In response to one of the articles on the front page of the Flash Report today, I must vehemently disagree with GOP lawmakers who call for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics. The U.S. should not be 
guilty of making the games a political or diplomatic weapon. We have grown ups with big salaries who are supposed to be professionals at diplomacy. If they are so inadequate that we have to shield them with hard working, stellar young American athletes, then I say we need to clean house in the embassy.
I’m frankly aghast that GOP lawmakers would follow in the steps of President Carter. His Lilly-livered relationship with the Soviets in 1980 was a disgrace, and what we should have done was send our athletes to the Moscow games to kick some tail and break every record.
The U.S. should never shirk from being represented on the world stage the Olympics afford. Our lawmakers should insist on competent diplomats rather than sideline our young superstars.
August 21st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Had Carl Lewis been allowed to run in the 1980 games at his peak. Its likely that he would have won at least one gold medal, thus making him the record holder for most gold medals won by an olympic athlete.