Olympic dilemna

I have to confess I'm torn about the Beijing Olympics. On one hand, I'm a fervent supporter of the Olympic ideals of fair play, international competition, and bringing all of the countries of the world together in peace. I, like most, become caught up in the ceremonies, the events, the touching stories of struggle and triumph. The athletes (and their supporters and families) are the heroes of any games.

That said, the politics, bureaucracy, cheating, security fears and other non-Olympic-like elements are becoming increasingly difficult to overlook. Whether I'm remembering the unbecoming jostling for glory by ego-driven government, corporate and other individuals regarding the upcoming 2010 games in BC, or observing the disturbing reports coming out of Beijing.

I want to revel in the goodness of it all and yet that's not possible knowing what is being done in China in order to 'put their best face forward'. Displacing thousands of people from their homes and eliminating authentic neighbourhoods, muzzling the parents of children killed in the recent earthquake, indoctrinating thousands and thousands of citizens to 'act' and 'cheer' appropriately, shutting down and arresting bloggers, cracking down on Tibetan supporters, preventing international journalists from reporting - it's all much too much.

I'll be curious, however, to hear the stories of friends who are going, to get a sense of their individual experiences. Hopefully they'll enjoy authentic connections with the true culture and people of China versus the sanitized, westernized, 'beautified' image that the Chinese government and the IOC seem bent on presenting.

This really is a wonderful opportunity for the world to see China and for China to see the world. Let's hope that becomes the prevalent story.