Clare Bronfman

Yesterday’s post brought about a question I have pondered a lot over the last year: If I had remained a competitive rider and had qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, would I have gone? I remember watching the Olympics on TV as a child – it was mesmerizing for me – like so many young children, I dreamed of being an Olympic athlete. As a professional athlete the Olympic Games signified the highest standard of human excellence, human achievement. Before the Olympic Trials in 2004, I trained diligently for hours everyday in hopes the dream I conceived as a child would become a reality.

I retired from the sport without ever achieving Olympic status; other pursuits became more important to me, however the controversy of the Beijing Olympics did bring about the question. What does it mean to allow a nation known for their disregard of human rights, a nation that believes in slave labor, in torture, and other forms of violence for their own gain to play host to such a remarkable and noble endeavor – The Olympic Games? I feel tremendous pride in the accomplishments at the Beijing Games by the many remarkable athletes, however will the atrocities of the Chinese leaders remain un-questioned masked by hosting one of humanities most remarkable displays of excellence?

What would have been the effects on the world if all of the athletes had boycotted the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in the name of upholding what is right for humanity?

If, in the next moment, your behavior would affect all of humanity forever more,
how would you behave?

Every moment is just such a moment.
- Keith Raniere

Albert Einstein, 1921

“The ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty, and truth. To make a goal of comfort or happiness has never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle.”

Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist. He was a man of incredible intelligence who was hugely driven toward furthering humanity. His many, theories, discoveries and scientific-written works earned him the admiration of the world - in 1999 he was named Person of the Century by Time magazine.

Einstein lived through an era of much oppression and violence- he chose to use his standing in the world to provoke thought and promote peace. He flouted the ascendant Nazi movement and tried to be a voice of moderation in the tumultuous formation of the State of Israel, he also braved anti-communist politics and resistance to the civil rights movement in the United States.

Today, as a society, we have made incredible advancements technologically, our quality of life, by some standards, has increased dramatically, however we are also enduring times of immense violence, oppression and poverty. In many ways our current lifestyles shield us from the atrocities in the world. Most of us live relatively comfortable lives - and when we do see violence in the news or on a movie screen it is so far removed from us it ceases to exist the minute we turn off the screen. The fundamental question remains - if we pretend such atrocities do not exist - will they disappear? How long can we continue living our comfortable lives before the violence ends up on our back door? Recently I have spent time with some of my Mexican and Tibetan friends - it is so sad to hear their stories yet so beautiful to watch them stand up for what they believe is right. I have watched them transform as individuals - gain a strength within themselves - a deep understanding of who they are and what is important to them. I believe if each of us stood up for something we believe in everyday the world would be a very different place.

What will it take for us - who live comfortably, shielded from the violence, to stand up?