I have to go to the dentist this morning, and if that wasn't reason enough to be sad, I read the following things.
The first is from Little Green Footballs where Mr. Johnson shares an article about, in part, the opening ceremonies at the Olympics:
When the Palestinian delegation marched into the Olympic Stadium at the opening ceremonies last week, they were warmly welcomed. When the Iraqis came in, they got a standing ovation and the loudest cheers of the night. Even the Americans were greeted with polite, if unenthusiastic, applause.But the small Israeli team — 36 athletes competing in 14 sports — was met with quiet so complete it was shocking.
The atheletes must have felt so isolated and so hated. How horrible. How un-Olympian in spirit.
The second thing I read was from Elizabeth at Ravings of a Corporate Mommy. Elizabeth writes, so movingly, of her defender, Paul, when she was a young girl and was teased so cruely by the other children. Go read it, but I warn you, it will make you sad because Elizabeth is a gifted writer who can really make you feel the pain of this little girl. But it's worth it.
Posted by Random Penseur at August 17, 2004 07:30 AMhow awful.
and yes Un-Olympian.
(the dentist huh? - i hate going there.)
Clean bill of health from said dentist! Yay!
Posted by: RP at August 18, 2004 08:55 AMThis is especially disheartening in light of the fact that Israel is the only country whose athletes have paid the ultimate price AT THE GAMES for the "crime" of being Israeli.
Posted by: Mark D. Firestone at August 20, 2004 08:10 AMNo, Mark, their crime was being Jewish.
Posted by: RP at August 20, 2004 08:27 AMTrue enough. At least their murderers are no longer with us. Thanks to the Mossad.
Posted by: Mark D. Firestone at August 20, 2004 09:36 PM