Apr
2008
The 2008 Olympic Torch
Let me just get it out of the way: I am 100% behind the idea of a free Tibet, and I am not thrilled with China hosting the Olympics.
That being said: Stop attacking the torch carriers.
Those of you who think that attacking the runners somehow furthers your cause, or somehow makes “a statement”, shut up, sit down, and get over yourselves. People have every right to protest the torch, but there is no need to go beyond signs, banners, chanting, etc; there is absolutely no reason why you should be impeding the runners, or laying hands on them. At this point you are endangering yourself, the runner and all of the people around you.
You do realize these are innocent people, correct? You also realize this is an open flame? The worst thing I’ve seen so far was the person in Paris in a wheelchair carrying the torch and people started scuffling around the torch. What if it had fallen in their lap? Are you willing to injure someone to make a statement? A person that is more than likely not even Chinese? I know I certainly wouldn’t be willing to see that happening.
So, again I say, protest all you want, Tibet should be free, but assaulting the runners is just wrong on so many levels that it is mind boggling.
Tibet » Blog Archive » The 2008 Olympic Torch | April 10th, 2008 at 4:00 am #
[...] Affaires étrangères wrote an interesting post today on The 2008 Olympic TorchHere’s a quick excerpt Let me just get it out of the way: I am 100% behind the idea of a free Tibet, and I am not thrilled with China hosting the Olympics. That being said: Stop attacking the torch carriers. Those of you who think that attacking the runners somehow furthers your cause, or somehow makes “a statementâ€, shut up, sit down, and get over yourselves. People have every right to protest the torch, but there is no need to go beyond signs, banners, chanting, etc; there is absolutely no reason why you should b [...]
alana aka lotus555 | April 23rd, 2008 at 11:26 pm #
You know where i stand on Tibet too, so no need for me to go there. Here is a non Tibet related torch relay story, i thought you may like.
It was before the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. In Sydney, everyone was standing at the town hall, awaiting the torch runner. A man turned the corner with a torch, everyone started cheering madly, the runner made it up the town hall steps and the torch was passed to the Lord Mayor of Sydney. The Mayor had already started his speech before he realised that what he was holding was actually a paint tin strapped to a chair leg, with a pair of army issue underpants flaming at the top!
Turned out the ‘runner’ was a prankster from Sydney Uni. Priceless.