CNN Report - Transcribed

[Robert S.]

[This is CNN. Shot of Aaron Brown at news desk, story title appears, War Brides?]

 

Aaron Brown: We have asked ourselves again and again since September 11, 2001, what do we have to do to stop it from happening again? There are the big stories – whether we are trading our civil liberties for more security – but this is one of the small stories: some American men who say they have had to give up something precious as a side effect of the war on terror, their chance for love.

 

[cut to Kevin in his office, with voiceover]

 

A.B.: Kevin Cook is a software engineer in Florida who at least once every day spends a lot of not-so-quality time …with a recording. “You are on hold to speak to the next available officer. Right now we are handling more calls than we have officers…” He is a divorced father of three engaged now for just over a year to a Chinese woman who is not here, but there.

 

[camera shows full-frame picture of Yan Lu sitting in big black leather chair in her very nice office]

 

Kevin: “Her name is Yan Lu, and I actually met her by chance one night on the internet. We were using the same chat program.”

 

[cut to China street scenes, then shot of building with American flag out front then more Guangzhou street scenes]

 

A.B.: As strange as it may seem, there are thousands of American men in exactly the same predicament, men who either met Chinese or Russian women by chance on the internet, or through internet dating services, women now stranded overseas because the State Department toughened entry requirements from Russia and China last summer in response to terrorist threats worldwide.

 

[cut to Kevin]

 

Kevin: “I know for a fact that Guangzhou has 10,000 immigrant visas sitting there waiting for the name checks to come back and about 7500 of them are just fiancée visas.”

 

[more China footage]

 

A.B.: Those visas would be handed here in Guangzhou, China, the only place in the entire country that processes visas for would-be brides, 3000 miles away from where Kevin Cook’s fiancée, Yan, resides with her mother.

 

[cut to Kevin]

 

Kevin: “I do not think there is any particular person in any position to blame. I think it is a byproduct of not investing the resources in our immigration system.”

 

[cut to Gene]

 

Gene Edwards: “If I were to use words like adversive, abhorrent, abominable, appalling, disgusting, detestable, loathsome, vile, ignominious, that would not begin to cover the feelings I have about this."

 

[voiceover begins while Gene is still talking, then he and two others are shown, Clark the owner of GlobalNetwork7, and Bruce Ades]

 

A.B.: Gene Edwards, as you may gather, is not nearly as charitable. He and two other men from Dallas agreed to talk to us about similar stories with their Russian fiancées and wives because they say they are fed up, fed up with everything.

 

[photo of exceptionally beautiful Russian lady, snapshots of American men with Russian sweethearts, cut to Bruce]

 

Bruce Ades: “Sandy Booker, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma…..”

 

[cut to photo of Sandy Booker and camera lingers, then cut to scene inside theater showing hooded militant, cut to funeral scene of caskets being carried with bells tolling in the background audio]

 

A.B.: Sandy Booker was one of the two American citizens among the more than 100 hostages who died in that takeover of a Moscow theater by Chechen militants last October. Booker, friends say, went to the theater to celebrate that his fiancée had finally cleared her hurdles with the American government.

 

[cut to Bruce]

 

Bruce Ades: “Had his visa been issued for his family, as it had been historically promised by the embassy, Mr Booker would have never made that trip.”

 

[cut to Kevin, and Kevin in front of chart]

 

A.B.: Back in Florida, Kevin Cook has created this flow chart, a chart to explain to visitors, and, he admits, to himself, how the process works.

 

Kevin: “I did this a few months ago because the process to get the K1 visa approved has turned into such a complicated process I kept getting lost.”

 

[camera shows various snapshots of Kevin with Yan Lu and her mother]

 

A.B.: And as for the question of why go through all this trouble in the first place, delicately put, couldn’t you find someone here to marry?

 

[cut to Kevin]

 

Kevin: “You know, I don’t think true love is geographically isolated – just because I’m an American doesn’t mean my true love is in America. Mine happens to be in China.”

 

[cut to graphics]

 

A.B. voiceover: For its part the Department of State says it understands everyone’s frustrations, but it adds, quote,

 

[graphic display with title U.S. State Department Statement (in all caps) and high tech looking grid graphics behind it]

 

WE’VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH OTHER AGENCIES INVOLVED TO IMPROVE THIS PROCESS SO THAT WE CAN EXPEDITE CLEARANCE WITHOUT COMPROMISING SECURITY

 

[cut to closeup]

 

Kevin: “They are going to keep hearing from me until my fiancée is here. That is my mission.”

 

[cut to Aaron Brown with an objective look on his face, opens mouth and speaks “Next on News Night, looking at Arab-Americans through the prism of humor, this is News Night on CNN"]

[PJ]

Cool, thanks Robert! That's great. Out of curiosity, did you find this online, or did you do it the painful way (lotsa fast typing and hitting rewind on the VCR). Either way, we are all grateful for this transcript!

[Robert S.]

