A bit of a GRRRRR rant here......I have been against the Olympics being held in China since the search began and my feelings have only gotten stronger. In the past month, the Chinese government has informed local restaurants and bars that they are not to serve black patrons, and now banned Cheek from the games by denying his Visa because of his affiliation with Team Darfur to help raise money and awareness for the situation in the Sudan and Tibet. I for one am ashamed that the American Olympic Committee would even agree to participate in the games knowing China is going to mantain its own agenda. But why do we continue to kowtow to China...simple the same reason we are in Iraq......money and politics. Shameful.

I for one immensly enjoy watching the Olympic Games but categorically refuse to watch any of the Bejing Games on any network. How could I in good conscience, knowing all of those ad and commercial dollars are supporting a country who supports the extreme violation of human rights and in my view participating only says America condones their beliefs.

Naenae, I haven't even discussed the Olympics with anyone else, but my thoughts have been along the same line, for many reasons. I'm not too thrilled with the choice either.

You are so right, Renee! China is also polluting the environment and their citizens with utter abandon. I won't be watching either although I will find out who the major US sponsors are and send off a 'delightful' letter letting them know why I won't be buying their products that are probably made in China anyway. It feels like a losing battle but I've got to do something.

The olympics is not supposed to be about politics. I get ticked off when governments try to use the Olympics to further their own agendas. It's about a group of athletes competing, not politics, not human rights, just athletes and sports. I don't condone what China's doing, but I am really looking forward to seeing the games.

To each his own. I respect your opinion and your decision, Nae Nae.

However, like Greta, I am also looking forward to watching the Games.

Although I disagree w/ China's politics, the Olympic athletes are not responsible for China's decisions, or the decision of the Olympic Committe, who chose to hold the Games in China. They have worked hard, and have earned their right to compete, and should still be supported, IMO.

~ Faith

Yes, you are correct, the athletes have earned the right. Including, Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek, who has been banned.

Whilst I agree the athletes should be supported, and the games should not be political they are and we have allowed it to happen...so I will lend my support by donating to Athletes For Darfur!

The modern olympics is about the world coming together - promoting understanding. I fully respect and support your decision to boycott but I will be watching.

Sport is at its best when it is more than just sport, but transcends the game itself in some way. Sport is at its worst when it is just about winning and losing. I wish for one moment that all politics could be put aside to support and watch beauty of the games. Having been to four Olympics as a spectator I can tell you when you are there in the midst the best of the human spirit spills out and we become people and humans and not about countries or politics.

I applaud Joey Cheek's efforts and honestly we should all do what we can to really support Dafur both as a government and individuals but Joey is not competing in these Olympics (he is a Winter Olympics speedskater) and was traveling as a private citizen to bring attention to the cause of Dafur (which again I think is great). And I hope the Chinese change their minds and allow him to go to China for his diplomatic mission. Joey Cheek has even said in the spirit of promoting understanding that he does not begrudge the Chinese these Olympic Games.

I do not agree with the Chinese government on many levels and on many topics but on the ground forgetting the government you can't believe how much these Olympics means to the Chinese people, regular people like us who have no control over their government and no freedom of speech. And to be honest for me Sudan needs to step up and stop what's happening in its land more than the Chinese who I know have a part in all of this.

And the ad dollars spent in these games are not going to China in any way but actually allow you the ability to watch the games free on broadcast television and help pay for our athletes to achieve their dreams. Consider it a sponsorship of our athletes. All you see are the commercials but the sponsorships these companies make in the games far trancends commercials like the washing machines that Sears gives to the IOC so the athletes can wash their gear or the bandages that J&J provides. There is significant funding of Olympic infrastructure that these companies provide. I prefer this method as opposed to it coming out of our taxes. And these companies are proud of their investment in the dreams of athletes and is part of why they advertise in the games. Now I won't be all pollyanna and say that they don't profit in some way from the games.

And the companies supporting the Olympics are paying for you to be able to watch them. Actually commercials in all ways fund the cost of all shows on TV. Imagine what your cable bill wouldbe like if there were no commercials. There would be alot less programming if any at all and your cost to watch TV would skyrocket.

But I am not going to punish the Chinese people for the actions of their government

For the Chinese people I hope the Games go well and that in some small aspect it brings postive change to their lives and their country.

And I hope that our athetes and all the athletes competing achieve their dreams that they have worked so hard for whether it is just competing or a medal.

But he's not competing. He's a speedskater that participates in winter olympics. He was going there just as a supporter of the athletes that participate in his Darfur project. Those athletes are permitted to compete.

Everyday, early in the morning, villagers would get up and start their work.

