Posted by
Billy email MADBillyD@aol.com on Monday, March 03, 2008 10:15:09 PM
This summer the Olympics will be held in Beijing, a decision fraught with controversy since it was announced back in 2001. China’s human-rights record is abysmal—from forced abortions, to persecuting Christians and other people of faith, to clamping down on free speech, to supporting a government that has committed genocide in Darfur.
The Olympic committee, back in 2001, said choosing Beijing would be a catalyst for change in China. It “may help to liberalize a country,” said the committee’s vice president, Thomas Bach of Germany.
But that will not happen when, as the London Daily Mail puts it, you “kow tow” to the host country, and you tell athletes to keep quiet—which is exactly what is happening.
To comply with the international Olympic Charter, Britain’s Olympic athletes are being forced to sign contracts promising they will not say anything about China’s human-rights abuses. If they violate the contract, athletes will find themselves on a plane headed home. The contract could mean that an athlete “who witnesses someone being mistreated on the way to a stadium” could not talk to colleagues about it. And they would have to “exercise self-censorship” on blogs and e-mails.
And while U.S. athletes may speak freely—they cannot do so at any official Olympic venue or press conference. Come on.
(The above is part of a column written by Chuck Colson. Do read the whole column Shut Up and Compete:: This is wrong. I am not sure what we should do to change China but it is an outrage that people are told they can't speak out against an evil government. It is my hope no matter the cost some athletes will stand up for what is right. )
MADBillyD@aol.com