No I did not find it online. I transcribed it from the video I lifted off that web site where it is posted. After I cross-posted my transcription on G-7 Russia, I noticed where somebody had posted a transcript they had copied from somewhere, but it was not as detailed as mine, or as accurate. (I do medical transcription for a living). Anyway, I really enjoyed doing it, but the main reason was to facilitate a better understanding on everyone's part of just how strong of a statement of support CNN has made with the way they slanted this report. When you see it "on paper" like this you can get a better idea of what must have been the thinking of the producers and directors and Aaron Brown. I wish I could do a real media critique like I am groping toward here. If we can really understand what we have got then we can know better how to capitalize on it.

[LaoMao]

Robert,

 

You are soo talented. How did you do that? It will take me to watch the video thousand of times to write down like that.

[LaoMao]

I thought it was a great and accurate report when I first saw it. That is why I pinned it.  

Jim, you mean I have to say thank you instead of Robert. Just kidding, don't through me the rotten eggs.

[KandY]

OMG!! Way cool!!! Good job Robert!!!

[TimD]

OMG....not even one mention of Mail Order Bride...fei chang hao....I like his response to the question of finding a wife here in the states.

 

I really think we are pioneers in what we are doing. I've read more and more reports of how men and women are meeting online and not in bars. It think it's only a matter of time before people like us will be the norm, not the exception.

[KandY]

I like his response to the question of finding a wife here in the states.

Well I am a 'Super Advanced Member' (see all my blue thingies) - that gives me special powers

[PJ]

Hi All,

 

To echo Lao Mao's setiments, yes I am also amazed at Robert's talent in being able to capture all of this in an excellent transcript. It would take me a week to do and I would wear out my VCR's REWIND button.

 

I am unpinning this now, but I would like to say:

 

1. CNN report has been copied with Robert's permission into the Announcements forum.

2. AVI format of CNN report is being uploaded to Candle even as we speak.

 

Thanks,

 

P.J.

[jkobman]

Thanks for the posting!!

[Bryan_Qunying]

I wonder what it would take to get CNN to revisit this story now that a couple years have past?

[keelec]

Interesting idea....

 

Don, do you have Kevin Cook's e-mail.

 

It would be interesting to have a continuation story.....

 

Show his trials getting his wife here, then show him and his family a year later (assuming they are doing well), then show all the progress (or lack there of) today.

 

------ Clifford ------

[hypoclear]

I read a Tech News article on Yahoo News a while back that talked about a new kind of bar. You get a table with a computer and browse the other patrons - like a dating service. If you see someone you like, you can start a chat session. Then, if things are clicking...you can arrange to join them in person at their table or yours. As I remember, it was on the east coast somewhere and was thinking about expanding to other cities. Go figure!

 

-Don H

Don;

 

Growing up we had a bar just down the road in Hadley, MA called the "Dialtone" they had a telephone on each table and at every chair at the bar with a number over head.

 

if you spotted someone you wanted to talk to you just picked upthe phone and dialed. All I can remember of the place is, one night a bunch of us guys stole the big glass pitcher that the beer came in... ohh to be young and an idiot again!!

 

So the more things change the more they remain the same..

 

You can ask my wife about the idiot part..

 

 

 

mark and bea

[keelec]

I read a Tech News article on Yahoo News a while back that talked about a new kind of bar. You get a table with a computer and browse the other patrons - like a dating service. If you see someone you like, you can start a chat session. Then, if things are clicking...you can arrange to join them in person at their table or yours. As I remember, it was on the east coast somewhere and was thinking about expanding to other cities. Go figure!

 

-Don H

Don;

 

Growing up we had a bar just down the road in Hadley, MA called the "Dialtone" they had a telephone on each table and at every chair at the bar with a number over head.

 

if you spotted someone you wanted to talk to you just picked upthe phone and dialed. All I can remember of the place is, one night a bunch of us guys stole the big glass pitcher that the beer came in... ohh to be young and an idiot again!!

 

So the more things change the more they remain the same..

 

You can ask my wife about the idiot part..

 

 

 

mark and bea

Hmmm,

 

Recently someone described the new modern way of doing that... Apparently there is something called "toothing".... I am not sure if it is real, but it sounds plausible.

 

Apparently PocketPC's or Palm devices with blootooth capabilities can send brief messages to another device in a close vicinity..... I.E. If a person is on a bus, one can start sending messages seeking others wanting to meet for a date.

 

It sounds strange, but remotely plausible.

 

------ Clifford ------

[se_lang]

Hmmm,

 

Recently someone described the new modern way of doing that...  Apparently there is something called "toothing"....  I am not sure if it is real, but it sounds plausible.

 

Apparently PocketPC's or Palm devices with blootooth capabilities can send brief messages to another device in a close vicinity.....  I.E.  If a person is on a bus, one can start sending messages seeking others wanting to meet for a date.

 

It sounds strange, but remotely plausible.

 

------ Clifford ------

I read this article also, but it is not for a date it is for lose sex. they arrange risky places to meet, It seems bathrooms are popular. I believe this is a British past time.