In print | Published April 3, 2008

To the Editor:

I would like to respond from a different point of view regarding China’s violent suppression of Tibet and its people. Obviously what is happening on the other side of the world is a tragedy. I agree with the writers that offering China to host the 2008 games was a mistake in hindsight. Maybe the Olympic committee thought that China would clean up its act when it awarded them the Olympics eight or so years ago.

However, I have trouble with the writers offering up the Olympic athletes to boycott the Games. I think it is easy to sit in front of a computer and offer up opinions when it doesn’t cost the writer(s) anything. I ran for Villanova University in the early ’80’s, and I had a teammate who was ranked No. 1 in the world in the 800 meters and was denied the chance to compete in the Olympics in 1980. He worked eight years to position himself for a chance for a gold medal and an opportunity to compete. To me it seemed the boycott in 1980 didn’t accomplish what it set out to do. Ironically, Afghanistan seems a bigger mess now. The writers feel it would be “unfortunate” for the athletes preparing for the Games. Maybe the writers’ should offer their own sacrifice in trying to convince China to change its policies instead of volunteering other people to make the sacrifice.

Peter Carroll
Track & Field Coach
Faculty member
Swarthmore College

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