Chris Shaw, an anti-Olympic protester and professor of opthalmology at the University of British Columbia, has written a wonderful commentary in The Georgia Straight entitled "Why Resist the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver?" Shaw perfectly sums up my feelings on the Olympics and has helped strenghen my convictions on the inherent issues and injustice(s) surrounding the Games.
Hearing Gordon Campbell call this one two-week period "BC's legacy to the world" further frustrates me. Sure, it's our 'legacy' if by legacy you mean a legacy of lies and injustice, not to mention the citizens of this province having to be saddled with mammoth debt for the next God-knows-how-long; I hope everyone else is as excited as I am to have our tax money going towards paying this off for x number of years! Honestly, it infuriates me...
I realize there are those of you who will disagree with me and I'm okay with that. I just can't support something that's causing so much needless destruction, both socially and environmentally.
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6 comments:
Hey Matt, I'm right with you on this one. After the summer Olympics in China I sort of lost all respect for the Olympic " ideal." It really is nothing more than corporate greed and power breeding a depth of huge injustice. Someone mused IOC, stands for international organized crime...there is a level of truth there.
And for a Christian who is trying to live their life in the context and dynamics...the Olympics are so "not."This year our house is boycotting them altogether...the TV will be a no Olympic Zone. Anyway, there is laso an event coming up at UVic looking at the injustice of the Olympics. Might be interesting.
http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=287372031222&ref=mf
Will you be watching Canada reach for Olympic gold in hockey?
Randy
The likelihood of me watching any of the Olympics is very slim. I don't have cable, plus I'm increasingly pissed off about the whole thing.
The poor are 'paying' the most for this, though us middle class-ers are going to be supporting this damn debt for ages as well. I am really angry, but I can't let that anger get the best of me or I'll just stew in it, which will make me ineffective. Just some thoughts...
Take your anger to the polls Matty! Vote Green, cause that's all you got. For all of Carole James' complaining about the Olympics and 'this' government's over spending while cutting jobs, she seems to forget it was her precious NDP that fought so hard to bring the Olympics here in the first place.
I can understand many of the arguments against the Olympics, but they simply don't sink into my heart... I have too many friends that are athletes fighting for gold, too much national pride, and just straight up love competitive sport so excessively that I can't help but say:
"I can't wait for Vancouver 2010!!"
Well Andy, I'll have to disagree with you on this one. When it's the poor who truly suffer and us middle classers who will bear the tax burden (for YEARS AND YEARS) for two weeks of entertainment for rich people, my conscience won't allow it. I think that they're a pile of BS and I refuse to take part in them in any way.
I don't think my statement was something you could disagree with. You could (and you have with your statement) have a different opinion, but you can't disagree with the fact that I feel a certain way. That's the way I feel. It's not open for discussion.
But I understand that you disagree with my feeling, and that you feel a different way. You are free to do so. And therefore, to be a good friend, I will not invite you to my Gold Medal game party where there will be free beer and mountains of chips a& salsa.
Now how do you feel about the Olympics?! :)
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