Most of their ancestors were farmers but these days a lot of them workers at some corporate manufacturing plants.

yet, they will bring their hardworking ethics to these new jobs...

When their ancestors were farmers, they were a happy bunch. Even through over 2000 years of civil wars between the dynasties and governments, most of these people were happy with just getting up, putting the plow on their buffaloes or, with just their own hands, went to the fields and they would plant or farm.

they are just happy with having foods on their tables from what they reaped from what they sowed...so they are generally, a happy bunch.

the culture have survived famines, civil wars, floods, and other disasters either natural or self-inflicted or from invasions...

between the late 1800's to the early 1900's, westerners "discovered" it and about 8 nations from the West went to "carve" it up.

back then, the Chinese folks were considered the same class as dogs. If the area was deemed for let's say, Germans or Japanese only, there would usually be a sign that says "no dogs and chinese are allowed"

But a lot of times, dogs even had more rights than the humans because if any of the foreigners were to own dogs, the dogs would be allowed in the forbidden zones.

So for a period of time, the people there were repressed not by their own gov't anymore, but by others that they have not known....

but daily, the same resiliant people went about their hard working ways; they live in their small houses or village huts; they get up, and go to work, hoping to get food on their tables...

any political statements that were made to the "foreigners" were made by a vocal few and they were either jailed or killed...

then came Nanking Massacre, where almost 300,000 people were slaughtered in 10 days...

but those people thrived...they survived...

then, the communist gov't took over....

the gov't went from one extreme end to another and its people were once again beaten down, taken down now, by their own children...

but every day, those same villagers got up, and went to do what they needed to do. Because they have seen this for many generations now, they know that their best fight against the government is to just keep on being resiliant...to keep on plowing, planting, living...

these days, half of those famers have become factory workers. They work 7 days a week but the television shows will tell you that they only work 6 days.

They see their family only for 10 days out of a whole year but the television show will tell you otherwise.

They are of the majority. The poor, the unfortunate, yet the resilient, and content with having very little...

They are the new human slaves that has been legalized by their own gov't. They work 7 days a week and their take home pay averages $100.00 U.S a month...

and it has to feed their wives, their children, their fathers and mothers or even grandfathers/mothers sometime because they live in generations in one house to keep the family together....

and all the while, there are those scholars that see this, and they fight for the rights of the people, and they get tanked over, they fight for the rights of the people, and they get jailed and they get killed...but they'll keep on fighting...

Because they know that the government is giving its people a bad name, that the people there are grateful, generous folks and if any of you know someone from there or even just know someone that knows someone from there and would go over there, that they would take you in to their house with warmth and hospitality.

They will feed you, the food may not be the best...but it would be better that what they would normally eat...it may just be noodles cooked in the precious broth of chicken that they have been raising for a few months now for special ocassions. But if you were to visit, it WOULD be a special ocassion and they'll take you in and give you the very best that they can or give you the clothes off of their backs and smile back at you contently...

so, here is this government who came from the loins of its people, who doesn't care about its people.

But it wants to give a facade that it does...

it wants to show the world that it's the new super power...perhaps an ablution, of their shameful past that they were overtaken by the foreigners of long past...

and now their people doesn't matter, only power...

they have moved thousands of families away from their homes that have been there hundreds, maybe even thousands of years just so they can build the biggest dam in the world...

No, they don't care about their people or even their own heritage because the gov't just wants more power, more money, more more more...from the very people that they came from...

but everyday, Mr. Lin or Mr. Lee or Mrs. Chang or Mrs. Wei have to get up, and hope that they can make that money, so they can feed their families

They have to hope that they can work 7/week for as long as they can. They can't worry about being sick, or getting sick. They have to keep on moving...

and the thing that they look forward to the most, is that they will get a chance to see their family for those 10 precious days out of the whole year...to spend time with a son or daughter that have grown another year...

perhaps they have missed their first step, or their first words...but they have to keep on sacrificing because they have to work for them...

and they are hoping the that the Olympics will hopefully give them the bonus that they crave...perhaps to have a little extra, to buy some nice shoes, or pencils, or make-ups...just little things...to bring some smiles...

I applaud those of you that are boycotting it and I applaud those of you that are going to watch the game because there probably should be both...there are always going to be supporters of both sides and this situation is not unique but unique in itself...

All I want, is to bring out another side of the story, of the actual people, the people that I have learned so much from, from a distance, from my memories, from the obscure and the esoteric side...a side that you might not know...

a humble, respectful, unique bunch of nice folks that if you are ever in their homes, they will give you their best bed and the best food that they can provide for you...

((((((((((everyone)))))))))

PS, and please do NOT let me hinder this discussion...