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Originally posted by Blatboy
I understand what you're saying. But that doesn't make GaGa's statement ignorant or pathetic. She is clearly very bothered by what is happening there and just doesn't think our country should be involved with them. There's nothing wrong with thinking that. I mean, they kinda threatened to arrest her...
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As a supporter of gay rights I am also bothered by what is happening there. But boycotting the Olympics is just a bad idea imo. Everyone who thinks that its the right way clearly doesnt get what the Olympics are about.
In ancient times, there was declared a truce to ensure that all athletes (and all people) were safe and could travel peacefully even when they had to go throught city-states in a war conflict.
The modern Olympic Games tradition was based on the same ideals. All athletes train, compete with and respect each other no matter if their countries are in a war conflict, no matter what everyones religion, race or sexual orientation is.
Someone mentioned Jesse Owens here and I think he is a great example of the Olympic spirit. He was an African-American athlete who went to Olympic Games in Nazi Germany, won several gold medals and broke several world records there only a few hours after Hitlers speech about the overall superiority of Aryan race. It was so beautiful also because his human rights were violated in his own country (he told that he felt more free in the nazi era Berlin, because he could travel in bus or stay in the same hotel with white people, something he would be arrested for in the U.S. at that time). But for a moment, everyone forgot about the prejudices and celebrated him. This is just one story from many similar ones, and they all represent the small but important steps which help to break down the boundaries. Thats why I think no Olympics should be boycotted. Everyone should go to Russia and spread the Olympic spirit of peace and tolerance there, especially the gay athletes. Just my opinion.