Some people complain that it’s a waste of money and resources. And perhaps it is. But the truth of the matter is that the Olympics are one of the biggest unifiers on this planet. The Winter Olympics alone have been hosted consistently every four years since 1924, except for cancellations in 1940 and 1944 due to World War II. Each time, more and more countries have sent athletes to participate. Millions upon millions of people tune in to cheer on figure skaters, curlers, lugers — whatever suits their fancy.
This, if nothing else, is why the media should have treated the death of Olympic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili with more respect. There is a very fine line between reporting information for the good of the public, and feeding our curiosity for all things gruesome and twisted.
For those of you who might have missed this, last Friday an athlete named Nodar Kumaritashvili from Georgia — the Eurasian country, not the state — was practicing luging on the Olympic track when his sled flew out of control, sending him off the track and slamming him directly into a steel pole. He died of complications on his way to the hospital. Being the fifth Winter Olympic death ever and only the second Olympic luger to die made his death very high profile. So high profile, in fact, that soon after his death videos of the crash popped up all over the web and even the news. This part I agree with, since the video silences any questions from people who might not know what luging is or not understand how the crash happened. But the line was crossed with subsequent images and footage of people trying to resuscitate the bloody, paralyzed Nodar, who died soon afterward.
For a culture that so strongly believes in dignity in life and especially after death, we certainly aren’t treating it with very much reverence. This is only one example of the slew of widely publicized, gruesome deaths that have become trendy for some reason or other. Nikki Catsouras — or Porsche Girl — as she’s come to be known, died several years ago in a car crash. Pictures from that crash made it onto the Internet — including a gory picture of her nearly severed head hanging out the car window, which was later put into a chain email that her own father inadvertently opened and saw.
What this all comes down to is that the basic right to privacy has been violated again and again. I’m not naïve enough to hope that people will eventually realize what they’re doing is disrespectful. I’m not trying to single out the people who have contributed to the staggering amount of searches for these sorts of pictures and videos. I’m reproaching those who are the source of these pictures, especially the media who is supposed to specialize in knowing what is publishable and what should be withheld from the general public. Nodar’s final moments did not need to be exposed to the entire world. The Games are about bringing people together –nd discovering other cultures. I watched the opening ceremonies in a friend’s room. During the parade, when Iran marched out, she let out a gasp. “This sounds so racist … but I never knew they were so light-skinned. They look really similar to us.” And they did. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she considered what she was seeing.
The participants themselves also cite the Olympics as a time to meet people, make friends, and network with people who share their same passion, no matter how far away they live form one another. And it’s true. You can see nervous athletes chatting with each other before events, or discussing results afterwards. They’re in a strange place, surrounded by cameras and unfamiliar people. They’re bound to make connections. That is what our media should focus on, not showing grisly images designed to draw attention to a single, traumatic event that isn’t even related to the true meaning of the Games.
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