Olympic Torch Relay

[YesI'mcheap]

What every you feeling is about the Olympic game and the cost of thoes games, there is something up seening the Olympic flame here in Canada. I was wondering if anyone else is watching and if anyone will be going out and seeing the Torch relay when it passes throught were you live?

[swallow_046]

I'm taking a peek with all the money spent on it.

[cheri452]

Well with winning a trip to the Olympcs, I am super hyped to go and see it when it comes here! It was cool seeing all those red mittens on TV!

[DiamondLil]

I am so proud of our country hosting the olympics and with my son selected as a torch bearer we will all be out cheering him and the other torch bearers along (with our red mittens, of course) when it comes through our community.

[Lynn49]

I am so proud of our country hosting the olympics and with my son selected as a torch bearer we will all be out cheering him and the other torch bearers along (with our red mittens, of course) when it comes through our community.

Wow...I did not know that!!!! Congratulations to your son!!!!

[mcminsen]

I am also proud of our hosting of the Winter Olympics and I'm sure the International Olympic Committee is relieved that the games are in good hands.

Every Olympic games has it's challenges and the Vancouver games are no exception... the world economic slow down, security fears, H1N1 and even El Nino are probably keeping organizers awake at night. Sometimes I'm almost afraid to watch.

Tonight, on the local late CBC news they reported that Olympic protesters were throwing rocks at the relay at one point and managed to get it off course as the relay participants had to duck into security vehicles and go around the protest. Several relay runners were probably heart broken as their part with the torch was reduced to "1 metre". They managed to keep things going but only with a big presence of police. Many people who brought their kids to see it went home unhappy as they could not hear anything over the protests and didn't see the flame.

On one hand, you have some critics that are well behaved and peacefully exercise their right to protest. And then you have the anarchists who just want to (literally) have a riot.

Here's a report:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...d-arrival.html

[Lynn49]

I am also proud of our hosting of the Winter Olympics and I'm sure the International Olympic Committee is relieved that the games are in good hands.

Every Olympic games has it's challenges and the Vancouver games are no exception... the world economic slow down, security fears, H1N1 and even El Nino are probably keeping organizers awake at night. Sometimes I'm almost afraid to watch.

Tonight, on the local late CBC news they reported that Olympic protesters were throwing rocks at the relay at one point and managed to get it off course as the relay participants had to duck into security vehicles and go around the protest. Several relay runners were probably heart broken as their part with the torch was reduced to "1 metre". They managed to keep things going but only with a big presence of police. Many people who brought their kids to see it went home unhappy as they could not hear anything over the protests and didn't see the flame.

On one hand, you have some critics that are well behaved and peacefully exercise their right to protest. And then you have the anarchists who just want to (literally) have a riot.

Here's a report:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...d-arrival.html

How awful. I certainly believe in the right to protest, but making it physical and putting innocent people in harm's way is quite another. I hope they were arrested. It sure doesn't make me sympathize with their "cause"!

[DiamondLil]

That is such an awful thing to do - ruining a once in a lifetime moment for those people.

[anisa]

in a world where ppl waste too much time tryng to bring others down, who cares what the cost of the olympics is. as long as things are done in good faith, at an event where the world comes together and celebrates and participates in friendly healthy competition. from the time they start the opening ceremonies with the parade of all the nations and their athletes to the closing ceremonies it's heartwarming seeing the athletes participate, no matter where they are from

why would ppl protest? buncha sourpusses!

[NancyM]

i don't think it's passing through my town but i am very excited that the olympics will be held on Canadian soil i think it's something to be proud of

[23edge]

I wish I could have been a torch bearer

[ohpkyle]

in a world where ppl waste too much time tryng to bring others down, who cares what the cost of the olympics is. as long as things are done in good faith, at an event where the world comes together and celebrates and participates in friendly healthy competition. from the time they start the opening ceremonies with the parade of all the nations and their athletes to the closing ceremonies it's heartwarming seeing the athletes participate, no matter where they are from

why would ppl protest? buncha sourpusses!

The Olympic Games aren't done in good faith. The only people acting in good faith are probably the people who want to carry the torch and the protesters. They're both acting to put forth a view of reality.

Those torch-carriers and their supporters might view it as an exercise in national unity. This isn't wrong, as promoting national unity -- however false it might be -- is the purpose of the torch relay.

Those who protest do so for any number of reasons. For the games in British Columbia, one of the most important reasons given -- I think -- is that British Columbia was never 'given' to Canada/Britain by the Indigenous population. This puts the games in a political unit constructed on and by bad faith. (But what political unit isn't?)

Another reason includes the social cleansing of Vancouver's homeless and the loss of low-income housing. Then there's the corporate sponsorship of the games. Coca-Cola and the Royal Bank of Canada sponsor the torch relay. I don't think you can say that either of those corporations act in good faith.

But if you don't know about the shady dealings that go into the Olympics and colonialism, then you don't know and I don't think that should be considered bad faith. But if you do know and you don't care, then that's completely different.

If you're truly interested in reading more about why people would protest, then check out the following websites.

www.no2010.com
www.olympicresistance.net
http://www.mediacoop.ca/files/mc/Tor...%20Callout.pdf

[freebiehunter]

Well, being an hour from Vancouver - I can't wait!!!! My daughter is 9 - a nice age to really soak up the experience. She will be performing in the opening ceremonies for the Paralympics in March as one of around 500 dancers. It's a BIG deal to her. She'll get to be out there for almost half an hour with some big name performers, a huge audience and it's televised! Yes, it's also a huge pain in the butt to drive her to rehersals an hour from where we live and we aren't even allowed to park at the venue....but hey, what can you expect? There's going to be millions of people and millions of tourist $$ for local business. If I have to walk 20 blocks I guess I'll lose a few pounds!

We can't afford a ton of tickets to sports events. We do have closing ceremony tickets for the Olympics, which I believe will be amazing. Other than that we will be participating by watching at local 'spirit' type venues with big screens and kids activities, and by collecting and trading Olympic pins which is a total blast for kids. My daughter has been writing to sponsors and requesting pins for months. She has about 40 already and some will even send duplicates for trading.

We are not big sports fans, but I do try to take what comes our way and make it a fun learning experience and something we can do as a family. I am sure that must be harder if you are living in other provinces...are there special events and activities that will be happening where you are? Would love to know!