Politics and the Olympics.

 

Politics and the Olympics.

             The Olympic games are upon us once again, this year in Beijing China, where the world’s best athletes come together to compete against themselves and each other. They come for personal fulfillment, national pride, and for a chance to compete against the world. These athletes train years for sometimes one shot at this competition. There will be enough disappointment, without inserting politics in to the mix.         

 

                In the years past, nothing good has come out of mixing politics and the Olympics. It started with the snub of Jesse Owens by Hitler in 1936, because of race. Then escalated to the black- gloved fists of John Carlos and Tommy Smith in 1968, because of inequality. It reached a crescendo in 1972 with the murder of Israeli athletes by Arab terrorists because of politically motivated religious differences. In the 1980’s, the last bastion of pure political differences caused two Olympiads to be disrupted. In 1980, the United States boycotted the Moscow games, and so in 1984 the Soviet Union returned the favor in Los Angeles. In both instances, it was an exercise in futility, as nothing was accomplished.  

 

 The Olympic games should be more about sporting competition, and less about the political cause of the day. If the Greeks, who invented the Olympics, could put aside political differences for the period of an Olympiad, then why can’t we do the same? While it is understandable to showcase political causes on the world stage that is the Olympics it would be nice to forget the politics of living in this world, for two weeks, and concentrate on something entertaining, dramatic, and less important. In the grand scheme of thing’s, sports will be forgotten, and so will the cause of the day, but most important; the personal achievement and the self esteem that goes with competing, will not be forgotten.

 

 

 

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