I think what I was trying to argue was presented very eloquently by a few posters after my last post.
Also, Some of you make it sound like you're boycotting shinny hockey at the local rink, when in reality your boycotting life long dedication. Dreams these athletes hold their entire lives. Not worth risking for the miniscule impact this boycott would have (if any)
Unrelated, but what does the NHL get out of the Olympics? I'd be happy if the NHL didn't send players at all. It should be amateur athletes. It's almost as bad as the NBA sending players to the Olympics, but at least other countries have good hockey players.
As quaint as Victorian thinking was, that particular queen died well over a century ago. In my view, the Olympics should be about who is the best, not about who is the best of an artificially limited pool.
Which, incidentally, is why I oppose any boycotts. What you really accomplish is to cheapen the Games themselves into a sham while history has shown that political impact of such has been close to nil.
As quaint as Victorian thinking was, that particular queen died well over a century ago. In my view, the Olympics should be about who is the best, not about who is the best of an artificially limited pool.
Which, incidentally, is why I oppose any boycotts. What you really accomplish is to cheapen the Games themselves into a sham while history has shown that political impact of such has been close to nil.
If they're going to let in all of these pro athletes, I want professional wrestlers for the summer Olympics then. I was always pissed off that Rowdy Roddy Piper was never representing Scotland.
/end off-tangent
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Psrhaps the best thing a boycott could do would be to influence the IOC to stop putting the games in countries with poor human rights records. That needs to be a primary qualifying factor for getting the games, far above which country bribes the IOC officials best,
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That is rather callous. Just because you do not know much about these athletes and their discipline does not make the impact on their lives insignificant and easily discounted
That's not really the point.
Important political and foreign policy decisions can not be swayed by how disappointing it will be to a couple hundred people.
Would it be possible for participating countries to adopt official uniforms that incorporate rainbow piping, so that individual athletes aren't left having to take that stance themselves?
Hell, even a rainbow maple leaf would be pretty dope on an otherwise red uniform.
Even if it was only Canada and the nordic nations that participated, it would send a strong message of support without putting it (figuratively at least) on the shoulders of the athletes.
Would it be possible for participating countries to adopt official uniforms that incorporate rainbow piping, so that individual athletes aren't left having to take that stance themselves?
Hell, even a rainbow maple leaf would be pretty dope on an otherwise red uniform.
Even if it was only Canada and the nordic nations that participated, it would send a strong message of support without putting it (figuratively at least) on the shoulders of the athletes.
So question for you to play devils advocate. What it you have an athlete who doesn't support a gay lifestyle and doesn't want to be involved in any kind of protest?
do you pressure him to wear the uniform, or do you let him not wear a uniform and he becomes not only hated but potentially used as a piece of Russian propaganda?
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So question for you to play devils advocate. What it you have an athlete who doesn't support a gay lifestyle and doesn't want to be involved in any kind of protest?
do you pressure him to wear the uniform, or do you let him not wear a uniform and he becomes not only hated but potentially used as a piece of Russian propaganda?
That athlete could just move the Southern US and fit right in with the good ol' days atmosphere.
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The thing with a boycott vs. some other means of civil disobediance is that Russian news can easily censure anything they want and prevent the message from getting out. They can't magically make boycotting athletes appear.
The Russian people would hopefully question why certain countries aren't making an appearance. Canada, the US, Sweden, etc. are all successful, thriving countries with respect for human rights. What it means is that, having human rights that respect LGBT, different ethnicities, religions, etc, does not lead your country to poverty.
By just using some symbols that Russians might not get, or even be able ot see depending on Russia's level of censorship during the games, it probably won't do anything or get the Russians to question what is going on and seek answers and be logical.
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So question for you to play devils advocate. What it you have an athlete who doesn't support a gay lifestyle and doesn't want to be involved in any kind of protest?
do you pressure him to wear the uniform, or do you let him not wear a uniform and he becomes not only hated but potentially used as a piece of Russian propaganda?
Assuming the uniforms are standardized, they've got no choice.
They could boycott I suppose, but I'd much rather the bigots face the difficult decision of whether to abandon their dreams than all the fair-minded athletes be put in that position.
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Two female members of the Russian team at the World Athletics Championships have used their gold medal win as a platform for protesting their country’s anti-gay legislation, by sharing a kiss on the podium.
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Kseniya Ryzhova and Tatyana Firova won gold in the 4×400 metres relay at the Championships in Moscow today, along with teammates Gushchina Yulia and Antonina Krivoshapka. Ryzhova and Firova then kissed each other on the lips while on the winner’s podium. While more accepted as a sign of friendship in Russia than in other parts of the world, the gesture has been interpreted as a protest against anti-LGBT legislation in Russia due to the current frenzy around the issue.
At first I was for no boycott, but now I am hoping that some athletes stick it to Russia.
Russia is becoming a little too weird these days. Not just with their anti-gay legislation, anti-democratic/free-speech activities and human rights issues; but they are acting like a bully regionally with the unreasonable political demands against Ukraine, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova (they are trying to force them to end trading with EU countries and submit to Russia's will). It is actually kind of scary the way they are going in recent years.
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