Beijing As Warning

The Olympics. They are the biggest show on earth; a celebration of cultures coming together, of countries putting aside differences; proof that we can all coexist peacefully and fairly. We all know what the Olympics are, but do we all know what the Olympics mean? As a full time athlete with serious Olympic aspirations, it feels odd to be sitting here thinking about this topic in this light. I remember exactly where I was when I’d heard that Vancouver had been awarded the 2010 games. I knew at that moment that I wanted to be there. As I write this, it’s a long shot (very long depending on the lens you’re looking through) but the point is that my most important goal in life is to represent my country at the biggest show on earth. Why do I want to compete on the Olympic stage? There are a lot of reasons. I believe in what the Olympics are; I believe in their message. I believe they can be a force for change while simultaneously being a celebration of humanity’s triumphs, and I want to be part of that. Ok, I also want to win the biggest ski race in the world because it’d be indescribably fun. Lately however, I’ve been doing some serious thinking about my reasons for wanting to compete.

What will be the legacy of the Vancouver Games, which I so desperately want to be a part of? This is a chance for my country to showcase itself to the world, much like China is attempting to do right now. It goes without saying that many Canadians are counting on the Olympics to restore some of the luster to our name that has been lost in recent years. My grandpa tells of a time when Canadian travelers couldn’t pay for their own drinks in European bars, yet now we’re often lumped in with other more, um, profiteering western enterprises and treated as their lackeys. But Vancouver is a chance to show to the world that we still are the same honest, hard working, fun loving, and easy going nation that once stood for peace and fairness under a maple leaf and a blue beret. Our Olympics won’t be marred with the same conflicts and controversy that are currently giving the Communist Party so much grief, right? Well, maybe not.

Look up, right now, at the ceiling over your head. Seriously, just humor me. Ok, you see it, right? Well, you see the plaster, or concrete, or post-and-beam, or stucco or whatever, but do you see what the roof is? I don’t know what the weather is doing in your part of the world as you sit reading this, but chances are its doing something, and that ceiling is protecting you from it. Kind of a weird thought eh, imagining what the sky would look like from where you’re sitting. Chances are you’ve never tried to imagine what the sky looks like from your desk, or bedroom, or coffee table or where ever you go to read out-of-the-way blogs. Neither have I. That’s because we’ve never had to. You’ve never looked at the shelter over your head and seen a crumbling concrete shell, or a rotting tent fly, or the underbelly of some megalith highway overpass. But what if that was the last thing you saw when you closed your eyes at night? What if you’re home was an empty industrial building? Now, what if a cop showed up and said you had to leave the city because the Olympics are coming and you’re only shelter is being bulldozed to make way for yet another hockey rink? You try to explain that this is the only place you have to call home, and you’re arrested and given the ultimatum of going to jail or leaving town. Suddenly the Olympics don’t seem so fair do they? Thousands of people swept off the streets because they’re considered human waste, and wouldn’t look good in front of the cameras. Gosh darn it; those Communist Party officials are mean spirited aren’t they? Except it’s the City of Vancouver officials I’m talking about, and they are just as guilty. Homeless people are being shipped out of Vancouver like cargo, having their aid programs threatened or completely shut down because they’re considered an eyesore.

Ok, but at least Canada doesn’t have grievous human-rights problems like China does, right? Wrong. Here in Canada, there is a nearly invisible third world. There are whole communities where the leading cause of death is suicide, and children freeze to death in the winter because their parents can’t afford to keep them warm. Sounds harsh, right? Perhaps even a little over the top? Not in beautiful Canada, right? More than often, these communities exist at the pleasure of our government, and are subject to relocations and other half-hearted and equally unsuccessful attempts to ‘fix the native problem.’ Native leaders are repeatedly subjected to a legal system that is often in direct contradiction to the treaties that our government has promised to uphold. All too often, these legal battles end with the bankruptcy of the community and mining or forestry trucks revving their engines towards the next cash crop. In many cases, native leaders have been imprisoned despite that being a contravention not only of some outdated treaty, but also our own laws. How far of a stretch is it to imagine native protestors showing up in Callaghan Valley and demanding that we pay them the attention and respect they deserve?

Despite how this is beginning to sound, I really do love the Olympics. I began by saying that I believe the Olympics can be both a celebration and a powerful vehicle for change. I believe our Olympics can be anything we make them, so let’s make sure we choose to make them right. Beijing stands as one example of how to present a country to the world; sweeping things under the rug, making false promises and trying to cash in on a big party with the least amount of effort. Vancouver still stands as an important chance to make real change in this country. Let’s make sure we use it.