By Adrian Pascua
By Adrian Pascua
One of the greatest honors that can be bestowed upon you in the Olympics is to be a torch carrier.
You get to be attacked all across the country protested against by patriots from other countries, and be greeted by organized mobs- one of the greatest honors to ever be bestowed upon you.
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games have been one of the most controversial in the 21st century. Every torch carrier has been met with hostility and sometimes even with violence.
The leaders of France, Germany, and Canada, as well as U.S. presidential candidates Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama have already announced that they are boycotting the opening ceremonies.
Under the Olympic Charter, any country that hosts the games must engage in a peaceful society and refrain from discrimination against other countries or people on grounds of race, religion, politics or gender.
Human rights organizations from all across the world feel the need to boycott this year’s Summer Olympic Games because of the fact that discrimination and human rights violations against Tibetans still exist in China.
In 1999, China banned the practice of Falun Gong, an ancient Chinese practice that taught “principles are to believe in truth compassion and tolerance.”
According to the Chinese government Falun Gong was described as “political and part of a cult.”
In an investigation by David Kilgour, former Canadian Secretary of State, and David Matas, an international human rights lawyer, it was found that Falun Gong prisoners’ were being harvested organs.
People around the world believe that holding the Olympics in Beijing is intolerable.
The Olympic Games are supposed to be a peaceful and non-political event, yet people around the world feel the need to attack the torch carrier with hostility and even attack those who are not at fault.
Everyone sees this year’s Olympic torch as a sign of persecution and intolerance, instead of what it really means, which has been a sign of good will.
The fact that China continues to violate human rights still stands, but the athletes, who have given their blood, sweat and bodies do not deserve to be punished because of their participation in the Beijing Olympic Games.
Some of the NBA apparel comes from China. That probably means we should all boycott the NBA too.
It would be much easier to fight for lower gas prices. I really don’t want to be paying four to five dollars a gallon by the time the summer rolls around.
It makes no sense that the world still had time to attend the Olympics in Germany during World War II, yet Germany’s leaders find that it is necessary to boycott China during a time of peace.
By being against the Beijing Olympics Games, you don’t make a change in China’s human rights policies. It only helps make the three hour opening ceremony that much faster.
Tibet doesn’t gain anything from the protests against the Beijing Olympic Games. If you want to fight someone for a free Tibet, keep trying the Chinese Government. Who knows? Maybe your dream will come true.
If there is anything that you shouldn’t do, it’s protest the athletes that have made their dream to compete at one of the most prestigious sporting events, that happens only once every four years, the Olympics, come true.
I think that the U.S. planned for this, because with all the protesting against Beijing, nobody has really had time to criticize President Bush, or the Iraq war.
I think it’s a diversion set up by the United States government to keep raising the gas prices, and avoid the fact that we still have troops in Iraq spilling their blood for a country that still believes that it’s their right to kill human beings as long as they can fill up their elitist SUV, that they can barely afford as is.
Those human rights guys should really think twice about who’s fighting for what.