By John Ray
For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/29/08

Chinese-Americans have recently staged protests around the country and here in Atlanta over CNN commentator Jack Cafferty's characterization of China and its people.

In response to a question on the U.S. stake in maintaining a good relationship with China, Cafferty vomited a tirade that characterized China and its people as being "goons and thugs" seeking to sell us their "junk with lead paint" and "poisoned dog food".

Our protection of free speech allows for cartoonish curmudgeons such as Cafferty to spew their gasping rants. It also allows, thankfully, such offensive remarks to be boiled in the pot of public commentary and revealed for what they represent. Free speech also allows Chinese-Americans to protest Cafferty's remarks publicly and peacefully.

April 22, 2008 · We foreign correspondents in China knew this was going to be a historic year, especially with the Olympics. I did not expect the run-up to the games to be free of controversy.

But I did not foresee that the unrest in Tibet and Olympics-related protests would turn into a national crisis of sorts for China. That crisis has now triggered a sharp nationalistic response and made this a defining moment that will affect how young Chinese perceive the West and vice versa.

Rather than an affirming patriotism, this backlash often manifests itself as an intolerant nationalism, as illustrated by two recent news items. In the case of Duke University freshman Grace Wang, pro-China protesters and Internet users labeled her a traitor — and hounded her parents in China into hiding — merely for refusing to stand with them, for communicating with the pro-Tibet students, and urging dialogue between the two camps.