[ad_1]
In an empty gesture, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee reprimanded two American Team athletes who had demonstrated in front of the Pan Am Games National Anthem earlier this month.
The committee sent letters to fencer Race Imboden, who knelt during the national anthem, and to hammer thrower Gwen Berry, who had raised her fist during the anthem. In the end, both men were placed on probation for 12 months, allowing them to participate in training and competitions, including the 2020 Olympics, according to USA Today.
Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, tried to embody both sides in the letters to the athletes. She said that she "applauds[ed]"The athletes' decision to be an active citizen" and that it was "admirable". However, she said athletes must "respect the policies we agree to ensure that the goals of the Games achieve their goals for many years".
If either of these athletes reinstated this offense, they could be sentenced more severely, although the nature of the offense is not specified.
By allowing Imboden and Berry to fare better than a slap on the knuckles, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has set a terrible precedent. The committee really should have taken more aggressive measures to prevent this from happening in the future with other athletes by banning Imboden and Berry at the next Olympics.
Nothing changes for Imboden or Berry. They can still compete in the Olympics for the US team and, if they wish, they can kneel or protest again against the anthem on the last day of the 2020 games, which will accentuate the American gap.
Other American athletes now know that the committee has a weak policy in place for primary offenders. The "awake" athletes know that they will still be able to participate in the Olympics if they protest during the national anthem, even at the Olympics, so why would not they? At this point, what is stopping someone like Megan Rapinoe, the star of American football, from openly expressing, kneeling during the national anthem during the 2020 Games? She had already knelt for the national anthem, but not in an American match.
The Olympics are supposed to be one of the few events that unite the whole country. According to a poll conducted in 2018 by the Washington Post, 53% of Americans state that it's never appropriate for athletes to kneel during the national anthem, while only 42% believe that that it might be appropriate to kneel.
Although the country is bitterly divided politically, the country's success in international sport is a source of pride. According to a recent Gallup poll, 73% of Americans are proud to see their athlete thrive on the international scene.
This nurtures a healthy form of positive American nationalism, which is civic in nature. People of all races, creeds and religions meet under the American flag to compete for the American team. The same could be said of the fans who support the team.
As a Florida Senator, Marco Rubio put it last NovemberAmerican nationalism articulates around the "belief that all peoples are created equal, with rights recognized to God".
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee's own policy makes it clear that athletes are not allowed to "comment on or broadcast propaganda of a political, religious, racial or other nature," said Reuters. There are many other hard – working athletes who would like to have the opportunity to compete on the world stage who do not want to make the day about politics, and one of them. between them should take the place of the "awake" athletes protesting against the flag and the national anthem.
Tom Joyce (@TomJoyceSports) is an independent writer published with USA Today, the Boston Globe, Newsday, ESPN, the Detroit Free Press, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Federalist and several other media outlets.
[ad_2]
Source link