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DEL.ICIO.USFormer Mayor Young on China’s Olympics
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young understands the impact of the Olympics on a city as well as any one in our city.
He went around the world using his multiple personal connections to help Atlanta win the 1996 Summer Games. He co-chaired the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. And he chaired the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in 1996 as the city was hosting the largest sporting event in the world.
Young, speaking to the National Council for International Visitors Southern Regional Meeting Thursday in Atlanta, spoke of the first time the Olympics became ingrained in his psyche.
It was 1936 when track and field athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Olympic Games in Berlin. Adolf Hitler had ascended to power pushing the Nazi movement and promoting Aryan superiority among the races. Jews and ethnic Africans were viewed as inferior.
So, Jesse Owens, an African American, performance at the Berlin Olympics not only flew in the face of Hitler’s theories, it also provided an opportunity for blacks in the United States to take great pride in one of their own during a time of segregation.
“With Jesse Owens winning those four goals, ingrained the Olympics in my mind,” Young said.
Fast-forwarding to 2008, Young talked about China’s hosting of the Olympic Games that will hold the opening ceremonies today — 08-08-08.
“We are going to have a different view of China two weeks from now than we have today,” Young said, adding that all the televised images of China among all the Olympic sporting events will portray a modern country defying our sterotypes.
Young also offered a counter viewpoint on the criticism China is receiving about its policy towards Tibet and other human rights issues. Remember, Young was a leader in the Civil Rights movement along with Martin Luther King Jr. He also has been a longtime advocate of human rights along with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
“I think our attitude towards China is very hypocritical,” Young said. “They have human rights problems. But so do we.”
Then Young explained the Chinese governments desire to keep the world’s most populous country united.
“There are 104 different nations in China,” Young said. “It doesn’t make sense to fragment China. I think the best thing for them is the exposure with the rest of the world. They will be criticized and they will be judged.”
But Young added that that experience will help open up China in a similar way that the American South evolved into an integrated society from its days of segregation.
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Comments
By James Shabazz
August 8, 2008 12:34 PM | Link to this
It gladdens me to hear Mr. Andrew Young, a historic figure of impeccable credentials and integrity, provide a balanced informed viewpoint of the whole China-“human rights” issue.
I, for one, believe it would be very enlightening to most if they were to extract the following article quotes from the article:
*“I think our attitude towards China is very hypocritical,” Young said. “They have human rights problems. But so do we.”
Then Young explained the Chinese governments desire to keep the world’s most populous country united.
“There are 104 different nations in China,” Young said. “It doesn’t make sense to fragment China. I think the best thing for them is the exposure with the rest of the world. They will be criticized and they will be judged.”*
Now, incorporating this same line of logic… superimpose this on The Sudan as well as other countries who are struggling to hold their sovereign entities together and preserve their existence as viable modern nation-states.
By RogerDodger
August 10, 2008 8:03 AM | Link to this
Not mentioned: China opening ceremonies much better than our Bubba Games.
Anyone remember WhatIzIt?
Looking at how well the Chinese performed highlights our mediocrity.
By Get Real
August 11, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this
Weelllllllll now they had a pretty good opening ceremony…..but we had 67345 T Shirt vendors….beat that China.
By Rob
August 11, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this
I am so proud of China. They really are kicking butt!!!!!!
By Huckleberry
August 11, 2008 4:26 PM | Link to this
The Save Darfur t-shirt cause du jour has nothing to do with China’s forward changes. Yes, keeping China unified while going through wrenching changes moving forward is important. I hope that the Beijing Olympics will show Joe Sixpack some of those changes, and how they are positive for all of us. China has been going through massive societal upheaval in the last generation, and will continue to do so throughout the next generation. When positive and massive-scale societal change moving forward is not well-managed, the results are loss of the positive momentum, scarcity of investment, breakdown of rule of law, inflation, violence, and economic loss. China will be fine and move forward, they’re just going to do it at their pace. There are bigger things to worry about with a certain other former Communist superpower bully that never got over finally getting its due in the schoolyard 15-20 years ago.
By A.S.Mathew
August 11, 2008 5:52 PM | Link to this
Mayor Young’s comment about exterting less pressure on China to have more freedom in China is rather pragmatic. Changing a society which was totalitarian a few years back can’t be altered to a fast phase of overnight reforms. It will take a few more years, and the best route is to have more relationship with China in busines, cultural and social interactions with the government and the people of China.
By ricky
August 11, 2008 7:12 PM | Link to this
No American or American govt. could truly correct China or no other nation to stop human rights abuse or military invasions of any nation. America and its people “the pot cannot call the kettle damn Black” Bush speaks on human rights, is YOU M——-F——— CRAZY!!!