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Should the US Boycott the Russian Olympics?

Should the US Boycott the Russian Olympics?


  • Total voters
    98
I am curious...

What if things played out in such a way that our citizens were going to be in danger?
Such as the arrest of our athletes or our citizens there to watch the games.
If we are not given assurances that our people will not be arrested and beaten, does this change anyone's mind about their "NO" vote?
(This was the reason I voted maybe)
 
I am curious...

What if things played out in such a way that our citizens were going to be in danger?
Such as the arrest of our athletes or our citizens there to watch the games.
If we are not given assurances that our people will not be arrested and beaten, does this change anyone's mind about their "NO" vote?
(This was the reason I voted maybe)

Why would they be arrested and/or beaten?
 
No two countries have the same laws, values and moral tolerances.

If the USA should on principle boycott the Olympics, then all countries should always boycott all Olympics.

The USA has the death penalty. The USA doesn't make women cover their faces. The USA doesn't allow gay marriage. The USA has states that do gay marriage. Alcohol is legal in the USA. The USA does not have an ERA in the constitution. Therefore, 100% of countries should boycott any Olympics in the USA.

The Olympics was created specifically to have International sports competitions with political statements disallowed. Competitors and winners have been disallowed/disqualified in the past for making political statements at the podium in the past.

While I fully support gay rights equality, any athlete who kissed someone to make a "gay rights political statement" should be disqualified from all events and stripped of any medals if a winner. The Olympics is NOT a political forum and is specifically to NOT be political.

The USA boycotting the Olympics for political issues would just be another example of USA arrogance, nothing else.
 
sorry to disappoint ... but if it'll help any, I was disappointed with your post as well ...:roll:

Lol! You're post was clearly your surrender to TD. Just like the little bruised and battered cartoon guy waving his white flag of surrender. :2razz:
 
I am curious...

What if things played out in such a way that our citizens were going to be in danger?
Such as the arrest of our athletes or our citizens there to watch the games.
If we are not given assurances that our people will not be arrested and beaten, does this change anyone's mind about their "NO" vote?
(This was the reason I voted maybe)

That's the thing. The law allows for arrest and deportation of gay foreigners, even those the authorities *suspect* of being gay. They won't enforce that on the athletes, but any reference to anything gay will likely be met with brutality. This is how the olympics will be complicit. If it was held elsewhere, that wouldn't happen.
 
That's the thing. The law allows for arrest and deportation of gay foreigners, even those the authorities *suspect* of being gay. They won't enforce that on the athletes, but any reference to anything gay will likely be met with brutality. This is how the olympics will be complicit. If it was held elsewhere, that wouldn't happen.

Oh really? I think you are conveniently forgetting the LOADS of other countries where homosexuality is at least discouraged if not outright illegal.

LGBT rights by country or territory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

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Oh really? I think you are conveniently forgetting the LOADS of other countries where homosexuality is at least discouraged if not outright illegal.

LGBT rights by country or territory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Discouraged would qualify even parts of the U.S, if not almost the collective populace. Also, the olympics are occurring in Russia, nowhere else. The clear point that chromium was making is that the olympics could easily be held in a more egalitarian country.
 
Discouraged would qualify even parts of the U.S, if not almost the collective populace. Also, the olympics are occurring in Russia, nowhere else. The clear point that chromium was making is that the olympics could easily be held in a more egalitarian country.

I don't think any of you even understand the point of the Olympics. It is meant to bring countries together who don't necessarily share the same culture and beliefs. The only thing people have to do is to keep it in their pants when out in public for TWO WEEKS. :roll:
 
I don't think any of you even understand the point of the Olympics. It is meant to bring countries together who don't necessarily share the same culture and beliefs. The only thing people have to do is to keep it in their pants when out in public for TWO WEEKS. :roll:
Right, however, Russia has willingly deported individuals for the suspicion of being homosexual. What constitutes suspicious actions and what provocation is needed? Nothing brings countries together like intolerance.
 
Right, however, Russia has willingly deported individuals for the suspicion of being homosexual. What constitutes suspicious actions and what provocation is needed? Nothing brings countries together like intolerance.

