OPINION:
In 1936, members of the American Olympic Committee were either hoodwinked or chose to overlook Nazi abuses, as little opposition was raised to American participation in that year’s games. In 1980, then-President Jimmy Carter’s unpopular decision to withdraw America from the Moscow Olympics displayed a strong stance against the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
In 2022, there’s no question that China is torturing and incarcerating millions of dissidents and minorities, yet America’s only response has been to withhold our diplomats from attending the games. Considering that all Americans are descended from a variety of peoples who left their native lands for a better life, freedom, democracy, and/or self-determination, what does our participation in the Beijing Olympics say about our commitment to honoring our country’s values and our ancestors?
PAUL L. NEWMAN
Merion Station, Pa.
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