Normally, i think it's really boring and uncreative to simply link to an article written by somebody else and call it my very own blog post, but this occassion calls for it.
After reading it, i (ashamedly) count myself among the population i normally criticize - that is, those swept-up by cultural phenomenons who also fail to question what goes on behind the scenes.
A few sentences of his to get you interested, and then the link:
"By now, everyone has seen pictures of the beautiful new stadiums that have been built by the Beijing regime. What you won’t see are the military camps on the outskirts of Beijing, where units of the People’s Armed Police, armed with tanks and armored personnel carriers, have been placed on high alert. But local observers say that the police and military presence is even greater than that of June 1989, when deadly force was used to put down the pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square and a massacre ensued....
Tragically, the decision to allow Beijing to host the 2008 Olympics has led directly to more human rights abuses. An estimated two million residents of Beijing have been rendered homeless, their homes destroyed to make way for various Olympic venues....
Like the XI Olympiad held in Adolf Hitler’s Berlin in 1936, I believe that the Beijing Olympics contravenes both the history and the spirit of the Olympic Games. I have signed the petition at http://www.beijingboycottcoalition.com/ pledging not to view broadcasts of the events, or will patronize any of the Games sponsors."
For the full article: Why I Will not Be Attending (or watching) the Beijing Olympics
1 comment:
I saw this very excellent article. I knew that there were all kinds of abuses,but I had not seen them articulated in the way Steve Mosher did in his article. I don't know who sponsors the Olympics; I'm sure there are so many sponsors. I have not been watching it because I'm not that interested in it, so it's not a big sacrifice for me, but I'm sure it is a very sacrificial thing for some people to do. Penance gives prayer it's power ( according to Fr. Corappi) so maybe it could be a prayer for all the victims and the perpetrators. I just pray for repentance /conversion for all watching /participating in the Olympics as that would be a lot of people! I know there are differing opinions about boycotts. I do believe that some are more beneficial than others. Maybe I'll write an article sometime. Mom S.
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