Funny, but they were one of the brightest spots for me in what has been a rather long, dreary winter. They ended this weekend, in what was probably the warmest couple of days that the northeast of North America has seen in months, probably. It was like a first taste of spring. Walking around outside without layers, without even a jacket, felt like a taste of spring.
Actually, it was only a tease, because the winter is set to resume, to pick up right where it left off. It will be cold again, and snow is back in the forecast. No early spring. Not yet.
But this weekend helped. Also, the Sochi games helped. And in a way, even though it was often very cold here, seeing the images of mild, even warm, weather in Sochi helped.
I will miss these games because it showed the world a different side of Russia. A warmer region, literally. But a warmer image, as well. All of those horror stories were indeed overblown.
The images of armed policemen seemed to reinforce the notion of a nation on edge, preparing for an inevitable terrorist attack. Many western critics viewed the whole thing skeptically. But I remember those same critics largely remaining silent when National Guards in camouflage uniforms would stand with machine guns (unloaded) at the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel and GWB. Unfair comparison? Is it? Remember that Russia had not one, but two bombings in the days prior to the Sochi games opening. Yes, they had a right to safeguard these events, every bit as much as Americans back home in New Jersey had a right to safeguard the site of Super Bowl XLVIII. Frankly, I don't see where the harsh criticism stems from. To me, it's yet another case of hypocrisy, with Russians once again, predictably, being blasted for what we Americans can find much closer, right here at home.
All of the talk here leading up to the games (which is to say, before we Americans became obsessed with another arms race of sorts with the Russians, this one a medals count) seemed negative, and unlike any other Olympic Games that I had ever seen before. Terrorism was just one issue. The other was gay rights.
In the wake of anti-gay laws in Russia, quite a few activists were urging President Obama to boycott the Sochi games.
Personally, I thought that this was a ridiculous argument, and not all that different from another form of hypocritical activism from another Olympic games some years back, once again involving American athletes. I have mentioned it in these blogs a few times before, but it bears repeating: in Beijing in 2008, some American athletes arrived wearing masks when the plane touched down in China, a country that had then just overtaken America as the world's biggest polluter. They were active and loud in protesting China's quality of air, yet their activism and criticism about detrimental environmental policies back at home, where they should be active citizens, was conspicuously absent, despite President Bush, with his horrific record on the environment, still being the sitting President at the time. I think tat same glaring hypocrisy, which it seems only Americans cannot see, was at play here. Some, however, did see it. Here is a quote from Olympian Johnny Weir, who also happen to be openly gay, and made absolutely no attempt to hide it while in Russia.
Funny, but I don't hear gay activists here in the United States protesting that the Super Bowl will be held in Arizona next year - at least not yet. No "Boycott Arizona" activity yet, even though that is obviously a part of the United States itself, and American athletes and activists obviously should hold more sway (and probably be more concerned) with activities back here at home, right? Arizona, with the anti-immigration bill, has also now has some rather homophobic anti-gay legislation. (for more, "Arizona lawmakers pass controversial anti-gay bill" by Ray Sanchez and Miguel Marquez, CNN, February 21, 2014: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/21/us/arizona-anti-gay-bill/)
Let's see if gay activists try to do something about that Super Bowl next year in Arizona. And let's remember that Arizona is hardly alone in this regard, either. There are still quite a few states where homosexuality has, at best, questionable legal status.
In the meantime, some gay athletes did indeed talk about their experiences at the Sochi games, and not all of the reviews are negative, either. But there were only seven openly gay athletes competing at these games. I thought this article on the subject was interesting: "With only 7 openly gay athletes in Sochi, those in closet are on the wrong side of history" by Ryan Quinn of outsports.com on January 30, 2014: http://www.outsports.com/2014/1/30/5355728/openly-gay-athletes-sochi-winter-olympics-role-models)
As for boycotting these games, was it wrong not to have done so? Well, I cannot say for sure. South Africa was boycotted during the days of apartheid, but still, legalized segregation remained the law of the land long after it was officially boycotted. That was another issue, of course, but we do not have to relegate it to segregation or gay rights, either. If we can really extend boycotts to many other issues (and I don't see why we couldn't, to be honest), then America itself could be in trouble in this regard. First of all, anti-gay legislation, as mentioned before, obviously exists right here in the US. Also, what's to say that other industrialized nations won't recognize that there is a problem with the United States being the only industrialized nation in the world left not to have some form of affordable, universal health care. Would they not be well within their rights to call for a boycott of any future major sporting events within the borders of the United States if they so chose? And if so, how would Americans react?
