2008 Olympics

The Politics of Sports

By Maegan Carberry ⋅ July 18, 2008 ⋅   Email this post ⋅  Digg This ⋅  Share on Facebook ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

I went to the ESPYs on Wednesday night and I was particularly moved by the Arthur Ashe Courage Awards given to Tommie Smith and John Carlos for their 1968 demonstration for civil rights at the Olympics. I began to wonder what will happen at the games next month, given the tumultuous state of human rights in China and the various groups that have already begun protesting the games in Beijing.  I started to do some research on the matter and found some compelling information on a site from Amnesty International called The China Debate. 

I have mixed feelings about this situation because I don’t think it’s fair to detract from the accomplishments and competition of the world’s athletes who have worked hard to get to these games, but it’s also impossible to look past the actions of the Chinese government. Given the precarious state of US relations abroad, I hope that any demonstrators (athletes or otherwise) will follow the example set by Smith and Carlos. It was peaceful but powerful.