It Is for the People

Last night Alex and I watched the gala opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. I don’t believe that Alex was impressed. But I was. As one of the commenters said, the spectacle outdid any he had ever seen. I agree.

I was impressed by the grand entrance of the athletes—and by the reception they received from the gathered thousands in the stands. I was impressed by the excitement and fortitude of the Chinese cheerleaders who lined the sides of the inner circle of the stadium and welcomed the athletes for hour after hour. I was impressed by the Chinese children singing the Olympic Anthem in Greek. I was impressed by the lighting of the Olympic torch.

I was touched by the story of nine-year-old Lin Hao, survivor of the Sichuan province earthquake. He is a second-grader at the Yuzixi Primary School in Yingxiu Town, which was the epicenter of devastating May 12^th 8.0-magnitude earthquake on that killed over 69,000 people. Lin hao, after extracting himself from the rubble of the quake, returned to the scene and rescued two classmates who had, like himself, been buried alive by the debris. I believe that it was most appropriate that Lin Hao walked beside 7-foot-6-inch NBA star Yao Ming, who carried the Chinese flag at the head of the Chinese Olympic delegation:

I consider myself an activist for peace and justice. I can see how the Beijing Olympics provides opportunities for protesting and pressuring the Chinese government regarding its actions (Tibet) and inactions (Darfur).

However, the people of China are not the Chinese government. And the people of China have endured a hell of a lot—from decades of Maoist-style oppression and injustice to the earthquakes this year.

I think it is appropriate that we activists put aside our political agenda for the time of the Olympics and allow the people of China and of the world to celebrate these Olympics with joy and in peace: