Fanning The Flame

... or should I say just the opposite.

I had intended to write about something else... and even felt compelled to write it about this yesterday, but wanted to give yesterday's post its deserved solo spotlight... but today, I can not not write about the Beijing Olympics and the international torch relay, particularly since it is in the States tomorrow.

If you've been keeping up with the news, you know that the Olympic torch relay has been under heavy protest in Europe, yesterday the flame had to be extinguished several times in Paris... and then there was that spectacular protest on/at/above the Golden Gate Bridge.  While the protests over China's record of human rights violations, its stranglehold over Tibet, and their support of Sudan are well-deserved, I do have to say it pains me more than a bit watch/read about it.

Now, I know what you'll saying... he's only saying this because he's going to the Beijing Olympics... in fact, four months from today.  Well, the simply answer is... no.

For those of us critical of the Iraq war, we are often wrongly criticized for "not supporting the troops," and I sense my excitement over attending the Olympics will come under similar (and similarly wrong) scrutiny that somehow I am supportive of all things China.  I am attending the Olympics that just happen to be in China... if ya have a problem with that or can't separate the two... well, to quote a favorite saying of my 12th Grade English teacher... tough tarts darling.

Whether or not I was attending, do I wish the Olympics were being held some place else?  To quote Mr. Big, Absof&ckinglutely.  But unfortunately my time machine is in the shop, so that discounts turning the clock back to 2000 or 2004 and heading off to Sydney or Athens.   

I am not sure what the IOC was thinking when it awarded (and quite easily) China the Olympics back in 2000.  My hunch is that China's behavior was not all that different back then and if it was done with the hope that they would clean up their act in interim... well, we now have had 7+ years of evidence to the contrary... and some of that is directly related to the Games (by some estimates, over 1 million citizens have been or will be displaced due to Olympic construction).

Even the presidential candidates are chiming in.  Many Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, are calling for the current President to cancel his planned trip for the Opening Ceremonies.  But this is one area, that I am all Obama.  Here is what he had to say:.

"On the one hand, I think that what has happened in Tibet, China's support for the Sudanese government in Darfur, is a real problem, (but) I am hesitant to make the Olympics a site of political protest because I think it's partly about bringing the world together."

And simply put, that pretty sums up my thinking.  I am huge fan of the Olympics and the Olympic spirit.  It should transcend politics and its host country.   

I am old enough to remember the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics... and remember so many stories of athletes who lost their shot at Olympic glory (or lost it while they were in their athletic prime).   In many Olympic sports, there is no turning pro or making a career out of it... everything they work for, train for, hope for their entire lives is for those two weeks that come only every four years.  Athletes do not choose the host country.

Likewise, what an honor it is to carry the Olympic torch.  In every Olympics, one of the biggest moments of the Games is to see who that final torch bearer and light the cauldron... but with this relatively new international relay, regular folks and local heroes get an opportunity to run with the torch, even for just a short while.  It pains me that many of this year's runners will do that under fear of being attacked both physically and verbally.  One image from yesterday that stuck with me was a crowd swarming in on a torch bearer in a wheelchair and the torch needing to be snuffed out in order to protect her.

Previous to this upcoming trip, the biggest sporting event -- and truly a "moment of a lifetime"-- was attending the 2001 World Series.  We attended with an incredible amount of excitement, but also with a good dose of wariness... paranoia was still running high in attending one of our country's highest profile events in the immediate shadow of 9/11. 

Attending the Olympics and the Opening Ceremonies seems exponentially bigger in every way... the event itself, our excitement, and yes now, growing apprehension of being at the epicenter of the planet's attention.

For the athletes, for the Olympic spirit... and barring any travel restrictions (which I am not naive enough to think is not a possibility), I will unabashedly and unapologetically look forward to our trip to Beijing... who knows, maybe we'll get to say we were there when...

Comments

[jen maiser]

Just to give you a different point of view, I really liked this article from Slate:
http://www.slate.com/id/2187280/

My hope for SF tomorrow is for peaceful & respectful protests. The fact that torch runners were affected (hurt?) in Paris really bothers me. But I'm not altogether opposed to the more civilized protests that are occurring.

[Scot]

I'm still so happy for you I get a big smile on my face when I think about how great an experience this will be. I do wonder though, have you checked out the local laws to make sure you're not breaking any them if you share an innocent (or not so innocent!) kiss or hold hands or something that another country might find offensive? You should. We all want you to have fun but we all want you to be safe also. Have you bought tacky American flag themed clothing to wear in China yet?

[Jordan]

Good for you guys :)