Letters: Olympics a way to learn about abuses by the Chinese

Eighty percent of China's exports are purchased in the United States. American corporations are thrilled about the amount of money that can be made in China from the enormous population there as China rapidly industrializes, despite the blatant destruction of the environment and the lack of preservation of ancient historic buildings except for those the Chinese want to show to tourists.

The fragile Himalayan ecosystem of Tibet is being systematically destroyed by the terrorizing invaders of that peaceful country. Fifty percent of the population of Tibet is now Chinese while the torture and killing of innocent Tibetan Buddhists continues.

North Korean refugees fleeing starvation and political persecution are not allowed to stay in China or even to pass safely through the country to freedom somewhere else. They are ruthlessly returned to North Korea.

In a way I'm glad the Olympic games were held in China since I've been learning more about these horrific abuses by the Chinese government from watching documentaries on other television channels. If we are going to buy Chinese goods, which we all do, I believe we should put pressure on our own legislators to insist that the environmental destruction and the human rights abuses by the Chinese government be immediately addressed.

Virginia Streitberger

Crescent City