I'm not big on big, empty, symbolic gestures anyway, so, as far as I'm
concerned, this torch run, which has become ridiculously irrelevant to
everything, should be abolished anyway.
I used to think it was kind of cool... until I found out that they don't
even pay the slightest respect to the original purpose or tradition of the
run. It has become a joke-- a big fund-raising extravaganza, and a way
to hype the games and make you think that everyone is all excited by the
Olympics even if we can't possibly afford a ticket (while we pay through the
nose, through our taxes, for the facilities for it).
I just read that the RCMP and
other police forces are out in force to protect the Olympic torch from being
molested by protesters. The protesters think that the billions spent
on the Olympics would be better spent on the poor.
There was even a helicopter in the air above the
relay, to ensure that Al Qaeda didn't swoop down and DOUSE the torch.
This is hysterical. This is the stupidest thing
I've heard of this week-- and we are in the middle of H1N1 hysteria, so
that's an accomplishment.
What is the cost of
this police protection? Probably in the millions. Well, here's a
more cost-effective solution: buy more torches and tell the police to go
stop people from breaking the law instead. When the protesters try to
grab the torch, give it to them. Say, "here you go".
Done. Take another torch out and resume the run.
Probably, the protesters won't find this any fun and
will quickly disperse. Even if they don't-- big deal. Nobody
gets hurt and nobody loses any sleep.
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© Bill Van Dyk
2009 All Rights Reserved
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