Why I Won't Be Watching

Trying to be thoughtful in the sense of thinking deeply and choosing consciously, can make a person something of a jerk. For example, I decided, after watching the documentary "Blue Vinyl" about the production of vinyl siding, to be more assertive in avoiding the use of products that are toxic or contain toxins. But then, whenever I noticed a friend's polished toenails, I both envied and condemned their freedom of mind to have painted nails without a second thought or insidious guilt. Needless to say, a good friend neither envies nor condemns her friends.

Similarly, I've decided to not watch the Beijing Olympics. In fact, I've signed a pledge as a supporter of the U.S. Campaign for Burma (http://uscampaignforburma.org/index.php). I thought that it would be a simple step to take since my apartment does not have a television. But my friends and family members have t.v.'s and are quite excited about the Olympics, not without reason. There is a lot of beauty involved in the Olympics-- a lot of talent honed by hard work, community amongst athletes, and barriers overcome by perseverance.

But there are also things that upset me about the Olympics-- the amount of money spent on ceremonies and on television ads, the band-aids to cover up problems that deserve real solutions (bans on driving in Beijing to lessen the city's smog levels; really?), the mask that nations put up to suggest that we're getting along when there is very little true effort to resolve differences between countries, the support for a government that limits its own people's freedoms and supports repressive regimes in other places.

Yet I am not convinced that by not watching, I am making any sort of a difference. I feel more like I am making of myself a nuisance, one who won't spend an evening with friends appreciating what is good about sports, celebrations, China, life. I've come to believe, though, that often there is good amidst the bad but it doesn't mean that we accept what is offered. Instead we push for a better, a more beautiful alternative: playing sports rather than watching, learning about Chinese culture and history in our own communities, or starting conversations about important global issues and the roles we can play as individuals in realizing solutions.