “If CNN was reporting the truth, I don’t see what the problem was. China has not changed. [China] is still violating people’s civil rights and now government officials are getting rich off private industries,” he said.

According to Kratt, the United States should support Taiwan, a democratic country, rather than importing from China, a government that oppresses its people.

“I still question the Chinese [persons] that protested CNN,” said Kratt. According to him, the question as to why they are protesting the communist regime they fled from is still left unanswered.

Throughout campus, there are students who feel that the media played a negative role in influencing the public.

“I know the media does play an important role. If the media makes an opinionated comment like [Cafferty’s], it just creates conflict . I think that was a rude comment,” said student Carlos Herrera, 19, Music major.

Those who attended the protest came from all around.

Anna Zhen, a 55-year-old protester from Oakland said, “We drove nine hours from Oakland yesterday for today’s protest. I think sometimes Chinese are too nice to stand out and protect ourselves.”

According to Kimberly Velasquez, 18, psychology major, “[The media] is a window to the universe. We are so easily influenced and we absorb everything that is said to us.” Adding, “[Cafferty’s comments] were horrible [and] I can’t believe that happened.

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