If I hadn’t been born, my mother would’ve been an Olympic swimmer, she did qualify for the Olympics, the US Swim Team that year. I remember when I was younger – my mother was fit to be tied when she heard something on the TV. Jimmy Carter had decided to boycott the Olympics. Why you ask? Apparently because there were some international disputes and this was a way of showing the world what we thought, and attempting to take the moral high ground. You can imagine how the Olympic athletes felt, and why my mother was so upset. Let’s talk.
There’ve been a few senators float the idea of boycotting the Russian Olympics in 2014. Apparently they are upset with what is going on in Syria, and the fact that Putin has allowed the NSA leaker, Snowden, asylum in Russia. Okay, I understand that people are upset about these things, and there are many other things we should be upset with when it comes to Russia, they still have something like 1500 spies, and spies cells in our country. They are indeed making our life tough all over the world, not only in Syria, but also with Iran, and other various disputes globally. Just watch Russian TV some time to get the idea.
Nevertheless, boycotting the Olympics would just make two wrongs, and we know that won’t make things right. First, consider that the Olympics are to bring everyone together and celebrate the competitive human spirit. Without that this species wouldn’t have got as far as it’s got today. It also helps bridge the gap between international disputes, it keeps everyone talking to each other, and joining together in a common cause; Olympic competition. Boycotting the Olympics would do exactly the opposite of helping any international dispute. It just adds bad blood to the argument, negotiations, or future outcome.
There would be no honor in boycotting the Winter Olympics whatsoever. If the United States really wanted to get back in Russia, they should go and “WIN” all the gold medals, proving that the United States is the greatest nation ever created in the history of mankind, and politely leave it at that. That would speak volumes for the American character, our way of life, and our moral high ground. To do anything less is un-American, and it serves no purpose in our global society where everyone is so close together, thanks to air travel and the Internet.
I would hope that our political leaders and officials would have more sense than that, how dare they even bring up this topic of boycotting the Olympics. The Olympics are off-limits, these games are to bring people together, not rip us all back apart again. Please consider all this and think on it.