Canadian Olympians should think twice about heading to Beijing & We Agree as Stojko steps up for Us

Two-time Olympic medallist Elvis Stojko says Canadian athletes should "make a stand" for human rights and think twice about heading to the Beijing Summer Games.

[Canada]

Athletes should think twice Beijing Olympics: Stojko 1 hr ago | CTV.ca

... Prime Minister Stephen Harper has confirmed he will not attend the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Games,

but whomever Canada is, has rejected the idea of boycotting the Olympics.

"I know for me, it would be extremely difficult to be able to go compete in a ...

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/C...

Related Topix: Sports, Olympics, Olympic Summer Games, Olympic Winter Games, More Sports, Figure Skating, Ice Skating, Winter Sports, Competitive Skating

[sk8ter12]

The olympics should be about the athletes, not about the country that is the host. It is a gathering of the best not of human rights protesters. Dont punnish the olympians its their time to shine!

[Maryanne]

Please someone, tell me just what's going on in China? How are the people being mistreated?

[Easy does it]

It is easy to Stojko to speak. He has made is fortune using the Olympics... He is now too old to participate. What about the younger ones who have been training so hard for the past many years. Don't they deserve a chance to earn a medal.

Of course China is at fault for their flagrant disrespect for democracy and human rights but why punish athletes from other countries who have trained and worked so hard to get to the olympics.

If you want to teach China a listen, let's stop buying goods that come from there. God knows, 2/3 of what we buy right now, comes from there. I think that would be more effective than to boycut an event that lasts only two weeks.

[Night Train]

Political views have no place in the Olympics but ever increasingly, politics and money seem to overshadow the whole principle and doctrine of the Olympic movement. Governments of western countries pay lip service to human rights issues in China momentarily while they sign enormous trade agreements with them and then pat themselves on the back for a job well done. Why should we force political standards on our athletes that our governments don't have the stamina to do?

Moving the Olympics from one Country to another is simply a money grabbing industry. Ideally, a neutral location should be found for a permanent location and any profits can be proportionately disbursed to the olympic programs of the participating countries.

Let our athletes compete and leave the political hypocrosy to the politicians who are so very proficient at it.

[harleyhoney]

I think we should mind our own business when it comes to how another country runs things.
We sure as to hell do not like it when some foriegner tells us how to do things.

Night Train, your entire post, especially the last sentence. RIGHT ON... and well put.

I for one think that the Olympics is a waste of my money.
We sold our place in BC and one of the biggest reasons was to get out of the impending Olympic madness. I refuse to pay for this crap, and certainly not for years to come after it is all over.