Olympic Protests

To see an article that appeared on the front page of Wednesday's paper about the torch protests, click here. Joe and some of the other athletes are quoted.

We have indeed been watching the coverage closely. As you may know, the only North American torch stop was in San Francisco yesterday. It turned out that my parents (who have been visiting...full blog and pictures soon!) had a flight out of San Fran late last night, so we decided to spend the day in the city. We knew that the torch would be there...knew of the protests that were sure to happen. We didn't go expressly to see the torch, but thought it would be cool if we could get a view of it.

If you followed any of the coverage yesterday, you saw that the city completely changed the route at the last minute, dramatically reduced the length of the route, and changed the closing ceremony from Fisherman's Wharf to the Airport. Needless to say, we didn't see the torch. Apparently we were about 3 blocks away eating lunch when it passed by Van Ess...and we did get stuck in traffic while a bunch of cops on motorcycles were clearing a street (one cop literally hit and then shoved a car that tried to cross the intersection)...but no torch sightings. We were at Fisherman's Wharf when the closing ceremony was supposed to happen--along with a lot of other disgruntled folks, some who just wanted to see the international symbol, some there to protest.

I have an unusual vantage point for all the hoopla going on about the Olympics in China. I know many athletes who are training for a chance to compete in Beijing this summer. Everyday I witness the time, commitment, and sacrifice that it takes. But I also see the social justice side. China has been responsible for some horrible human rights violations. China's role in Tibet has taken center stage---and most people can see that China's occupation is questionable at the very least.

But why do we have to bring the Olympics into it? I get it--it's an international stage to draw attention to the political issue. But at what cost? I know that politics have often been intertwined with the Olympic Games...but that was not the intention of the Games.

The Olympic flag symbolizes what the Olympics are about. Created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1914, the Olympic flag contains five interconnected rings on a white background. The five rings symbolize the five significant continents and are interconnected to symbolize the friendship to be gained from these international competitions. The rings, from left to right, are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. The colors were chosen because at least one of them appeared on the flag of every country in the world. It's about unity. It's about having a few weeks every 4 years to be on the same playing field with people from all over the world...to have equal opportunity to compete and win at athletic events that bind us together. It's about putting aside whatever differences there may be...and just sweating together, pushing bodies to the limit, trying to break records and bring home medals. The potential for goodwill and building bridges through the Olympics is tremendous.

This is the Olympic Creed:
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

My fear is that questions about the political side will in any way shadow the accomplishments of the athletes who make the Olympic Team. Or worse, that they will feel pressured to not take part in the Games as a sign of protest. My fear is that the will, determination, and inspiration of our athletes in all sports will not be celebrated as they deserve.