The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, August 31, 2004, Image 9

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    Opinio
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The Battalion
What they re
Josh Dwyer proves that Ameri
With the Olympics now over, America has
again demonstrated its ability to aptly prepare
athletes by winning the lion’s share of hard
ware at the Athens games with 83 medals
in 235 events, more than any other country.
In an era of endless hand wringing, pessimism
and self-righteous condemnation courtesy of
many progressives, liberals and media outlets,
the United States has something else of which
i be proud: People want to come here.
An intriguing, but seemingly unreported, fact is that more
willsgrvf: ^ an a ^ ew non-American medal winners owe a portion of their suc-
iess to the United States. Strange as it sounds, it is because many
if them trained in America prior to their Olympic escapades. Of the
41 Olympic athletes enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, a
tunning 226 represented countries other than America, winning 15
nedals for their homelands. This figure doesn’t include competitors
vho graduated prior to 2004. As for traditional allies that don’t cur-
ently support the United States, France has at least six U.S. trained
cceptr )ly m pi ans anc ^ Germany has no less than five.
The trend holds true for professional sports as well. The occa-
ionally unimpressive “Dream Team” includes 12 members of the
'JBA, while the same organization provides 14 players for the rest
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^ ifthe world, including China, Argentina and Puerto Rico. In total,
America was the training ground for more than 20 medals won by
lon-Americans.
Not only is America responsible for equipping and employing
uany competitors, some of the Olympians wouldn’t be competing
ivithout the aid of current U.S. foreign policy. In addition to lib-
rating 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq in the last three
i^ears, America has helped their respective Olympic hopefuls get to
\thens. Afghanistan sent five contestants to Greece and three Iraqi
Dlympians were trained in the United States.
While it’s possible that these athletes would have competed in
his summer’s international games regardless of U.S. facilities or
hreign affairs, it is unlikely that they would have received the same
tandard of training as they did in the United States or the same as
surances of safety, equality and freedom.
America is not without its faults. But the Olympic performance of
\merican trained athletes is not a comprehensive measure of the ap-
)ropriateness or success of our foreign and domestic policies. How-
dRodCf :ver ’ t ^ ie sta ^ e rnantra of “Blame it on America!” by certain leftists
leeds to be countered with an occasional report of what the United
states has accomplished benefit the world.
According to some liberal commentators, America isn’t supposed
:o bring terrorists to justice; its citizens are supposed to understand
engravedd^y they h a t e this country. America isn’t allowed to defend its allies
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or itself; it should en
gage in diplomacy
and negotiations. Some
university profes- sors, such
as Noam Chomsky, have even sug
gested that we have only received
what we deserved, reaped what we
sowed. Indeed, it was the liberals’
beloved filmmaker Michael Moore
who, in an interview in Europe, said
that America was responsible for
spreading misery around the world.
If the United States is truly a ter
rorist nation as Chomsky writes in
his book 9-11, why do hundreds of
athletes desire to train here rather
than their homeland? North Korea
and Iran aren’t producing Olympic
hopefuls for other nations. Why do
thousands of international students seek
admission to American colleges and uni
versities? There isn’t such a waiting list in
Libya or Cuba. Why do millions of immi
grants seek entrance into America by legal
and illegal means? China, Mexico and Syria
don’t have problems with immigration. If the
United States is such a bad country, why are so
many people trying to get here while so few are
trying to leave?
The answer is so elementary it may seem trite:
freedom. Freedom in the form of rights secured by
the U.S. government; not granted by our government
to be repealed at a later date, but as a gift from God, ac
cording to the Declaration of Independence.
These rights and the rule of law — not the rule of men
produce an atmosphere of opportunity. History tells the story of
millions of individuals — irrespective of race, nationality, ethnic
ity, language and gender — who embrace opportunity to improve
their lives and the lives of those they love.
Don’t expect the 2008 Olympics to have a portion of the opening
ceremony dedicated to the United States and its efforts to promote
freedom. That doesn’t mean that this country hasn’t done more than
its fair share, often without a word of thanks.
Nicholas Davis is a senior
political science major.
Brandi Dunn • THE BATTALION
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As another prosperous
government which values
democracy and human
rights, the United States
should support its brother
Taiwan in upholding its
rightful place in the world. **
or the victorious
Olympic athlete, the
sight of his raised
flag along with the sound
of his national anthem
serves as a proud culmination of years of hard
work and training. The moment often brings
athletes to tears and, while some may only care
about proving themselves as the best, most take
pleasure in representing their country.
When the members of
the U.S. swim team took
off their laurels and put
them over their hearts,
mouthing the words
to The Star Spangled
Banner, everyone knew
the team’s pride in its
accomplishments was
equaled by its pride for
the United States.
Sadly, such a mo
ment was robbed from
Taiwanese athletes,
who represented anoth
er prosperous, demo-
cratic nation. Bowing to
pressure from the People’s Republic of China,
the International Olympic Committee forced
Taiwan’s athletes to compete under the name
of Chinese Taipei and prohibited them from
displaying their flag or playing their national
anthem at any Olympic ceremony. In other
words, this act would be analogous to the Brit
ish forcing Americans to participate as “Colo
nial England.”
The fact that hard-working Taiwanese ath
letes are denied a joyous part of what they’ve
earned at the games is intolerable. The interna
tional community, including the United States,
should fight alongside Taiwan in demanding
the respect of a sovereign nation.
