2008 Woodie Awards
Point-Counterpoint
The Olympics: Time for Peace, or Time to Protest?
Jake Cox
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Opinion
Olympic Torch protesters stand up for human rights
The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay is part of an Olympic ceremonial tradition being carried out prior to this year's Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The relay, which lasts from March until the opening ceremony in August, guides the torch along a route passing through six continents and many different countries. On April 9, the torch was in San Francisco and today, April 23, the torch is scheduled to be en route from Indonesia to Australia. A team of 30 Chinese secret policemen called the "Beijing Summer Olympics Sacred Flame Protection Unit" accompanies the torch at every moment along its route. Large numbers of protestors have been pestering the torch relay at each stop, expressing their opposition to China's human rights record, its contributions to the unrest in Tibet, and to the behavior of the torch's protection unit.
Although most protestors are driven by China's human rights record and its affairs in Tibet, an increasing number of people are protesting the torch's protection unit. One London relay official described them as "thugs." These guardsmen, whose identities have been kept secret by the Chinese, have been violent with protestors and often interfere with local law enforcement units.
Several countries have announced that they will not allow the torch's protection unit within their borders. Because these men are unidentified members of China's secret police with erratic behavior, it compromises each nation's sovereignty and national security to allow them into each country and this deserves to be protested.
Disregard for human rights has been a steadfast characteristic of our civilizations throughout history. Past generations have faithfully gathered in protest of various human rights violations, although they never seemed to change anything. I scoff at our generation's fashionably late and futile attempt at addressing such a timeless flaw in humanity. Although I question the efficacy of the torch relay protests, I fully support them because I am ecstatic that people worldwide are actually taking the initiative to take a stand against something that is wrong. One protest may lead to another and soon we may have a real revolution on our hands.
The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay is part of an Olympic ceremonial tradition being carried out prior to this year's Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The relay, which lasts from March until the opening ceremony in August, guides the torch along a route passing through six continents and many different countries. On April 9, the torch was in San Francisco and today, April 23, the torch is scheduled to be en route from Indonesia to Australia. A team of 30 Chinese secret policemen called the "Beijing Summer Olympics Sacred Flame Protection Unit" accompanies the torch at every moment along its route. Large numbers of protestors have been pestering the torch relay at each stop, expressing their opposition to China's human rights record, its contributions to the unrest in Tibet, and to the behavior of the torch's protection unit.
Although most protestors are driven by China's human rights record and its affairs in Tibet, an increasing number of people are protesting the torch's protection unit. One London relay official described them as "thugs." These guardsmen, whose identities have been kept secret by the Chinese, have been violent with protestors and often interfere with local law enforcement units.
Several countries have announced that they will not allow the torch's protection unit within their borders. Because these men are unidentified members of China's secret police with erratic behavior, it compromises each nation's sovereignty and national security to allow them into each country and this deserves to be protested.
Disregard for human rights has been a steadfast characteristic of our civilizations throughout history. Past generations have faithfully gathered in protest of various human rights violations, although they never seemed to change anything. I scoff at our generation's fashionably late and futile attempt at addressing such a timeless flaw in humanity. Although I question the efficacy of the torch relay protests, I fully support them because I am ecstatic that people worldwide are actually taking the initiative to take a stand against something that is wrong. One protest may lead to another and soon we may have a real revolution on our hands.
Be the first to comment on this story