The 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin were supposed to be the showcase for the Nazi concept of Aryan supremacy. That was dashed in about 10 seconds when black sprinter Jesse Owens took the gold medal.
We need that kind of moment for the upcoming Summer Games in Beijing. Just as Americans debated whether to attend the games 72 years ago, we are confronted with the same problem: are the Olympics purely an athletics event or is it an opportunity for the host country to show its wares?
This year, China’s support of Sudan and its human rights violations against the Tibetans give us pause as to how we approach the games. Hindsight has shown us that boycotts – such as the Moscow games in 1980 because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan—aren’t helpful and often create a backlash.
As Jews, this situation is crucial. There’s a genocide happening in Sudan that we swore would never happen again, but the Chinese are part of the problem, not the solution. And the Chinese are not allowing religious freedoms in Tibet. We can’t allow the Olympics to highlight what a wonderful society the Chinese have.
Some have floated the idea of just boycotting the opening ceremonies. Others insist that we force China to allow the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet.
I have a better idea: combine those solutions. Have the Dalai Lama carry the American flag during the opening ceremonies for the United States. Or even better yet, the Israeli flag.
Posted by on 04/03/08 at 09:00 AM | Comments (0)
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