The source of this hostility comes from
China’s refusal to recognize the sovereignty
of Taiwan. Officially a part of the Republic of
China, Taiwan’s government and citizens fled
to the island in 1949 when they were defeated
by the communist movement. Political tension
has since remained between the two entities, as
China has always wished to unite Taiwan under
its red banner and absorb its economic prosper
ity while shackling its populace under the yoke
of communism. While there has been no mili
tary pressure to force such a takeover, China
has constantly been a thorn in Taiwan’s side.
Obviously, competing under the name Chi
nese Taipei angers many Taiwanese citizens.
Rev. William J.K. Lo, the head of Taiwan’s
largest church, is one of the loudest voices
on the issue. “If we acknowledge ourselves to
be Chinese Taipei, then we are saying we are
stateless,” Lo told the Cybercast News Service.
“Other people internationally will look down
on us because we’ve already admitted that
we’re not a nation.”
Not being able to compete as a recognized
representative of your nation would undoubted
ly sadden any athlete. Sadly, China’s antics are
the latest in a string of insults to Taiwan. Chi
nese pressure denied Taiwan the right to host
international events at least five times: the 1998
and 2002 Asian Games, the
2001 and 2007 World Uni
versity Games and the 2009
East Asian Games.
China is being blamed
for an incident that occurred
earlier this month: Accord
ing to the BBC, Taiwan
spent around $300,000 on
a campaign that placed ad
vertisements, with pictures
of Taiwan and slogans en
couraging its athletes, in
and around Athens Interna
tional Airport. The Athens
Olympic Organizing Com
mittee (ATHOC) had them
removed, though it denies that it acted under
pressure from China. The committee’s explana
tion was that while it earlier approved the ads,
it later decided the material violated regulations
that stipulated that only Olympic-related ads
are allowed in Athens.
The committee’s explanation is hardly be
lievable. The ATHOC had approved the ads,
which contained slogans encouraging its ath
letes, as the regulations called for. Further in
vestigation should take place.
It’s anyone’s guess whether the same thing
will happen in the next summer Olympics,
though Taiwan is already making a bid to host
the 2016 games. As a prosperous government
that values democracy and human rights, the
United States should support Taiwan in uphold
ing its rightful place in the world as a sover
eign nation. Should China attempt this again,
its ridiculous outcry should be laughed off. If
it doesn’t like the reminder that Taiwan has es
caped its tyrannous clutches and prospered as
a free nation, then China should consider not
participating at the games. Political bullying
has no place in the spirit of peaceful competi
tion that is embodied in the Olympic Games.
Mike Walters is a senior
psychology major.
MAIL^CALL
TS did not inform students
of changed bus routes
Monday morning, I boarded Route 35 from my
apartment complex and thought I was starting the
first day of my senior year off well. However, when
the bus turned left onto Wellborn Rd. rather than
going straight down George Bush, I realized that
things were not normal. My bus was headed to the
MSC which will be the new dropoff on campus.
I’m standing at the MSC waiting on another
bus with hopes of making it to my 8:00 at the Vet
School on time. I waited and waited: 8:00 came
and went.
I then climbed aboard another bus to ask what
was going on. I learned that the bus that I was
waiting for would not be coming. That route no
longer exists on main campus! I was informed
that I would have to catch a bus to West Campus
and then either walk or take another bus to the
Vet School.
There was no e-mail sent to me regarding a
very important factor in my ability to attend class
es: Transportation! Welcome back to A&M, every
one! Grab a bus route map!
Sarah Wilson
Class of 2005
Solutions presented by TS
are no better than before
I have been a member of the student body for
more than six years and have never experienced
this kind of trouble associated with getting a permit.
Since the summer of 1998 I have seen the parking
on campus go from bad to worse.
As a graduate student and a past owner of a park
ing permit I have seen no preferential treatment
of anyone by TS. Overselling lots, high prices and
forced parking areas have caused nothing but road
rage and the number of tickets given out to go up.
I would like to see the faculty and students vote
on the parking situation, and Weis and the rest of TS
would be run out of town on a rail. We have a large
number of talented faculty and brilliant students
that could design a plan that would be less stressful
and more beneficial to all. Just because someone
fixes a problem at another university, doesn't mean
that they can fix the problem at any university.
This is a situation that affects us all, student and
faculty alike, and for the money involved we should
not have to stress over whether parking will be avail
able for us to attend classes.
Tim Shaw
Class of2002
Aggie graduate omitted
from list of 2004 Olympians
In response to an Aug. 25 sports brief:
The article left out at least one Aggie. Vic Wun-
derle Class of 1998, a graduate of the Department
of Wildlife & Fisheries, competed in both U.S. team
and individual archery.
Although he did not medal in either event this
time, Wunderle won team bronze and individual sil
ver at the Sydney Games in 2000.
Kieran Lindsey
Class of 1997
The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters should
be 200 words or less and include the author’s name, class
and phone number. The opinion editor reserves the right
to edit letters for length, style and accuracy. Letters may be
submitted in person at 014 Reed McDonald with a valid student
ID. Letters also may be mailed to: 015 Reed McDonald, 1111
TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1 111. Fax: (979) 845-2647
Email: mailcall@thebattalion.nct