The Olympic torch has started its world journey and will soon land on our shores where it will spend what I am sure will be an interesting visit. The torch has so far drawn more publicity for all the protests than it has for the Olympic Games themselves.
I have no real problems with the protests. I am a firm believer in free speech and I deplore the human rights abuses that are occurring in various parts of the world. I do however take issue with some of the protests to date. Human rights are human rights. The Olympic torch and the Olympic Games are international events.
At present the focus is on China, understandable since they are hosting the games this year. However human rights are being abused in many parts of the world with some far worse than what we have witnessed in China or Tibet. We don’t see protests calling on action in these countries.
What is really upsetting my sense of reasoning are the attempts to sabotage the torch and if possible, sabotage the games themselves. As the torch parades along the streets of the various countries, attempts have been made to extinguish the flame or even destroy the torch. The IOC are now discussing the option of no longer having an international leg for the torch.
The reason I take issue with these protests is fairly simple. They are protesting against human rights abuse. I fully agree with them and support them and their right to protest. However, attempting to take the torch away from a child or an elderly person is infringing on their human rights. They have a right to celebrate the Olympic Games as a sport and not as a political event.
The ordinary every day people of China want the Olympics – and why not. Commercial interests aside, their is a lot pride in China surrounding these games. If the games were taken away from China as many have suggested – are we not infringing on their human rights.
Human rights is a huge issue. Human rights covers many different aspects of people’s lives. The violent protest that we have seen are a form of human rights abuse (on a smaller scale) in the name of preventing human rights abuse. I am sorry – but two wrongs do not make a right.
By all means – protest – let your feelings be known but do so in a way that does not deny others their human rights – in this case, the right to separate sports and politics and the right to celebrate the Olympics as an international sporting event – heaven only knows there is too much politics in the games already.
I’m with you on this one. There’s a right way and a wrong way to protest.
Very well written argument! I completely agree with you of course, but evidently there are those people who see this kind of action as ‘sacrificing for the greater good’…. and don’t even get me started on that topic.
Amen… This kind of goes along with the old adage, “Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner.”
We cannot say that the Olympic games might not open the eyes of enough people that maybe things will start to change in China. You have to start somewhere, and perhaps the Olympics are it. Thinking that molesting the symbol of the Olympics, the torch, will somehow rally people against China is foolish. It just comes off looking like people being petty.
The only thing that they are doing for me is make me want to tell them to sit and spin on their “Free Tibet” shirts.