Opinion
THE CLACKAMAS PRINT
May 17,1989
Page 4
Campus Views
Campus Views is replacing Student Opinions as the weekly opinion section.
Do you think the Chinese students will succeed in bringing
democracy to China?
Yes. Millions of people, in­
cluding the students, are very
determined to reach the goal of
democracy. The top people (in
China) have been ineffective in
handling the events so far. Change
is going to be inevitable. It is diffi­
cult for the Communist Party to
stay strong when democracy is being
widely spread, for instance, in the
Soviet Union.
- Ronald Johns
Youth is the future, whether
here or in China. They want to
bring more freedom to the com­
munist regime. They are not ask­
ing for a U.S. answer; their pur­
pose is a Chinese answer. With
the obvious support they are re­
ceiving from the rest of China the
government will have to capitu­
late. Because the Chinese revere
education the students will pre­
vail. Their purpose is definite and
they will win.
- Ginny Cowan
I know that “martial law” has
been determined and that their
government is trying to influence
this industrialized nation. I’m
watching closely how Americans
and our government involvement
help them achieve democracy.
- Nick Lane
Yes, I do think democracy is
in the workings for China. When­
ever hunger strikes go on, reform
usually is on its way.
- Stephen Henry
I think they are putting up a
good fight. I also think they have a
pretty good chance at acheiving at
least some of their demands. I
believe their cause is just and their
methods are reasonable, although
a bit impractical. If they can con­
tinue to do as they have been they
certainly have a chance.
- Me-Lissa Cartales
No, they will not. Not in the
sense that they would rid them­
selves entirely of the Communist
regime. I do think they will be
successful in making some changes
in some government processes.
- Aaron Lieberman
The whole problem in China
is the fact that they arc new ideas
from a new generation, and the
old are too stubborn to listen. I
thought for a long time that the
demonstrators had a good chance
in gettingsome of their ideas across.
But now that the Chinese govern­
ment has closed off all media
coverage it seems hard for any­
body to reallyseewhat is goingon.
Personally, I think that without
the help of the med iathestudcnts
in China don’t stand a chance.
- Michael Nelson
In my opinion, I hope the
Chinese students get the democ­
racy that the country needs. It might
lake longer than this protest,
because the Chinese government
is very set in its ways. I hope that
there is no bloodshed, but change
will happen when the time is right.
- Stephen J. Rudometkin
No, I do not believe the Chi­
nese students will be successful in
bringing about a democracy at this
time. The Communist Party, I be­
lieve, is too powerful. In the dis­
tant future-a few decades from
now-there may be a possibility.
- Deryl Hampton
Democracy is an ideal con­
cept which supposes that each
citizen will make a choice, and
that the majority of choices will
determine law. China has been
and remains a multi-cultural, frag­
mented society where the citizens
cannot agree even to vote, much
less what to vote about. Nonethe­
less, China will remain the world’s
oldest and most complex society.
- Perry Lensen-Callas
Photos and quotes compiled by Jillian Porter