Olympics: Unite a Country, Divide the World
Posted on 08. Mar, 2010 by Natalie in Natalie
It’s something many of us strive to be, the ultimate goal: global citizenship. We want to be citizens of the world. We feel a responsibility to people of other nations, and we hope that this feeling is contagious among our peers. But how can we ever expect to achieve this when we are constantly in competition with each other?
Yes, I am talking about the Olympics. The 17 days of madness that we experienced in February. 82 countries, 2,600 athletes, and millions more supporters. Everyone had a country to cheer for, whether it be their home country, or just a country that they had some sort of connection with. And so, with the fierce competition, there were some nasty rivalries. For example, the Canadian/American men’s hockey rivalry. Seems some bank their nation’s entire identity on those hockey games.
The word on the street is that the Olympics are supposed to promote international cooperation. But that is definitely not what the nation was thinking about when Crosby scored the winning goal. In my opinion, the Olympics have a massive impact on national border lines. Instead of bringing countries together, they cause separation between nations. Very rarely do we find people who root for all countries, sharing the triumphs with everyone.
Now, before I get too far, I should mention that I am not against the Olympics. In fact, I’m not even close. I spent those two weeks periodically checking the medal count, and tuning in to watch any Canadian medal hopefuls. I thoroughly admire the commitment and enthusiasm displayed by the athletes. I simply think that less emphasis should be placed on the countries. This way, the athletes can have their glory, and global citizenship is encouraged.
Sometimes, I wonder what it would take for the world to unite as one. I recently had this discussion with my history teacher, who proclaimed quite seriously that he thought it would take an alien invasion.
So, while we wait for the aliens to drop in, I think we should all strive to think of ourselves not as Canadians, or Kenyans, or Russians, but as people of the world.
Abid
Mar 9th, 2010
Such a thought provoking blog post Natalie… I’m a pretty big fan of the Olympics myself and was there in Vancouver to see it. I cannot deny that at one point, I was curious to know more about the countries that weren’t represented in the Olympics… The Olympics show collective partnership in many ways, but amongst citizens, it’s a great question to ask whether it creates bridges or builds walls…
Meg
Mar 11th, 2010
I was in Vancouver for the first week of the Olympics this year, and I felt that it not only united our nation but also made me feel a much more immediate part of the global community. Shops and office buildings all around the city hung signs reading things like “Welcome World”. I had conversations with people from all over: Australia, Russia, France, yep, even the United States. At the hockey games I went to, Canadians cheered just as hard for the other teams as their own. After the women’s hockey team beat Slovakia 18-0, the Slovakians raised their sticks to the crowd in appreciation, and received a standing ovation from the crowd for their effort.
I think for the most part, the Olympics really just brings people from around the world together in one big party. That’s what it felt like every day and night on the streets of Vancouver.
As for hockey between the Canadians and Americans? That’s the only time I would say the Olympics divide. But as a reeeally proud Canadian… I have to say, like it that way
Britt
Mar 12th, 2010
So well written! I found myself saying “yes.. yes!” after every paragraph. You just encapsulated everything I’ve been feeling regarding the Olympics (even Crosby’s goal). This is a controversial argument, but I’m so glad you decided to share this!