I wonder if you were making a stink about boycotting the Olympics when they were held in China? Hmm. Curious the way some of you are reacting to this to say the least.

Oh and yes, Russia is NOT the United States. They do not live by our laws. They have a different culture than we do. Maybe others should show some tolerance for their culture, regardless of how they personally view it. Doesn't seem to be a problem for most liberals when it comes to the human rights abuses of women around the world either when they defend the rights of people from other countries to practice their religion of radical Islam.
 
Nope.. I was 12.

So then you're still a teenager. Okay, that explains why you don't understand the concept of countries with DIFFERING cultures and beliefs uniting with the Olympic games.
 
So then you're still a teenager. Okay, that explains why you don't understand the concept of countries with DIFFERING cultures and beliefs uniting with the Olympic games.
Not really. I understand they have differing beliefs, their beliefs just happen to be illogical and wrong. Also, there is an inherent risk in sending known homosexual athletes to a country where homosexuals are deported.
 
Not really. I understand they have differing beliefs, their beliefs just happen to be illogical and wrong. Also, there is an inherent risk in sending known homosexual athletes to a country where homosexuals are deported.

It doesn't matter your personal beliefs. There are countries that do MUCH worse things, like China, like many countries in the ME. This is not supposed to involve the Olympics. I think this is extremely selfish thing to do to all the athletes that have practiced and worked hard their entire lives for this moment, and you want to cancel it because gay people won't be able to make public showings of affection for 2 weeks out of their lives. I say TOO BAD.
 
It doesn't matter your personal beliefs. There are countries that do MUCH worse things, like China, like many countries in the ME. This is not supposed to involve the Olympics. I think this is extremely selfish thing to do to all the athletes that have practiced and worked hard their entire lives for this moment, and you want to cancel it because gay people won't be able to make public showings of affection for 2 weeks out of their lives. I say TOO BAD.
No, I want to move it, or meet some mutual agreement. Also, it's not simply an issue of forced public discretion, it's that legal actions could be made against the athletes for doing, essentially, nothing.
 
Most people would rather watch the Olympics than two homosexuals playing tongue wrestling games.
 
No, I want to move it, or meet some mutual agreement. Also, it's not simply an issue of forced public discretion, it's that legal actions could be made against the athletes for doing, essentially, nothing.

Who cares what you want? What you want is not really that important. What the athletes who have worked hard for this moment is what's important. Allowing us to see our athletes compete in the Olympics is what is important. Your gay agenda just isn't as important to most people.
 
The Olympics are about the athletes, not their sexual preference...
 
The Olympics are about the athletes, not their sexual preference...

Exactly, and it pisses me off that some people and their ideology are trying to prevent me and others who enjoy the games from watching our country compete.
 
Exactly, and it pisses me off that some people and their ideology are trying to prevent me and others who enjoy the games from watching our country compete.

Well, it's always better to be pissed off than the alternative...
 
If all our athletes were to wear the armband in protest. And Russia tried that then the games would be shut down.

So... you don't care if USA athletes have their dreams dashed as long as every other country's athletes have their dreams dashed too, and the games are shut down? Not very sporting of you. :)
 
we have had gay athletes win olympic championships. Greg Louganis was at the OTC when I was there. We all knew he was gay. I didn't ever see him engage in overtly homosexual activity in public. Carl Lewis was there too. It is a well known "secret" that he is gay as well though he (at least at times relevant) never admitted it. Several of our male figure skaters are gay and they never engaged in activity which would cause them to run afoul of our laws. Several of our championship ladies basketball and soccer teams members are out of the closet lesbians. Again, none of them have done anything that would cause them to be arrested

so why do a few people have their panties in a knot over this silly law?
 
I was vocally opposed to the Beijing olympics, for multiple reasons, but i don't think the athletes and spectators risked arrest and beatings at the mere mention of Taiwan or "looking" Taiwanese. Obviously you can't relate to having to hide yourself in such an oppressive environment. I get it. But then you have to defend why they *should* have to and that starts crossing over into prejudice.
 
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