Just a Few Days to Go Until the 'Toxic Olympics'

One of the most interesting questions of the upcoming Summer Olympic games to me is "how will world-class athletes perform in such a toxic environment?"  You know ... air so thick with pollution people who ride bicycles need to cover their mouths ... water discolored by unregulated discharges of toxic pollutants ... the U.S. team is bringing all its own food to keep from becoming sick ... the lake where the sailing competition is to be held is covered by a massive algae bloom in polluted waters.  If I'm an Olympic sailor, my first concern wouldn't be winning.  It would be not falling overboard.

If the Olympics in China will prove one thing to us, it's "Thank God I'm an American living over here!"

But I do fear that American athletes will suffer in unpredictable ways.

I remember my days in high school when I could actually run pretty fast.  My senior year, I qualified for the state finals in the mile and two mile events, and it motivated me to train harder in hopes of finishing high.  Instead, I fell way to the back of the pack with a horrible time.  I just couldn't catch my wind.

When I came back home and told my doctor about it, he surmised it may have been in part the environment (or I could have simply choked that day, but bear with me).  The meet was held at a much higher elevation to which I was unaccustomed, and he also noted the air there was filled with different pollens and other allergens that my lungs weren't used to breathing.  He told me he wished I had approached him before the meet because he thought he could have helped me with that.  Never occured to me.

Well, no doctor is going to be able to help American athletes who are used to much cleaner air and water.  I predict we'll see few if any world records in running events.  Swimmers may break Olympic records but probably not the world records they set over here with their new space age swimsuits.  The Chinese may be able to use their toxic surroundings to full advantage because their bodies are far more accustomed to the all that pollution.

But if we lose the Olympics because we can't take the soot, I'll take it.  Some politicians like to decry how strict environmental regulations make American business less competitive.  In a previous blog, I lampooned State Rep. Curtis Bowers' contention the environmental movement was part of a 'communist plot.'  But environmentalism is very American.  Our air is cleaner, our water more drinkable, our bodies healthier and our lives better because the American people demand it as they should.  That's priceless and something the real communists in China have badly neglected.

The Olympics are supposed to be about medals around your neck, not toxic metals in your body.  Those who watch the Chinese 'Toxic Games' will witness first hand why supporting our environment is such an important part of being an American.

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[The REAL John Doe]

And with Channel 7's coverage...well...it can't get any more toxic than that! Where's toxic Larry?