The Boston Marathon's Ban on Russian Athletes Is Hypocritical Xenophobia

[McRocket]

'The world isn't made a better place by treating individual athletes as appendages of their governments.
CHRISTIAN BRITSCHGI | 4.7.2022 2:55 PM


The organizers of the Boston Marathon have told Russian and Belarusian athletes to take a hike. On Wednesday afternoon, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) said that residents of both countries who had already qualified for the elite race would no longer be allowed to participate because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"Like so many around the world, we are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine," said President and CEO of the BAA Tom Grilk in a statement. "We believe that running is a global sport, and as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine."

Some 35 Russian residents participated in last year's marathon. The BAA said that they'd generously do their best to refund the canceled 2022 Russian and Belarusian participants' registration fees.

The BAA is hardly the only group to hurriedly try to disassociate themselves from anything too Russian in response to the war in Ukraine. Everyone and everything from academic journals, film festivals, state liquor stores, and more have said they want nothing to do with Russia or its people.

Those boycotts have consistently punished Russians that have little or nothing to do with their government's war in Ukraine and couldn't stop it if they tried. The BAA's ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes is just as poorly targeted. There's no indication that those excluded supported or aided the Russian invasion of Ukraine in any way. And even Russians who have spoken out against the war have still suffered cancelation and shunning.

On the flipside, residency in a country that has committed equal or worse atrocities than Russia hasn't proven to be an automatic disqualification from participation in the Boston Marathon.

In October 2021,15 Ethiopian residents competed in the men's marathon, and Ethiopians claimed two of the top three spots. At that time, Ethiopian government forces had been accused of massacres and torture during their war with Tigrayan forces in the country's Tigray region.

In 2019, two residents of Saudi Arabia and 15 from the United Arab Emirates participated in the Boston Marathon. By that time, their respective governments had been four years into a bombing campaign in Yemen that, according to Human Rights Watch, has hit "hospitals, school buses, markets, mosques, farms, bridges, factories, and detention centers." (The U.S. continues to play a major role in fueling that conflict too.)

Indeed, residents from any number of countries with authoritarian and shady governments, from China to Venezuela, have been welcomed to participate in the Boston Marathon over the years.

The fact that the BAA is allowing residents from other countries whose governments have committed similar sins of aggressive war and mass civilian killings to participate in the marathon shows that it's not indeed acting on some universal revulsion at government atrocities. Instead, its decision appears to be knee-jerk discrimination against the most visible war occurring right now. It's hard to treat that as a particularly noble stance.'

https://reason.com/2022/04/07/the-bo...al-xenophobia/


I agree with this article completely.

The organizers are showing blatant xenophobic AND hypocritical judgement in punishing people who had NOTHING to do with the invasion...just because they are Russian/Belarus.

No doubt some of you - whom are nitwits on this - disagree.

[volsrock]

'The world isn't made a better place by treating individual athletes as appendages of their governments.
CHRISTIAN BRITSCHGI | 4.7.2022 2:55 PM


The organizers of the Boston Marathon have told Russian and Belarusian athletes to take a hike. On Wednesday afternoon, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) said that residents of both countries who had already qualified for the elite race would no longer be allowed to participate because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"Like so many around the world, we are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine," said President and CEO of the BAA Tom Grilk in a statement. "We believe that running is a global sport, and as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine."

Some 35 Russian residents participated in last year's marathon. The BAA said that they'd generously do their best to refund the canceled 2022 Russian and Belarusian participants' registration fees.

The BAA is hardly the only group to hurriedly try to disassociate themselves from anything too Russian in response to the war in Ukraine. Everyone and everything from academic journals, film festivals, state liquor stores, and more have said they want nothing to do with Russia or its people.

Those boycotts have consistently punished Russians that have little or nothing to do with their government's war in Ukraine and couldn't stop it if they tried. The BAA's ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes is just as poorly targeted. There's no indication that those excluded supported or aided the Russian invasion of Ukraine in any way. And even Russians who have spoken out against the war have still suffered cancelation and shunning.

On the flipside, residency in a country that has committed equal or worse atrocities than Russia hasn't proven to be an automatic disqualification from participation in the Boston Marathon.

In October 2021,15 Ethiopian residents competed in the men's marathon, and Ethiopians claimed two of the top three spots. At that time, Ethiopian government forces had been accused of massacres and torture during their war with Tigrayan forces in the country's Tigray region.

