Rather than showing contempt for and criticizing American Olympiads as you did in your column “Americans don’t need to win it all” (Kent Reporter, Laura Pierce, Aug. 23). I prefer to respect them for the hard work and sacrifices they made to compete to be honored with being named the best in their sport.
I would argue that the majority of Olympic athletes come to the games hoping to take the top honor – the gold medal – rather than being satisfied to be second, third, or fourth best. This is true for them all and not just Americans.
Although I didn’t watch all the Olympic games coverage what I did see revealed the sportsmanship and graciousness of our athletes towards their opponents, even when they lost, contrary to your opinion.
No one has the “right” to win as you claim. One earns a win.
Are we to be ashamed that we have “well-fed, superbly conditioned” athletes? How much do American taxpayers and thousands of American organizations, foundations and religious institutions contribute to feed the world and provide medicine, technology, equipment, materials of all kinds, services and expertise to millions upon millions of people throughout the world so they too can have a chance to become top-notch world athletes if that is their dream?
If there is any reason for contempt it shouldn’t be against American athletes but the success of the propaganda of the Communist Chinese government to falsely portray themselves as respecting human rights and freedom, which of course they do not do.
To hold the most respected competition among the greatest athletes in the world in a country that censors speech, has a one-child policy which has led to the holocaust of the death of millions of female children, holds human life in contempt, stifles human ingenuity and is the largest polluter in the world, is the real story of this Olympics. But you would rather write smarmy comments criticizing American athletes for wanting to be named the best in their field of sports as all other Olympiads.
Elaine Biggerstaff
Bonney Lake
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