Filed under: Politics | Tags: International Competition, Summer 2021, Toyko Olympics
Lots of controversy about the Olympics. We seem to be operating in a phase of super-sensitivity to language and names, that sort of thing. “Alien” has been deemed a bad word, not to be used. You will notice that we no longer have illegal aliens crossing the border illegally, but they have become “migrants” instead. and don’t call them “illegal”, though they are.
The death of George Floyd from a massive fentanyl overdose, (according to two autopsies done at the time,) was immediately blamed on the police officer who restrained his violence by kneeling on his neck. At the time, I felt around my neck and shoulders and learned that it was quite possible to kneel on the bones there, without harming the person being kneeled upon. I also read at the time that the Minneapolis police department trained their officers in that kind of restraint. But that was me at home with my own neck.
I’m on the West Coast, never been to Minneapolis, know nothing about police procedures there, and nothing whatsoever about George Floyd. Only what I read online. As soon as “Black Lives Matter” was attached to the event and the death of George Floyd assigned to racist police brutality, riots and protests broke out across the country and the whole thing became a massive racist event. There was a trial and Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and sent to prison. I am inclined to believe, unjustly. But I am just a distant reader of media reports, and a complete non-participant.
We remain in an era of super-sensitivity to the meaning of words and actions. Kneeling to protest the national anthem has become a “cutesy protest” that should not be allowed anywhere. As a personal protest, that is one’s own business, but in a public venue, out of line and the protesters should be removed
The Olympic Committee, in charge of selecting athletes to represent the United States of America at a worldwide venue, should have had any prospective athletes kneeling to protest their own country, the country they represent, or it’s national anthem, on the next plane back home in disgrace. Out of any competition. To allow them to continue to pretend to represent their country in an international competition is way out of order and a failure on the part of the Olympic Committee. And Shame on them. The athletes want, of course, a medal. They want to be famous as a participant, but hopefully a medal winner. But caught up in the ‘fashionable’ protests going on at home, may be misguided into thinking they are doing something clever. Should NOT be allowed. Athletes accorded the honor of being allowed to participate in an international competition to represent their country, should be expected and instructed to behave themselves appropriately.
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American Elephants 
Olympic athletes are essentially employees of the collective citizenry of the USA (not the government). We support them through donations, taxes (such as those that pay for Olympic venues in LA or Lake Placid), and by supporting the other sponsors by buying their products.
If they don’t conduct themselves appropriately in public, they sabotage that whole system of support. In essence, they can be ‘fired’ by public opinion. Nobody really cares about their private life, but if they behave in a way that shameful tot he vast majority of citizens and that behavior becomes public, they get to suffer the consequences.
Of course their behavior almost always will taint the other USA Olympic athletes, because it leaves a stain on the whole system. It causes people to wonder how these particular athletes got chosen to represent the country. It calls into question the whole selection process.
No one is watching the Olympics? Sounds like the public is casting their vote.
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Comment by ruralcounsel July 28, 2021 @ 9:14 am