The modern Olympics has brought the world together in ways that no other institution can match. Rather than armies killing, athletes compete.
Yet even this world-honored competition has at times been marred when a major competitive nation is shut out or withdraws. This rare and sad situation comes about when other nations determine that a particular competing country has done something so morally repugnant that their athletes cannot appear with others and their flag must not be seen. The pariah nation has been shamed.
Difficult is a decision to exclude. The host country may lobby for inclusiveness. Amateur athletes who have spent a lifetime sacrificing to reach the highest pitch of preparedness may lose forever their lifeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s dream: a chance to compete on the world stage. The burning question: What constitutes actions so morally reprehensible that exclusion must be considered?
Next year the republic of the United States of America will celebrate 250 years of existence ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” no doubt huge birthday bashes are being planned. Here, it will be said, is at last a chance to begin bringing together our polarized polity.
Of course with our current president being so sensitive to optics, he will attempt to confound the birthday celebration with his presidency. Standing for the national anthem will be artfully blended with showing respect for the individual now holding the presidency. We know this is so because just such a scenario played itself out recently on TrumpÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s birthday and the U.S. ArmyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s 250th anniversary.
But on that particular day ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” June 14, 2025 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” it turned out that the not very full viewing stands near Trump were compared to the overflowing streets of No Kings Day protests. Here in Huntington there were over 350 protesting individuals ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” nationwide there were over five million. Military veterans were angry that a man who took bone-spur deferments was to be saluted at the same moment he was withdrawing support from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Of course it may be argued that even though Huntington (which has a VA office and a nearby VA hospital) and West Virginia (which supplies a disproportionate number of military members), have taken a hit, nevertheless, the enhanced 2026 show must go on.
But there is, in my opinion yet another consideration: the demise of USAID. Since 1961 USAID has been creating win-win solutions for disaster relief, global health, environmental protection and democratic governance. Now itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s gone and there have been deaths. Deaths with more to come: preventable starvation and malaria infections among them. If ever there were reasons to celebrate American greatness, USAID would have been at the top of the list. USAID made us great. We helped them and in so doing, we helped ourselves and the world. Is this sudden withdrawal of an existing world aid agency of sufficient moral repugnance that thoughtful Americans should turn away from 2026 year celebrations? IMO: yes.
MAGAs have accused libs of virtue signaling. But since even a banal life is lived on a moral level far above the MAGAs who jeer at brutal cruelty, how can we help it? Shame, Trump/Musk, shame.
