The Olympics are a time for the world to come together as one. A time for universal peace. For unconditional brotherhood between all mankind. Even if the peace only last for two weeks every two years (four if you only count the summer Olympics), it is still peace nonetheless. Or is it?
While the media likes to ship it this way to the public, the truth is there is never truly peace on Earth. While Russian athletes compete against Ukrainians, the nations’ soldiers continue to fight each other in a now four-year-old war. While North and South Korean athletes have made the historic decision to compete on the same team, South Korean protesters demonstrated against the move immediately before the opening ceremony. While athletes of all races and backgrounds compete on the U.S. team, racial tensions still flare up for little to no reason.
I suppose the point I’m trying to get across is that the fire, to quote Billy Joel’s famous song, “was always burning since the world's been turning.” No sporting event, however well-intentioned, will ever change that. The world simply does not work that way, people simply do not work that way. It’s unfortunate, definitely. I wish the world did work that way. But then again, I wouldn’t have much history to study.
While it may be true that there are ongoing conflicts throughout the world, no one can objectively deny that we live in an era of unprecedented harmony. Since the World Wars, the number of people killed, worldwide, through warfare or warfare related crises has steadily declined annually.
Knowing that the Olympics will never cure the woes that assail humanity should not be a cause for alarm, however. I believe that the meaning of the event goes deeper than this. It symbolizes hope. Hope that peace can one day be achieved. Hope that people will someday learn to get along with each other and accept each others’ differences. Hope that as individuals, whether competing for Olympic gold or for the best spot in the grocery store parking lot, we can rise above the darkness and see the light.
