Politics should have no place in the Olympics

The 2008 summer Olympics Games in Beijing are coming whether some people like it or not. It seems like some people are pushing to get their voices heard while others are simply trying to make a statement. The biggest concerns being raised by those who are trying to insert politics into the upcoming Games. Though the Olympics have been a forum for political exhibitions throughout the course of history.

Back in 1936, African American athlete Jesse Owens put to rest Hitler’s vision of Aryan rule over the world by winning four gold medals when Germany hosted the Games. American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos made their own stance when they gave a black power salute at the 1968 Games in Mexico. Boycotts began to take a place in the Olympics when in 1980, the United States decided to not participate in the Games after the host nation Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan while the Communist nation followed suit in the 1984 when Los Angeles held them.

Demonstrations are now taking place for the upcoming Games in August, most notably those in London, Paris and San Francisco. In the Bay Area, there were many concerns for the torch, which included previous demonstrations atop the Golden Gate Bridge. Protestors posted large flags and banners with the words, “Free Tibet” in reference to China’s strict human rights policy in their country.

These political outrage and demonstrations are beginning to take the spotlight away from the Games with the opening ceremony not even due to start for another four months. Many countries have been able to adopt their policies and change laws because of demonstrations and protests in the past. However at some point there must be some restraint and realization that the point of the Olympics is to showcase the best athletes in the world and not put political agendas on display.

Most journalists and others who have investigated the situation of politics in the Olympics are somewhat split on the sentiment that politics are continuingly taking away from the true nature of the Games.

“In democratic countries, people have a right to voice their opinion,” Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times columnist said in an e-mailed interview. “Human-rights organizations and other groups want the maximum publicity for their causes, and they know that the Olympics are watched by billions of people, so these groups latch onto the Olympics to achieve widespread dissemination of their message.”

Scott Herhold, a writer for the San Jose Mercury News, who wrote his opinion piece, “Olympic Games always have been about the Politics” on April 10, offers that political involvement in the Gamges is almost unavoidable at this point.

“As they're set up now, it's inescapable,” said Herhold in an e-mailed interview. “I could see a different kind of Games -- a much less nationalistic kind -- which might be less given to politics. But that would be a much different event.”

Herhold insists that the Games site is also a major draw for the host country to show their power and stature in the world.

“Athens organized the ’04 games to show the world its abilities,” Herhold said. “And it's particularly important to the Chinese, who have emerged as a world power to rival the U.S. and Europe.”

Amy Spiro, a contributing writer to the nyunews.com and Washington Square News, wrote her article “Olympics never about the politics,” on Monday puts forth the notion that the Games do indeed take away from the athletes.

“When you make the game about politics is most certainly detracts from the pure purpose of the game, which is athletic competition,” Spiro said in an e-mailed interview. “If the 2008 games becomes solely about China's treatment of Tibet (not an unimportant story by any stretch of the imagination) then who is really going to remember the incredible achievements made by athletes in every divisions?”

On the other hand, Kevin Spitz, a writer for the Daily Illini, the college newspaper for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champne, published in his column, “Ditch the politics, champion the athletes,” on April 10, that politics should be ignored but it does not take away from the athletes.

“Politics do not necessarily take that away from happening,” Spitz said in an e-mailed interview. “I think politics can be present, and the spirit of the games can live on.”

With the protests on hand, there has to be some indication on whether this will be a continuing trend into the Games.

Graham Messner, a local columnist for publicopinion.com, writes that the boycotts and protests will continue and take away from the spirit of what are the Olympics.

“I do think the Olympics make it easy for protest because there are too many cameras and too many members of the media to record any type of effort to punish such actions by the hosting country,” Messner said in an e-mailed interview. “It’s the perfect environment for a protestor.”

Others like Garrett Cleverly, a writer for the Arizona State Web Devil site, who wrote his piece, “Keep politics out of the Olympics,” on April 8, insists that China will take the precautionary steps to keep the protests at a minimum before the Games begin.

“I think China will do the bare minimum to clean up its act,” Cleverly told me on Tuesday. “They will do what they need to do to look favorable to other countries. But it’s only a temporary solution to a major problem and once the Games are over, it will go back to the way it was before.”

In her column “U.S. athletes grapple with China human-rights issues,” Elliott found that many U.S. athletes are focusing primarily on the training for the athletic competitions rather than getting involved in the political situations including the China’s link to violence in Darfur.

“Any athlete who feels compelled to speak out should be able to do so. Those who don't, should not feel they have to,” Elliott said.

Elliott, in her column said, athletes are being asked to look beyond their events and to look at the political issues at hand which may be hard for the young athletes to understand.

“There are some very young athletes (gymnasts, swimmers, etc., who may be only 16) and are not very aware of the world around them,” Elliott said.

Elliott was able to speak to the U.S. Olympic committee spokesman, Darryl Seibel who said American athletes can comment on the issues, but there are rules that they must follow, referring specifically to Rule 51 in the Olympic charter.

The charter, which can be found online, states that Rule 51 enforces that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious, or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues, or other sites.”

In her column, Elliott spoke to notable Olympic athletes including swimmer Michael Phelps who said he is mostly focused on preparing for the games.

However, on the other hand, Elliott spoke to U.S. softball player Jessica Mendoza who is a member of Team Darfur.

“There are other athletes whose way of preparing for their events involves becoming very concentrated and narrowly focused so as not to be distracted by outside events,” Elliott said. “Nothing wrong with that. Plus, I think that many athletes right now are still worried about making the Olympic team. Once they have made the team they may feel more relaxed about discussing human-rights issues.”

As for protesting at the games this summer, Elliott said demonstrations will probably be stopped quickly before anything can happen.

“I think that people will try to stage protests but that the Chinese government will have a heavy police presence and will quash anything as soon as it starts,” Elliott said.

To this point, China has still not taken the steps to improve their vows to improve human rights, pollution and press freedom. The government has made vague statements about efforts to help the cause of human rights and has done little to improve relations with foreign media that will be covering the Games. Although, China has spent over $20 billion over the last decade to improve air quality and minimize pollution. Despite the environmental improvements, not enough is being done to address all the other issues.

The current political demonstrations, protests and boycotts are starting to be overdone and disrespectful to the athletes who have trained all their lives for sometimes a once in a lifetime opportunity. Granted, China certainly has many things to consider as the countdown to the start of the Games continues. But, that does not give these other protestors that trying to advocate for human rights or change policies the right to disgrace their country’s athletes for their own personal beliefs.

The Olympics have not even started and already there is much more news about the not about the actual sporting events then there should be. The only thing that can change this is China making a clear stance and protestors beginning to back up and letting up a bit because it is needed. Many athletes are focused on the competition that is at hand, rather than focusing on the issues. They cannot be blamed for this because the Olympics is what they train and work for. The political issues have caused a stir for the games, but there is no room for politics on the greatest athletic stage in the world despite all of the incidents in the past because in the end it is all about ultimate athletic achievement.