Take me to Gail's EFL Garden, please
GROUP 1
The thought behind the Modern Olympic Games, as conceived by Baron de Coubertin, was that they should be held in a "pristine atmosphere, untouched and untroubled by politics, anti-Semitism, racism, fascism ill-will to others, no discrimination of any kind, no rivalries, and where all sportsmen are equal." (Adapted from the Olympic Charter). It sounds wonderful, doesn't it? That was almost true of the 1st Modern Olympic Games in 1896, but even the Baron contradicted himself by forbidding women to participate in those Games! This quote has remained a myth, flaunted by sportsmen, Olympic committees and countries alike at every opportunity. For something so noble as the Olympic Games it is sad to realize that the opposite is true.
Of the many contradictions and hypocrisies that exist in the noble Olympic Games we will examine three special cases of the Game's history. 1) anti-Semitism. 2) Racism, and 3) Terrorism.
Anti-Semitism
The most blatant hypocrisy of the Olympic Charter took place at the
1936 Berlin Games in Germany. The Games had been awarded to Berlin before
Hitler came to power in 1933. Hitler and the German Nazi party began a
reign of terror, ending freedom of speech and assembly. They also organized
persecution of Jews and certain other people who they called "undesirables."
In 1935 the Nazis proclaimed the racial and citizen-ship law legalizing
anti-Semitism. The German people did nothing to oppose the law! Jews were
forced to wear the infamous yellow arm bands and yellow Star of David on
their clothing. Among many other things, they were banned from sports clubs.
Jewish shops were off limits to the so-called superior Aryan race. Jewish
businesses were plundered and their owners beaten, sometimes to death,
as were many other Jews living in Germany. A reign of terror existed long
before the Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, the German government took control of the games-contrary
to the Olympic Charter-to prove to the world that the German Aryan athletes
were a superior to the rest of the world's athletes. They barred Jews from
taking part in the Games, saying they were far to inferior a race to have
any sportsmen of German caliber. However, pressure was so great that Hitler
temporarily suspended the more obvious anti-Semitic activities. Sports
leaders from around the world used this temporary suspension as an excuse
to ignore the German government's anti-Semitic practices to justify participation
in the games.
And what was the rest of the world doing about it when
the fate of the hapless Jews in Germany became known? Well, millions of
Americans wanted to boycott the Berlin Games because of Germany's rabid
anti-Semitic policies. Canada, France and Great Britain also agreed to
the boycott. But the International Olympic Committee, living in their ivory
tower, in hypocrisy of their charter, said that the anti-German movement
was because of Jewish and communist agitation!
Avery Brundage, at the time, president of U.S. Olympic
Committee warned the Jews to "keep your hands off American sport!!" He
added "No nation since ancient Greece has displayed a more truly national
public interest in the Olympic spirit than you find in Germany. We can
learn much from Germany!" So eventually these countries sent teams to the
Games. Privately Brundage, an anti-Semite and a racist himself did not
care what was happening to the German Jews as long as he could send a team
to the Games. We will hear more about him later. During the Games Hitler
was busy building the concentration camps where 6 million Jews were to
perish. Had international pressure succeeded and the Games took place elsewhere,
then maybe, just maybe, the 6 million would have survived.
Take me to Gail's EFL Garden, please