Should Countries refuse to partake in the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of Chinas human rates record?
No, I don’t think so. No country has a spotless record when it comes to human rights. China could easily point a finger at the U.S. since various states have recently passed legislation allowing discrimination against gay people. In the U.S. we also discriminate against Muslims and atheists among others regularly, sometimes with government sanction. Who are we to point fingers? I’m not condoning the horrific events in China, in fact I condemn them. I just don’t see how boycotting the Olympics will prevent future such incidents or policies. The Olympics should not be a political event. Thousands of athletes have dreamt of and worked hard for years with the 2008 Olympics as their goal. Often they don’t get a shot at the next one, 4 years down the line.
