Today at Church I was approached by one of the elders, asking if I would like to buy a pin to support the boycott of the Beijing Games. I of course was more than willing to do this, and she also gave me some information about China and it's recent human rights abuses. VERY scary stuff:
-6000 families were displaced by the preparation for the games. Many were not given alternative housing.
-China executes more people than any other nation.
-50 000 people are employed in China to monitor and censor the Internet.
More information about these human rights abuses can be found here
I know that the athletes who attend these games are superbly fit people, the top of their respective sports and to be admired. And I DO admire them. My issue is with China the country - it's government and it's leaders. If they want to be considered to be a power in the first world, they need to start acting like one and to stop the oppression and subjugation of their people. Okay, I will hop off my soapbox now :) BTW Louanne - I COMPLETELY respect your opinion. After all, if we all thought the same, the world would be a very boring place!!!
About Me
- Cristina
- Join me in my ramblings about my life, my kids, the meaning of the universe, and adopting from China.
4 comments:
Hi Tassie,
I left the first comment yesterday and forgot to put my initials (yup CTG). I think China is changing...perhaps not at the rate we would like to see...but it is happenning. I too feel ambivalent about the Olympics...but I have felt this way about the Olympics when they have been held in democracies too...because there have been abuses there too. I think what bothers me the most is that all the $$$ that are spend on the Olympics could be used to feed the hungry. I respect the athletes for working hard and competing and for fullfilling their dreams of competition, I just wish it could be done in a way to benefit the more needy. And I just don't see it happenning.
Respectfully CTG
Hey Cristina! First this is your blog and you should get on your soapbox anytime! Second - I have to agree with you about the human rights abuses. This has made me crazy for years. And it is overwhelming the amount that China has spent on the games...the displaced people thing made me think of when they built the 2 gorges dam and all the people that just got booted out whose families had lived in the same villages for centuries!! Whoa.
ps. I deleted the 1st post for misspellings.
I hear you, and that is why while I love the Olympics, I am also torn. I want to teach Emi to love China, and I will. But not the way the government makes their decisions. But then, I am not always thrilled with what the US does either.
Yes, China is getting better. The human rights needs to be better addressed (or even addressed!), and until that is I don't think that the rest of the world will feel a whole lot differently about China. They put on a good show, and continue to, but at what cost? Now I know (thanks to your blog).
I am also with CTG and Louanne, the money that was spent on the Olympics could have gone a very, very long way in China. There again, the money that the US spent for the ones we hosted could have also.
I love the fact that while we may have differing views of things, in essence we are thinking the same things. Very interesting.
Always food for thought my dear, that's why I love you. Oh, and because you make me laugh. A lot. :)
Kiy
P.S. Tagged you!
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