Oh-lympics

[thisearthlyride]

A few of the reasons I'm not watching the Olympics this year (or perhaps ever?), despite my addiction to the summer events...


From Amnesty International:

While you and I are watching the Beijing Olympics in August, Ye Guozhu and thousands of other Chinese are going to be sitting in prison, locked up for peacefully protesting government policies.

Ye Guozhu and his family... were evicted from their home and restaurant in 2003, which were razed to make way for the Beijing Summer Olympics.

Three days after he requested permission to hold a public demonstration against the forced evictions, Ye Guozhu was arrested. He was convicted of "stirring up trouble" and sentenced to four years in prison. In jail, he has reportedly been beaten, subjected to electro-shocks, and forced to hang from his arms for extended periods.

While we're watching the Olympic Games on TV, many Chinese citizens are unable to speak out for basic human rights without the risk of persecution and prison.


The great "unifying" torch tradition got its start during the 1936 Olympics held in Nazi Berlin. Officials saw the carrying of the torch as a way to reconnect with ancient Greek tradition. The 1936 may also have been the official beginning of what has now become routine "relocations" and/or arrests of "undesirables" in the area the Olympics are to be held. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Summer_Olympics for more info.)


And lest you think *our* country is immune from these problems, here is just one fine example:

Atlanta's Olympic Legacy: More Poverty, Less Freedom