Olympic Editorial

Every four years, or two depending on how you look at it, the world comes together to celebrate athletics at its finest and get inspired by the stories of those competing in the Olympic Games. The games of the 21^st Olympiad, going on, are no exception.

I always look forward to giving up two weeks of my life every two years to get invested in the stories of people who train for upwards of eight hours a day so they can have a shot at winning either a gold, silver, or bronze medal. I’m not usually a watcher of sports but I always find myself glued to the Olympic Games.

There are many reasons why you should also give up the two weeks of your life, tune in, and watch the world’s greatest athletes compete. If the various stories aren’t inspiring enough it is the greatest show of patriotism to cheer on the always brilliant Team USA and in the current games in Vancouver they have yet to disappoint.

It was thrilling to hear, after his drunken display of unprofessionalism in Torino, Bode Miller finally won a gold medal to go with the silver and bronze he already won at these games. I’ve been following Miller’s career since middle school and I visit his hometown of Franconia NH quite often. I only wish I could’ve seen his winning run live, but that is one of the pitfalls of being a college student. I have to do work at some point if I want to graduate in May.

On the woman’s side I was so happy to see Lindsey Vonn win the Gold in the Woman’s downhill. After reading her life story in the fabulous New York Times Magazine article a few weeks back, I couldn’t wait to watch her compete. When someone has had to overcome so much and still be on their feet, a high being defiantly takes over and gives them their moment of glory. Vancouver was her moment to shine.

 If anything, a main reason to watch is for the stunts. Who knew a snowboarder could take the sport to the level Shaun White did? He has redefined what’s possible and made proud children everywhere who wish to follow in his footsteps someday. At only 23 years old, there is no telling what he might be able to accomplish in the years to come.

 A big criticism in our society centers on the idea of loosing family values in our television. What could be more wholesome for the whole family than the Olympic Games? In a time when we are fighting two wars and trying to pass a disastrous healthcare bill, the Olympic Games unite as a nation for two weeks giving us water cooler moments to talk about for years and even decades to come.

 I’m proud to say I live in the United States where we have one of the best Olympic Teams in the world. Go Team USA. You can do it and everyone back home is rooting for you even if they have to drag themselves into work each morning tired from having to stay up late the night before. For these two weeks, it’s all worth it.

A new decade brings new change to the country, we hope

  

Since the earthquake in Haiti, Americans have come together in support of a people who desperately need our help. We have been donating our time, sending supplies, and raising money.  In fact, the recent Hope for Haiti Now telethon has broken records since raking in more than 66 million dollars two weeks ago.

Our good deeds have proven that when we come together in support of a cause, positive change prevails. In this new decade we cannot afford to live our lives while the major issues facing this country lay on the back-burner. This earthquake woke us up and showed us the kind of people we need to be.

 There will come a day when the images of the Haiti leave our newscasts and fade in our memories; no excuse for Americans to stop banding together. If change can be accomplished in support of Haiti, it can be achieved in our own country. Let’s take a pledge to make this new decade a period of prosperity and growth on the part of the American people. We have been stagnant for far too long.

 Now is the time to come together and put an end to the Global Climate crisis by effecting change and constructively helping out planet earth. By lessening our dependence on foreign oil and working towards utilizing renewable resources in our cars, homes, schools, and business America will begin the work of being transformed and live up to the promise of our ancestors.

What is it going to take for hybrids to outweigh gas guzzling SUVs on our roadways? Does the price of gas have to skyrocket before American’s take action? It is time to bring biodegradable bags with us to the supermarket and end our obsession with plastic water bottles. We have been coasting for far too long. That needs to end today. 

For not only the planet but our own health, we need to band together as a nation and put an end to the over processing of food and the treatment of livestock. So many of us claim to be animal lovers, yet continue to support companies that raise livestock in the most inhumane conditions imaginable.

It is time to educate ourselves about what where the food comes from that we put on our plates. We need to come together and support farmers who raise grass-fed cattle even though it is more expensive. Money should be no object when it comes to our health. The price of being healthy far outweighs the price we pay for all the sickness and disease caused by all the over processed crap we stuff into our mouths.

Along with curbing our carbon emissions and eating more fruits, vegetables, and grass-fed meat, we need to come together and help each other end an addiction that is more hazardous than smoking or dangerous than drugs: distracted driving. Who ever thought it was a good idea to use a cell phone while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle? When we drive and use a cell phone either for talking, texting, or answering an e-mail, we are putting ourselves and everyone else on the road at risk of death or severe injury. Now is the time to turn off those cell phones and put them out of reach. A vehicle is a place to listen to music and safely get you from point a, to point b. If Americans could learn to use seatbelts and get a designated driver when drunk, then there should be no problems putting cell phones away. Sure it will be difficult at first. But the price of saving a life is far more important than whoever is trying to reach you. 

Carrie Underwood so poignantly sings “Just a fool/just a fool/to believe you can change the world/don’t listen to them when they say/you’re just a fool/just a fool/to believe you can change the world” on a track from her latest release Play On. It will take work but it is not hard to be that positive force for good in your community and in your life. America, it is 2010; the beginning of a new year and a new decade. Now is the time to make a difference in the course of our great nation. A time to show that by banding together this will be the best decade of growth and prosperity America has seen in generations. What say you, America? The real work begins now.