Olympics and Politics Don’t Mix
We’ve all seen the news about the protests against a certain country hosting the Olympics this year. What’s all the commotion about? Simply put, the host country’s government violates human rights. That’s not a secret, but is it enough to warrant the kind of protests that are happening? Absolutely not.
The Olympics is a tradition created long ago for countries to come together and compete in athletic venues. It has absolutely nothing to do with the government or politics of a nation. Back when the Olympics were created, countries would stop wars to come and compete in the games. This is how it was intended and the way it should be.
Do I believe there should be protests? Sure. It’s important to shed light on the injustices of the world, but there is a proper way to protest. Trying to tackle the poor fellow that is carrying the torch is the wrong way to go about things. Just because he is carrying the torch doesn’t mean he supports what is going on in China. The Olympics are going to happen. Protest your hearts out, but don’t do it at the expense of a long running tradition of an event that brings countries together, despite their differences and disagreements.
April 15th, 2008 at 10:31 am
as a person who lives in san francisco, i am obligated to disagree.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I justed wanted to post a comment to comment.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I am one of your secret readers and while I agree and am entertained by most of your posts, this is the one time that I must disagree.
“It has absolutely nothing to do with the government or politics of a nation.”
For as many olympics as I can remember, China has made it political. It has denied the participation of Taiwanese athletes in these events unless the country calls itself Chinese Taipei. Only now, when the protests are aimed at China does it proclaim that Olympics is about the athletes and nothing more.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
It’s good to know I have secret readers out there. I really have very little clue who reads and it’s discouraging sometimes.
I’m not really concerned about what China’s claims are on this now that they’re hosting. The Olympics should not be about politics now or ever. While that’s not a reality, I don’t believe people should be trying to stifle the Olympics. Let them happen and protest in a way that still allows the spirit of the games to continue.