Gold, Silver and Politics

One World, One Dream" shines on the official Web site of the Beijing 2008 Olympics. In about two weeks, on August 8, the Summer Olympic Games will begin and so will a series of tests. Everything will be tested, from athletic talent to zealous patriotism, and particularly the truth of the idyllic statement "One World, One Dream." While the Olympics are considered to be an arena in which athletes from around the world compete in a myriad of sports, rarely are they ever just about the game. The truth is, the Olympics and politics go way back.

Grab your cell phone and dial your parents, because if they remember anything about the 1980s, it's this: the American-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Then-U.S. President Jimmy Carter forced the Soviet Union to make a tricky choice in 1979: either withdraw Soviet troops from Afghanistan or face a boycott of the Olympics by the United States. Spoiler alert: They didn't pick the first option. America, along with China, West Germany and Japan, among other nations, refused to participate in the Olympics. Moreover, Carter vowed to revoke the passports of any U.S. athletes who attended the games. And if that's not example enough of a politically charged Olympics, keep Pops on hold to recall 1984.

When the Olympics were held in Los Angeles in 1984, take one guess as to who didn't show up. You got it: the Soviet Union, along with Cuba and East Germany, as well as a few other countries. Citing concerns that the United States bred an anti-communist environment, the USSR couldn't refuse an opportunity for vengeance. If one thing is made crystal clear by these events, it is that the Olympics and politics are what our generation would call BFFs. Politics is a cornerstone of the very fabric of the Olympic Games. What are the Olympics, but a chance for a nation to flaunt its talent, to show the world what it's got? Whenever athletes from different countries come together to compete, the political aura transcends the game. Winning is never just winning.

So here's the question: Should the Olympics be used as a forum for countries and athletes to express their political views and/or distaste for another country's actions? Historically, this has been the case. But is this fair to the athletes who dedicate years of their lives to the goal of competing, only to learn that their country is not participating? How about when the athletes themselves are the driving force behind a political agenda, as in the late 1960s-when politics in the Olympics was not limited to rivalry between countries but concentrated within one?

You may have to speed dial your grandparents to get a real-life account of this infamous event, that is the 1968 so-called Black Power Salute at the Olympics. African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos won first and third place, respectively, in the 200-meter race in the Mexico City Olympics. When the time came to collect their medals, the two went shoeless, wearing only black socks. What's more, during the American national anthem, the two raised their fists high into the air while wearing black gloves and bowed their heads. They hoped to symbolize black pride in the face of oppression in the U.S. Race couldn't be separated from the race in 1968, just as human rights can't be separated from the Olympics today.

The Beijing Olympics are nearly here, and already we've felt the ripple effect. Countries are lining up to boycott the opening ceremony. People are protesting China's actions toward Tibet, and air quality concerns leave many fearing adverse health effects. There's no doubt in my mind that everyone has a right to choose whether or not to attend any given event, and if they feel a country is working against basic human rights, they can and should take action.

But what I find disheartening is the way we pick and choose who we support and when we support them. Numerous countries in the world aren't protecting human rights, but they aren't in the spotlight. Why is it that when countries like Sudan and Zimbabwe don't partake in the Olympics, we don't feel the need to give their circumstances the same degree of exposure? All dehumanizing acts must be recognized, especially those without an international audience.

Protests or no protests, the Olympic Games will go on. In a few weeks' time, the hard work and dedication of Olympic athletes will take center stage, with politics coming in a very close second. And it's hard to imagine that we'll stand behind one dream in such a divided world.