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paralympics
Sep. 23rd, 2004 06:19 pmI've been watching the Paralympics on BBC 2 and I find them incredibly moving. I am so impressed by all those athletes with their varying disabilities, by their helpers, by the organisers, and most of all, I am impressed by the way that the Paralympics take place in exactly the same venue as the Olympics with the same medals, the same ceremonies, the same television coverage at prime time. In England, the same sports commentators preside; they commentate in the same excited way, have interviews in the same way -- it's one of those things where I find myself thinking 'well, some things have improved in the world' (and this is a rare thought to have these days). And t'sons get just as excited over them and find them interesting and intriguing.
So I was all the more disappointed, almost shocked, to hear that the USA, as the only Western nation in the world, is not broadcasting the Paralympics live, apparently. The medals table, too, speaks volumes: China in first place, the UK (amazingly) in second, Australia in third, and the States somewhere in piddling ninth or tenth with a meagre 7 or so gold medals (compared to 25 or something for Britain). This is a real indictment, for the world's richest nation and one of the most populous. What is the use of so-called political correctness where the word 'cripple' is taboo and everyone is 'locomotively challenged' (or whatever) if institutions aren't putting their money and support behind a nation's vulnerable minorities? I can understand why an African country might have very few competitors because wheelchairs and so forth cost money, but the United States??
I used to be such a fan of America. I wanted to go to uni there, and indeed got scholarships and lived there for a year. But now it's getting, unfortunately, more and more difficult to love America, as a foreigner not living there.
So I was all the more disappointed, almost shocked, to hear that the USA, as the only Western nation in the world, is not broadcasting the Paralympics live, apparently. The medals table, too, speaks volumes: China in first place, the UK (amazingly) in second, Australia in third, and the States somewhere in piddling ninth or tenth with a meagre 7 or so gold medals (compared to 25 or something for Britain). This is a real indictment, for the world's richest nation and one of the most populous. What is the use of so-called political correctness where the word 'cripple' is taboo and everyone is 'locomotively challenged' (or whatever) if institutions aren't putting their money and support behind a nation's vulnerable minorities? I can understand why an African country might have very few competitors because wheelchairs and so forth cost money, but the United States??
I used to be such a fan of America. I wanted to go to uni there, and indeed got scholarships and lived there for a year. But now it's getting, unfortunately, more and more difficult to love America, as a foreigner not living there.