[Political Rant] Just say no to Sochi.

As do many Canadians, I love the Winter Olympics. I love watching our athletes go forth with 1/10th the funding and government assisted training of many other countries and just go kick ass. I love watching our little population provide these amazing people of heart, soul, strength and wonder who go forth to glory. I even love watching the athletes from other countries who have sweat blood to get where they are. A trip to the Olympics isn't handed on a diamond encrusted platter, you have to work, dream, and drive to get yourself there no matter how well funded you are. This is the view of my heart when I stand on the platform and say Canada needs to boycott these Olympics.

 

If Russia suddenly said "We're not allowing black people or anyone suspected of being black to be in our country," we would be horrified, we would refuse to participate and we'd probably trade blockade Russia in a heartbeat. I'm not actually sure how much trade we do with the great bear, but the gesture should be made even if its empty.

 

Its unfair to the athletes who dreamed; its more unfair to the athletes who are gay and may be arrested. I guess that's one way for Russia to win all the medals, just accuse half the athletes of being gay and arrest them. The IOC are busy promising it won't matter, but does anyone actually believe the IOC? I know I don't.

 

The problem is, we're scared of Russia. We're scared of rocking the boat. She is a large, populated, very powerful nation. She is also not going to get any less so, and the longer you let the Russian government (aka Putin) make the rules that choose the minorities to pick off, the worse its going to get. We need to take a stand, we need to do it now, and we need to protect the people who are not being protected.

 

But you don't have to just take my word for it, you can take someone else's : http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/opinion/russias-anti-gay-crackdown.html?_r=3& or you can just look at the pictures : http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/photos-from-russia-everyone-needs-to-see  But try not to be eating when you do.

 

No to the 2013 Sochi Olympics, no to anything Russian until their government rejoins the 21st century.