Olympics vs. Sichuan Earthquake

The International Institute of Nonviolence

By: Rev. Jermano

Everywhere in Beijing you can see the slogan One World One Dream, but we as people know how really untrue that is. The recent Sichuan Earthquake devastated families in China, who were not well off to begin with, are in competition with funds from the Government who are torn between giving a world showcase performance while burying the unsightly reminders of the Sichuan earthquake.

The damage in Sichuan is costing over billions in yuan to recover and those recovery efforts will take at least a decade to even come near meeting their past impoverished life style. The government has erected these quick matchbox long houses and given people a 200 yuan a month allowence as some sort of grand relief effort appropriation, while they spend billions on the Olympics and getting people set to make huge profits when the Olympics finally opens on Aug 8th.

I would like to know how the suffering the Sichuan people can really have happy faces as Chinese athletes and investors rake in enormous profits? It is said hotel rooms are going for over 2,000 rmb per night in Beijing. Where is the One World here? Seems to me if the Olympics Committee dedicated the Olympics to the Sichuan victims it would be closer to a real meaning toward Olympics and its purpose.

Why does Olympics now encompass professional athletes these days. The Olympics use to be only for nonprofessional athletes. It is clear the Olympics has become not a meeting to friendly sport competition with nonprofessionals, but has become a big economic centerpiece to countries economies. They are called Professional Athletes because they make money for playing thier sport.

If the Olympic Committee donated say at least 25% of the profits to help the impoverished and disaster relief efforts in Sichuan, I think that we could see how the money earned by these professionals is used for the betterment of society to have One Wolrd One Dream. If not they should get another slogan such as One World for the Rich, and One Dream for the Poor. Right?

I have seen some pretty bad things unfold here in China recently with seeing poor students struggle to live....having 20 people in one dorm room, and a bathroom facilities that I wouldn't take my dog into. Perhaps China Authorities should have some real plan for helping the people such as using the Olympics to help all its people. If not we the People are planning the NonProfessional Olympics in competition to the Professional Olympics as a means to adjust the injustices and inability of the government to care for its real people.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=5431874&page=1