U.S. athletes show backbone on Darfur

BEIJING -- As a supposedly objective journalist, I make it a point not to cheer for athletes, not even those from the United States during the Olympics.

I will make an exception today. Three cheers for the U.S. Olympians here.

Team captains Wednesday elected Lopez Lomong to carry their U.S. flag in the opening ceremony. Prevented by IOC rules to openly protest China's support of Darfur, the athletes did the next best thing.

They chose a Sudanese refugee, who made the U..S. track team in the 1,500 meters, to play a central role before an estimated billion television viewers worldwide.

This came hours after a shameful performance by USOC officials in not supporting 2006 Winter Olympian Joey Cheek's attempt to enter the country after his visa was revoked by the Chinese government. His sin was that he is a human rights activist for a group called Team Darfur.

USOC chief executive Jim Scherr went so far as to call him a former Olympian. As he should know, there is no such thing as a former Olympian.

As Olympian Anita DeFrantz recently told The Los Angeles Times: "Once you've competed, you're always an Olympian. Even if you dishonor yourself by cheating. Once an Olympian, always an Olympian."

Scherr is an Olympian, who used to wrestle. I like and respect him. But, on Wednesday, he was just another bureaucrat telling the Chinese what they wanted to hear.

Hurrah for his athletes, who took a stand.

-- Randy Harvey

Photo: U.S. runner Lopez Lomong speaks during an interview at a hotel in Dalian, Liaoning province, China on Aug. 3. Credit: Andy Wong / Associated Press

Comments

[richard]

In defiance of the World Court, The US has just executed a Mexican citizen; it supports Musharraf and Khadafy, invaded Iraq, tortures prisoners at Guantanamo, supplies half the world's small arms, and refuses to acknowledge global warming.
But criticizes China's trading agreements with Darfur.
Self-righteous hypocrisy.

[Rodney Lamprey, jr.]

China ignores genocide in Darfur to buy oil from Sudan, which helps keep gas prices down for our own SUVs. The U.S. ignores human rights issues in China so they will fund our debt while we buy low cost lead painted toys. The USOC clamps down on freedom of speech to make their China host happy and keep their advertising sponsors.

It is good that Randy Harvey makes note of some of the issues, and let's hope that he doesn't get deported or jailed for writing his blog in China.

[gg]

Re: Anita DeFrantz's comment, I don't see how that is a positive thing. I feel if you've cheated, you do not deserve the respect.

And I support Joey Cheek, but China is under no obligation to let him in. He isn't competing this time. It's great that the Olympians know that what is happening in Darfur is wrong, but when will the US govt do something about it? When will common Americans say something?

[Mark4]

At the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, there were brave athletes who stayed home, refusing to participate when they knew what was going on in Germany at the time. Has a single active athlete chosen not to come to Beijing? The Olympics is a business and a farce, with the athletes as pawns, for a corrupt IOC and police state host - billions of dollars changing hands.

[Rob Purdie]

richard's idiotic omment to start this board aside, the United States allows its athletes to CHOOSE to compete, unlike China. The United States allows free speech for foreign nationals within its borders, unlike China. The United States is, just as commenter Rodney Lamprey, Jr. states, guilty of selling our souls and consciences for low Wal-Mart prices.

Nothing is free, America. Nothing. Especially freedom.