Florida Times-Union: Stand up to the Chinese

Saturday, July 21, 2001

The policy of the United States toward China might change if those were Christian skulls they were cracking in Tiananmen Square. Apparently, we are all too willing to look the other way when it is a meditative, Oriental religion under the screws of an oppressive regime, one that is not coincidentally an important business partner of our nation.

It ought to be enough that China is violating human and religious rights in their country. Were they less of a super power, say an Iraq, our policymakers would not hesitate to level economic sanctions in an attempt to cripple the regime and spur anti-government sentiment within the nation.

Instead, we are a willing and eager trade partner, further enabling China's hard-line rulers to jail and possibly torture a religious [group]. Their crime? China has been able to offer no more proof of sedition than that the Falun Gong group meditates with slow movements, sometimes in a show of civil disobedience.

... It's time for our leaders to stop paying lip service to American ideals while bowing down to the almighty dollar. It's time to stand up to China until they value the basic human dignities we expect and demand of ourselves.

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/072101/opi_6739174.html