What’s unique about every fourth year? Let’s see, leap years, presidential elections, the Olympics. Ah, the Olympics. I like a lot about the Olympics. I am old enough to remember the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, I was 7 years old, and I lived approximately 90 miles from Olympic Park. At the time, it seemed to be very exciting. I am pretty sure that the Olympics were the biggest thing to hit Georgia since the Civil War. I’m not sure if that’s overstating it or not.
Anyway, this summer, however, I will not be watching the Olympics. This is due to the fact that the events are going to be held in Beijing, China this year, and that I don’t approve of the way that the Chinese Government denies basic human rights to it’s citizens and other people around the world. I f we really want China to change it’s ways, then we as a freedom loving people should refuse to participate in these events. The Chinese would probably take this as an insult, but that’s kind of the point.
To be specific, I am not supporting these Olympics for three reasons. One, The People’s Republic Of China is the number one customer of Sudanese oil in the world. In doing this, they are essentially financing the genocide in Darfur. The Chinese should refuse to contribute to an economy that is run by any leader, (Lt. Gen. Omar Bashir) that orders the mass raping and killing of any people. However, China continues to support the current Sudanese regime. Are these the actions of a country with conscience? This appears to me to be not.
Two, I have continued to grow weary of the oppression that the Chinese Government forces upon it’s political and religious dissenters. I’m pretty sure that all who are reading are aware of this, and that I don’t need to go into specific details.
Three, the Chinese Government is, to be candid, quite obnoxious. They have sold military secrets to our enemies in the past, and will probably continue to do so. Otherwise, in nearly every matter of both foreign and domestic policy, they conduct themselves in both an arrogant and obnoxious manner. They just get on my nerves, as silly as that may sound.
Unfortunately, however, our government has taken the easy way out and decided to participate in these events. Indeed, even Mr. “Compassionate” conservative himself, George W. Bush, has made plans to attend. I realize that it will probably ultimately prove futile to try to stop the United States from participating, but I began to wonder, is there anyone in Washington who cares about this?
Fortunately, the answer is yes. Republican Congressman Frank Wolf has vocally denounced this summer’s events, and is currently trying to block any federal funding for official trips to the games. In a congressional hearing on March 4, Congressman Wolf cited concerns about China’s terrible record on human rights, and he also compared President Bush’s presence there as “akin to President Franklin D. Roosevelt sitting in the same stands with Adolf Hitler in 1936.” (Washington Times, “Inside Politics” 3/7/08) Representative Wolf also said that any American who attends the games “will go down in history as cooperating with the Genocide Olympics of 2008, and history will never, ever forgive them.” He couldn’t be more right.
The bottom line is that the Chinese Government desperately wants to use these games to show the rest of the world that they are a “modern” superpower. Someone needs to tell them that any nation that shamelessly supports genocide will never be accepted in the mainstream of the global economy. Hopefully it’s not to late for the U.S and other nations to take such a stand.
