From: "UCLA K.Y." <EDT2LRF@UCLAMVS.BITNET>
Subject:      Points for IFCSS to consider on calling the live show
Reply-To: "UCLA K.Y." <EDT2LRF@UCLAMVS.BITNET>
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 22:42:00 GMT
Comments: To: IFCSS HQ <ifcss@WAM.UMD.EDU>, ccnl <ccnl@UTARLVM1.BITNET>,
              china-nt <china-nt@UGA.BITNET>

IFCSS please consider the following points about the live show:

1. The major issue concerned by the general voters of this year's
   U.S. election campaign is not foreign policy, not China's human
   rights. The most important thing is the current recession, the deficit,
   jobs, health cost, education, tax, ... I don't think the CNN filter
   will gave even 1 minute to any CSS's call about the S1216 bill. I am
   not sure how knowledgeable are those call filters. Even if they have
   a very knowledgeable supervisor or an on-line computer data base by
   which s/he can verify the content and background of this particular
   bill the CSS caller tell them, I suspect this topic will match the
   topics on their basic outline of this live show. And after all there
   is only 60 minutes. Massive calls  will not help us reach the
   President, only to jam the line and annoy the media, unnecessarily.

2. Looking back at Tian Changlin's record governing UC Burkley, I don't
   think he's going to make that call to press the US pressident in
   public at such a live show. Maybe the IFCSS would like to consider other
   VIP such as the president of the Boston U. who has spoken out at a
   student rally for Shen Tong. But when it comes to this immigration
   related bill, it will be a little different. The LA Times published
   an article reporting the CSS "fighting for residency", but it is still
   unable to produce an editorial directly pressing Bush to sign the bill.

3. TAM 1989, massive CSS demonstrations in US cities at that time, and
   events such as Shen Tong's arrest give American media and normal people
   positive attitudes toward CSS in the US. If we push a bill or other
   action for humean rights/democracy in China with no immigration involved,
   they would sympathize/support and understand us even when we overact
   to their President and/or disturb the hot Q&A show focusing on their
   domestic situation. But if we (luckily get a chance on the air) press
   the "yes/no" question on S1216, and spend too much minutes soliciting a
   clear answer when Bush refuses to do so, How many minutes do you think
   the impatient audiance would like to hear our argument? What will be the
   comment by the US public for CSS If the caller is shut off by Larry King?

   In case this time the bill fails, do you think a demaged public immage
   will help a similar one pass the next congress and the next president?

Kevin
UCLA

-------------------------TEXT-OF-FORWARDED-MAIL--------------------------------
Date:         Wed, 7 Oct 1992 12:37:32 -0700
From:         WU@NAUVAX.UCC.NAU.EDU
Subject:      On Larry King Live

Dear Folks,
     IFCSS HQ should be able to entrust or direct someone, an American would be
better, to make one, and only one phone call to President Bush on Larry King
Live just to ask a very simple question of what his intent is on S.1216.
That should be it. No pressure. That's all we want to know. It would not be
productive to put open pressure on the President during a public appearance,
nor would it be wise to jam CNN's phone line with massive phone calls on an
issue which is important to the Chinese students in this country, but is
most probably a minor issue to most Americans, especially compared to the
agenda of some major domestic problems the President faces. As long as we
don't know what's going on with the Bill in the White House, we should not
embarrass the President in public by openly pressuring him with questions like
Shen Tong. The Shen Tong issue should be addressed when we lobby the White
House through other channels
     Just a thought.
Newsgroups: talk.politics.china