In the Race
Now, here, you see, it takes all the blogging I can do to keep in the same place.
If I want to get somewhere else, I must blog twice as fast as that!
You see, I'm in
the Red Queen's Race...
So You Think The Olympics Benefited China?
By Janet Evans
Saturday, Sep 6 2008, 06:24 PM
Jen Armbruster - 5-time US Paralympian and US flag bearer
Photo: Brian Love/Lakeshore Foundation
China wanted to portray itself to the world in a new light. In a more compassionate, friendly way. There’s no doubt that the Olympics were a success and I’m sure most people would say they enjoyed watching the games. But we are not so blind to realize that China still has problems. I think what’s important is what China takes away from the Olympics.
Today the Paralympics began. You can see some slides of the Opening Ceremony HERE.
And the athletes marching in to the stadium HERE.
While the Olympics were a success, it is thought that the Paralympics may have a greater meaning to the Chinese people. We know China has an issue with human rights. And the rights of the disabled in China have appeared to have been forgotten. The Paralympics have brought the disabled out into the open in China. Hopefully these Chinese citizens will receive some deserved care and attention from their government.
"China was a place where in Maoist times the word used to refer to the disabled was “deficient” or “useless,” and vestiges of that attitude lingered on until quite recently. Beijing is now full of newly built wheelchair-accessible facilities — and perhaps more important, the disabled themselves in China are newly out, visible and proud. Xie Yan, a producer at a Beijing radio station for the disabled who lost a leg to bone cancer, tells Vause that he spent years at home, unable to face the outside world. Now it’s different; every employee at the station where he works has a disability."
Read the article "the Starting Line: The Benefits of the Paralympics from the New York Times
HERE
(Xinhua Photo)
