Please explain how that is racist. The West Nile is in Africa is it not? Seems overly sensitive to me. I wouldn't have said it, but people say a lot worse. I am getting really tired of this sensitivity working only one direction.

 

Ok...the river really runs pretty much North to South....but crosses many countries especially Egypt. If she had seen an Egyptian olympic team and tweeted this, would it create the same furor?

So she gets kicked out of the Olympics for telling an off color joke....buuuuut they let the German Nazi State HOST the whole damn thing?

Sorry my vote should be for No. I didn't fully read the question.

Since you are not there as an individual but, rather, you are representing your entire country I would fully support a country's right to make such a decision.

Since you are not there as an individual but, rather, you are representing your entire country I would fully support a country's right to make such a decision.

 

I certainly think it's their right to make the decision...but I think the decision is pretty over-reactionary.

 

Headline: Girl in her early 20s says something a little dis-tasteful.

So she gets kicked out of the Olympics for telling an off color joke....buuuuut they let the German Nazi State HOST the whole damn thing?

 

Well, it was the Greek national Olympic committee that pulled her off the team, not the International Olympic Committee.

Well, it was the Greek national Olympic committee that pulled her off the team, not the International Olympic Committee.

 

True. Still, I think comparing the two gives a little scale to the scenario. I would also wager to guess that, had she not been pulled from the team, the number of people realizing that a Greek triple-jumper said something off-color would have been much, much smaller.

 

Again, though, as I replied to Clyde's post - I DO think it was perfectly within the Greek national Olympic committee's right to pull her. I just wouldn't have done it.

True. Still, I think comparing the two gives a little scale to the scenario. I would also wager to guess that, had she not been pulled from the team, the number of people realizing that a Greek triple-jumper said something off-color would have been much, much smaller.

 

Maybe, but this is 2012, not 1936. The Europe of today is much more sensitive to this kind of stuff, primarily owing to the social structures they put in place as a reaction to the Nazis following the Second World War.

Maybe, but this is 2012, not 1936. The Europe of today is much more sensitive to this kind of stuff, primarily owing to the social structures they put in place as a reaction to the Nazis following the Second World War.

 

True.

 

Still, I think all things considered, it's an over reaction. I'm sure you can look somewhere on pretty much any large country's Olympic team and find someone that has said something as off-color as Papachristou's wise-crack. I can't say for sure, but I'd take a guess that you need not look any further than the USA 2012 Olympic basketball team's roster and you can find something comparable.

^ I have no doubt you're correct on that. At the same time, I don't think the USA is very comparable. Certain types of hate speech are illegal in much of Europe. Heck, the captain of the England national soccer team just went through a trial this summer on a charge of "racial abuse." We wouldn't even consider that such a thing ought to be a criminal offense. Like I said above... they're a lot more sensitive to that sort of thing.

^ I have no doubt you're correct on that. At the same time, I don't think the USA is very comparable. Certain types of hate speech are illegal in much of Europe. Heck, the captain of the England national soccer team just went through a trial this summer on a charge of "racial abuse." We wouldn't even consider that such a thing ought to be a criminal offense. Like I said above... they're a lot more sensitive to that sort of thing.

 

Fair enough...

I'm just sad I won't get to see her in the games, but it was a pretty dumb this to say. However I feel like it's worse in american society due to our nations history of being condecending towards people of African descent thoughout our history, not sure it's as bad in other countries that haven't had the same notable history. I guess perhaps it's more to do with the fact that the region has historically been exploited and colonized for hundreds of years?

 

Many countries have a history of slavery going back to the Old Testament days....ie. the Jews. And, in past times, the poor were "indentured servants" which is akin to slavery, but not peculiar to race but to bloodline.