Friday, August 09, 2013

Boycott the Sochi Winter Olympics?

Stephen Fry makes a good argument about boycotting the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia because of their new harsh anti-homosexual laws.

While I agree that the laws in Russia are a giant step backwards when it comes to human rights - I believe that an official boycott would mostly harm the athletes who have been training for years. They didn't pick the venue - why should they be the ones to have their dreams crushed?

I must also say that a boycott of the Winter Games by England would be a rather hollow protest seeing how England is not exactly a winter games powerhouse (they won exactly one medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics). Soccer (they mistakenly call it football) is huge in England. If they really wanted to protest for gay rights - how about boycotting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar instead?

While I am against a boycott of the Winter Games because the athletes would be the ones to suffer that doesn't mean I agree with the anti-homosexual laws in Russia. I think a better way to show our displeasure would be to boycott with our pocketbooks. Don't travel to the Sochi Games or buy and of the merchandise. Get others to do the same. Allow the athletes to sew rainbow flags onto their uniforms to show they are also against the laws. Those are some protest methods I could agree with.

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