As joint response of various Chinese immigrants and students organizations in greater Cleveland area, we would like to tell you how appalled and saddened we are by the publication of the May 14th Editorial Cartoon in Plain Dealer depicting China as an ugly giant rat with its tail broken by an earthquake, preoccupied with how to blame Dalai Lama for the disaster. The cartoon clearly refers to the recent earthquake in the Sichuan/>Province/>/>where the ensuing death toll has exceeded 28,000 and is still climbing. While the world pours its heart out to the victims of the quake, the Plain Dealer cartoon demonstrates a degree of insensitivity towards human sufferings that is beyond our comprehension. Does it have no shame in politicizing human tragedy? We are sure that many of our members have expressed their indignation to your paper, some quite emotionally.We trust that you and your staff are capable of going beyond the anger expressed in these responses and be able to grasp the cause of such anger.
To be sure, we understand that the cartoonist, Mr. Jeff Darcy, played on the fact that this is the year of rat in the Chinese Zodiac, and that, according to him, he uses rat “as an appropriate symbol for an oppressive evil government and an evil earthquake”. In the following, we will attempt to show why his cartoon is offensive to the Chinese immigrant community at large and why he should offer an apology.
First of all, right off bat, Jeff misunderstood what Rat, which is on top of the Chinese Zodiac, symbolizes. Instead of being evil, Rat is as intelligent and hardworking as any animal and these traits may well be appreciated by a people of a different land.When Jeff wrote CHINA/>/> across the body of a big, ugly, and menacing rat he drew, it is no wonder that his cartoon is taken by many as smearing of an entire nation.
Secondly, about the Chinese government. The fact is that since the earthquake struck China/>/> on Monday, the Chinese government has acted quickly and very responsibly in the rescue operations that drew international praises. It has dispatched over a hundred thousand troops to the affected areas in a short period of time. We can’t help but wonder while the whole world is behind the humanitarian missions led by this supposedly “evil” government, what points the cartoonist tries to make by linking the quake to the nonexistent blame on Dalai Lama? Is vilifying and alienating the Chinese government a 24/7 job? It seems that Jeff, at minimal, showed a poor judgment and his drawing could easily be interpreted far worse.
Finally, showing this cartoon two days after the quake, while your readers watched with horror the human tragedy unfolding across the TV screens and printed media, and keeping it on the web for several more days until protests erupted shows a crippling insensitivity on the part of Plain Dealer to human sufferings in a distant land. While Jeff has a right to express his view, he also has a journalist’s professional obligation to be fair, objective, and free of bias and stereotyping. We are sure that Jeff is a compassionate person sensitive to the feeling of others and the Plain Dealer is run by like minded people; we would just like the paper to show it by offering the Chinese community at large a sincere apology.
I think this is quite understandable. After all, the victims are our kin folks not theirs.Even now some Chinese in the mainland are still pretty apathetic .
iamhereforfun 發表評論於
I think this letter is still too weak. The comments to Jeff is too weak. It showed so much "understanding" for what Jeff has done and tried to explained to Jeff what's going on. Come on, they are just evil, you can't write letter to evil in this tone.
albert88 發表評論於
８９年時對於西方媒體公正性的天真幻想早已經破滅！
千萬不能夠沉默！謝謝你們的抗議！
kallisummer 發表評論於
他們隻看重“人權”不看重人命。
西紅柿麵 發表評論於
大國效應
oliviahou 發表評論於
Even the radio station Q104 sucks. Always attacked the recalled Made-in-China Toy. Speaking that's all China's fault. Today they are making fun of China again. Cannot take anymore. Mid-East USA people suck.
Wish2007 發表評論於
Appalled by the cartoons!
It helps me recall those unhappy days in Cleveland where certain citizens are biased and partial. My personal experience there is nothing compared to such kind of cruelty. It's a shame.
summer_rose 發表評論於
They don't have the basic qality of being human being.Too evil!
doitright 發表評論於
Ding " Jxshny"! That is exactly they are doing...
angel6688 發表評論於
yes, i think that Jeff Darcy has to take the responsibility of the misleading to the public, first, i am really sorry for his cold blood,such a evil. second, it's really hurt our feeling. He should apology to our nation in the newspaper and never be allow to publish anything. i never feel this much proud to be a Chinese, i believe my mother land will recover in a near future.
jxshny 發表評論於
We could draw a devil, who is thinking "Now how can I pin this natural disaster on the Chinese government?", and submit this cartoon to the Plain Dealer, lets see if it publishes it!!!
A apology doesn't mean too much. How could one see that his apology is sincere? For a demon, the best punishment is let him lose his job; let the evil haunt around him for ever; and let him show himself insane.
As joint response of various Chinese immigrants and students organizations in greater Cleveland area, we would like to tell you how appalled and saddened we are by the publication of the May 14th Editorial Cartoon in Plain Dealer depicting China as an ugly giant rat with its tail broken by an earthquake, preoccupied with how to blame Dalai Lama for the disaster. The cartoon clearly refers to the recent earthquake in the Sichuan/>Province/>/>where the ensuing death toll has exceeded 28,000 and is still climbing. While the world pours its heart out to the victims of the quake, the Plain Dealer cartoon demonstrates a degree of insensitivity towards human sufferings that is beyond our comprehension. Does it have no shame in politicizing human tragedy? We are sure that many of our members have expressed their indignation to your paper, some quite emotionally.We trust that you and your staff are capable of going beyond the anger expressed in these responses and be able to grasp the cause of such anger.
To be sure, we understand that the cartoonist, Mr. Jeff Darcy, played on the fact that this is the year of rat in the Chinese Zodiac, and that, according to him, he uses rat “as an appropriate symbol for an oppressive evil government and an evil earthquake”. In the following, we will attempt to show why his cartoon is offensive to the Chinese immigrant community at large and why he should offer an apology.
First of all, right off bat, Jeff misunderstood what Rat, which is on top of the Chinese Zodiac, symbolizes. Instead of being evil, Rat is as intelligent and hardworking as any animal and these traits may well be appreciated by a people of a different land.When Jeff wrote CHINA/>/> across the body of a big, ugly, and menacing rat he drew, it is no wonder that his cartoon is taken by many as smearing of an entire nation.
Secondly, about the Chinese government. The fact is that since the earthquake struck China/>/> on Monday, the Chinese government has acted quickly and very responsibly in the rescue operations that drew international praises. It has dispatched over a hundred thousand troops to the affected areas in a short period of time. We can’t help but wonder while the whole world is behind the humanitarian missions led by this supposedly “evil” government, what points the cartoonist tries to make by linking the quake to the nonexistent blame on Dalai Lama? Is vilifying and alienating the Chinese government a 24/7 job? It seems that Jeff, at minimal, showed a poor judgment and his drawing could easily be interpreted far worse.
Finally, showing this cartoon two days after the quake, while your readers watched with horror the human tragedy unfolding across the TV screens and printed media, and keeping it on the web for several more days until protests erupted shows a crippling insensitivity on the part of Plain Dealer to human sufferings in a distant land. While Jeff has a right to express his view, he also has a journalist’s professional obligation to be fair, objective, and free of bias and stereotyping. We are sure that Jeff is a compassionate person sensitive to the feeling of others and the Plain Dealer is run by like minded people; we would just like the paper to show it by offering the Chinese community at large a sincere apology.
