{Originally posted on EyeJunkie.com}

Cultural Context:
A tradition dating to the ancient Greek games which calls for a halt to fighting during the Olympic games, ensuring the athletes’ safe passage to and from the events.  Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek (speedskating, 2006) has called for the tradition to be revived with a cease fire in the Darfur region during this summer’s Beijing games.  He also founded an organization called Team Darfur which encourages athletes to play a part in raising awareness and bringing an end to the crisis.

On August 5, the Chinese government revoked Cheek’s previously issued visa, preventing him from attending the Olympic games in Beijing just one week before he was scheduled to arrive.  Although the government was not required to state the reasons for disallowing Cheek, it is widely believed the decision was in response to his work for peace in Darfur and his criticism of China’s lack of action in the region.  Team Darfur has expressed concerns that other athletes are being discouraged from expressing views about the issues as well.  Read the AP article here.

Sad.

In the definition of “truce” at dictionary.com, the word that stands out to me is respite–”a temporary respite, as from trouble or pain.”  A respite in the Darfur, Sudan region does not seem likely during the few weeks of the Olympics.  And, how could we expect it when we can’t even achieve a respite from the war of words and human rights ideologies surrounding these Olympic games.

According to the dictionary.com entry, one of the early origins of the word “truce” dates from the 1200s, meaning “faith, assurance of faith, covenant, treaty.”  It isn’t surprising that faith or assurance of faith is at the heart of the concept of a truce between factions.  A truce requires good faith, a certain level of trust between the parties involved.  It also requires a covenant, which somehow is so much more than a mere promise.  More than an agreement, it is a commitment to the same goal between those parties.

The Olympic “spirit” is the supposed shared goal in the practice of an Olympic truce.  In fact, many of the articles about the Joey Cheek situation tout the spirit of the Olympic games.  The spirit is a common goal that all athletes are on equal footing regardless of race, creed, gender, or political ideology.  The spirit is that anyone can win.  The only great placesetter is ability and performance.  And, although the modern Olympic games may be littered with corporate sponsorship, the spirit is still pride of nationality, pride of team, and pride of personal accomplishment.  You see it in the faces during the opening ceremony parade of nations from the national delegations of hundreds of competitors, many “favored” to win, to the lone flag-bearer proudly representing a new nation, his country’s greatest hero.  “I belong here.  This is where I come from.  This is what I can do.”

Although I see the need for the world, China, myself to be made aware of Darfur, the need for the world, China, myself to be prompted to facilitate change in Darfur, still I fear it is the United States that has first violated an Olympic truce.  We have been the first to take up arms.  For all his worthy work on behalf of the region in crisis, I fear it is Joey Cheek who has wrongly interjected political ideology into the Olympic games.  With our uniquely American way of insisting on freedom of speech at all costs, those around our team have actually violated the covenant of the Olympic spirit.  We have broken an assurance of faith that these games should not be about politics.

The U.S. team delegation made a powerful statement about the Olympic spirit on August 5, the same day Joey Cheek’s visa was denied.  They chose Lopez Lamong as their flag-bearer for the Opening Ceremonies. Lamong is a first-time Olympian with no gold medals under his belt.  He will compete in only one event, the 1500-meter race.  He is also a Darfur refugee and a new American citizen.  (Read his story at ESPN here and great commentary at LA Times here.) The team chose him the American way.  They voted for him.  As he walks the parade of nations carrying the stars and stripes, he will raise more awareness about the Sudanese crisis than possibly Joey Cheek ever could at these games–all without saying a word.

The Olympic games should not be about human rights policy, for they are inevitably about human rights in actuality.  There is no greater way for the Olympics to highlight human rights than to allow the spirit of the games to flourish unshadowed by American-indulged free speech. As each athlete stands equal on the starting block, evaluated only by his qualifying time, the world is watching.  And listening.  “I am a human being.  I am an athlete.  This is where I come from.  This is what I can do.  I belong here.”

Editor’s pick from Liz of Three Bright Stars: Haley, author of EyeJunkie.com, lives and works at home in Starkville, Mississippi. She’s a designer by trade; a painter, drawer, writer, general creative type at heart; and a wife, mother and homemaker in joy. Check out the original post here.