Political Protest Is Not An Olympic Event

By Allen Bacon
Editor
Bosco

The Olympic Torch Relay is one of the most fascinating events to me. This year, as usual, the torch relay started in the country of the Olympic's birthplace Greece and when it ends up in Beijing in the summer the torch will have traveled 85,000 miles (coincidently the same amount of miles on my car). It will also have gone through most countries.

I remember vividly the 1984 Torch Relay for the Los Angeles Olympics. The torch came down Malvern Avenue in my hometown of Fullerton, CA a half mile from my home and office. Sensing that it was something I didn't see everyday or am not likely to see too many times in my lifetime (sort of like Haley's comet or a tax refund) I picked up Nadia (yes, that Nadia...famed Hollywood comediene and entrepreneur), who was three at the time and she sat on my shoulders and looked in awe at the spectacle as we saw the runner with the torch appear in the horizon and as it approached and went by us.

Today my friends in San Francisco will get a chance to witness this spectacle...or maybe they won't this year due to the fact that the Olympics are being held in China. Today's China is responsible for some heinous crimes against humanity and supporting governments like Sudan that are also responsible for horrible attrocities. And because of this there are going to be protests against the Chinese government during this season of the Olympics. It's probably going to get ugly, because people don't like it when governments sponsor mass genocide and other attrocities. The torch relay may have to be stopped due to these protests.

We need to find other ways to protest China and have dialogue about these gross human rights violations they are perpetuating. The Olympics need to transcend all of the politics. It should be the one place where everybody from anywhere in the world can come together in a spirit of peace, brotherhood, competition holding hands and singing cumbaya.

In the final analysis, we can always find something to protest against every country in the world...even the Good ol' United States of America. My modest proposal is to return the Olympics to it's original site Greece if we can't leave politics out of it. Let the torch runners go in peace.