7/24/2021

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

I hope you enjoy your weekend in Delaware. Did Jill return from the Olympics already?

Did you watch the opening ceremonies last night? I didn’t think they were quite the same without the roaring crowd. Robin Givhan, writing in the WP, critiqued the whole event writing, “The Olympics are nationalism and consumerism, urban development, politics, sexism and kitsch. They’re too big to cancel, too entreated to fail. Too weird to ignore.”

I think that’s a bit harsh, but I am conflicted about the games. While I enjoyed seeing all of the countries represented, I was disappointed to see the two athletes from Myanmar walking with their flag. The NBC announcers did not say a word about the junta nor did they mention that Burmese swimmer, Win Htet Oo’s refused to participate saying, ““I shall not march in the parade of nations under a flag steeped in my people’s blood.” The IOC refused his request to swim under a neutral flag because, technically, he’s not a refugee.

            It’s disappointing that Iran was allowed to participate despite the fact that they executed one of their top Greco-Roman wrestlers, Navid Afkari,

 for his participation in protests. Daryl Adair, writing in the Conversation, argues, “the IOC’s apolitical position actually emboldens dictatorships and human rights abuses.”

            Perhaps you could say something about this.

            BYBS,

            RCA

PS – I was happy to see that a half million people got vaccinated last week! I’m worried about the heat dome that is settling over us again this week.