I wonder if they would have been as cool about it, frankly, the Russians were. Frankly, I have my doubts.
In any case, all of that discussion is over now, I guess. After all, let's face it: Americans rarely care about anybody else in the world, unless that nation finds itself under the microscope, somehow or other. There are plenty of other nations with anti-gay legislation and policies. But the reason that we focused on Russia was that they were hosting the Olympic games and, also, because Russia is a traditional rival of the United States - and that rivalry was reactivated in a sense this past summer. So, suddenly, we Americans cared a great deal about Russia's anti-gay policies, even more than we did about certain states right here at home. Now that the games are over, I'd be willing to bet that Americans generally forget about Russia, and whatever it's gay rights status happens to be. we have a short attention span in this country, and two weeks and change of intense focus on Russia is probably two weeks and change too many for a lot of Americans. Once they no longer are in a position to criticize other nations, Americans too often tend to be decidedly mute on the subject.
For all the fears of how disastrous these games could turn out, I thought they were actually quite successful, all told. No attacks or major incidents that I am aware of. No talk of some hate crimes against gay athletes or visitors. In fact, not many negatives to be seen or heard from at all.
The conditions were not always ideal. Funny, because Russia is known as such a cold country, yet the temperatures were often too warm for athletes competing on snow and ice to enjoy the ideal conditions in their respective sports.
Yet, overall, these Olympics would have to be seen as a success. Yes, some will remember that Putin spent a whopping $50+ billion, which is an outlandish monetary sum. Yes, Russia is not a perfect country, and it has it's problems, like we all do.
But these games, I think, did a wonderful job in showing the rest of the world that Russia is a country like any other country. It has it's own unique history and culture. It has a certain distinct beauty and charm, also, within the nation that is uniquely it's own, and the images of the surrounding areas of Sochi proved that. Russia has far more to offer than the limited and limiting perceptions of the American media and, yes, the American people, many of whom quickly dismissed these games and Russia behind an avalanche of "In Soviet Russia" jokes, ignoring that more has changed in Russia in the last quarter century than has changed in these United States. Sochi was simply a spectacular setting, a city by the sea, with a breathtaking view of snow-capped mountain peaks in the background. The architecture that was shown on television looked simply wonderful, and I think Russia came across, indeed, as a better place than most people on the outside had apparently assumed it to be.
I think it is fair to suggest that these games were a success, and that Russia did a splendid job in hosting them!
Some highlights of these Sochi Olympic Games:
http://sports.yahoo.com/video/memorable-moments-why-olympics-were-010406895.html
Austrian ski jumper Daniela Iraschko-Stolz says "there were absolutely no problems"
. Oh, and she also said that living in the Olympic Park for the time that she was there was a dream. No mention of horrific conditions, or being locked in bathrooms and having to break herself out, as has been reported ad nausea here in the United States. Go figure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeMKsTc2Q3E
"Gay athlete says uproar over Russian anti gay laws overblown"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ_RkZc9BvM
Report from before the games on why gay athletes should not boycott these games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1630oWiYgQ
I thought this was pretty interesting as well, and thought it deserved to be shared. It's about Olympians that do not medal, particularly 4th place to 8th place medals. Interesting stuff:
https://sports.yahoo.com/video/olympic-diploma-awarded-athletes-dont-155604467.html
And finally, here is a positive summary from Yahoo Sports, acknowledging the negativity of media coverage surrounding the games before the opening ceremonies, but that, all in all, the games have to be viewed as a success:
https://sports.yahoo.com/video/olympic-diploma-awarded-athletes-dont-155604467.html
No comments:
Post a Comment