In 2019, two residents of Saudi Arabia and 15 from the United Arab Emirates participated in the Boston Marathon. By that time, their respective governments had been four years into a bombing campaign in Yemen that, according to Human Rights Watch, has hit "hospitals, school buses, markets, mosques, farms, bridges, factories, and detention centers." (The U.S. continues to play a major role in fueling that conflict too.)

Indeed, residents from any number of countries with authoritarian and shady governments, from China to Venezuela, have been welcomed to participate in the Boston Marathon over the years.

The fact that the BAA is allowing residents from other countries whose governments have committed similar sins of aggressive war and mass civilian killings to participate in the marathon shows that it's not indeed acting on some universal revulsion at government atrocities. Instead, its decision appears to be knee-jerk discrimination against the most visible war occurring right now. It's hard to treat that as a particularly noble stance.'

https://reason.com/2022/04/07/the-bo...al-xenophobia/


I agree with this article completely.

The organizers are showing blatant xenophobic AND hypocritical judgement in punishing people who had NOTHING to do with the invasion...just because they are Russian/Belarus.

No doubt some of you - whom are nitwits on this - disagree.

But they dont dare ban Muslims....and Muslims is who bombed the Marathon

[anatta]

boycotts have consistently punished Russians that have little or nothing to do with their government's war in Ukraine and couldn't stop it if they tried. The BAA's ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes is just as poorly targeted.

my Russian neighbor took his Russian plate off his car
Crazy morons out there

[Earl]

The organizers of the Boston Marathon are reacting to the Russian Federation’s invasion of a sovereign nation and their war crimes against the civilians of that nation.

Appropriate reaction. Russians are not welcome.

[Earl]

“ Those boycotts have consistently punished Russians that have little or nothing to do with their government's war in Ukraine and couldn't stop it if they tried.”

The Russian people consistently vote to keep Putin in power.

Their citizens are part of an evil empire.



https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...GeqMT_55iIB9PP

[volsrock]

The organizers of the Boston Marathon are reacting to the Russian Federation’s invasion of a sovereign nation and their war crimes against the civilians of that nation.

Appropriate reaction. Russians are not welcome.

So it was OK to have the Japanese internment camps during WW2

[Earl]

President Vladimir V. Putin’s approval ratings have reached levels unseen in years, according to an independent poll released on Thursday, as many Russians rally around the flag in the face of mounting international pressure.

Eighty-three percent of Russians said they approved of Mr. Putin’s actions, up from 69 percent in January, according to a poll by the Levada Center, an independent pollster in Moscow. Ratings of many other government institutions, as well as the governing party, have also gone up, th https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...GeqMT_55iIB9PP e poll indicated.

[Earl]

So it was OK to have the Japanese internment camps during WW2

Yes, it was a world war and prevented sabotage.

The A-bombings of two Japanese cities were justified and ended the war saving an estimated 100 thousand American soldiers’ lives, one of whom was my brother.

[Geeko Sportivo]

“ Those boycotts have consistently punished Russians that have little or nothing to do with their government's war in Ukraine and couldn't stop it if they tried.”

The Russian people consistently vote to keep Putin in power.

Their citizens are part of an evil empire.



https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...GeqMT_55iIB9PP

No! You are mistaken. Russia does not have fair elections. Pooty is an Autocrat and plutocrat who uses every Voter suppression technique available and Fake News resource to keep himself in power!

Pooty Boy is about as popular in Russia as a fart in a crowded elevator!

Just so you will know!

[Earl]

No! You are mistaken. Russia does not have fair elections. Pooty is an Autocrat and plutocrat who uses every Voter suppression technique available and Fake News resource to keep himself in power!

Pooty Boy is about as popular in Russia as a fart in a crowded elevator!

Just so you will know!

They continue to elect this war criminal.

“President Vladimir V. Putin’s approval ratings have reached levels unseen in years, according to an independent poll released on Thursday, as many Russians rally around the flag in the face of mounting international pressure.

Eighty-three percent of Russians said they approved of Mr. Putin’s actions, up from 69 percent in January, according to a poll by the Levada Center, an independent pollster in Moscow. Ratings of many other government institutions, as well as the governing party, have also gone up,”https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...GeqMT_55iIB9PP e poll indicated.

[McRocket]

The organizers of the Boston Marathon are reacting to the Russian Federation’s invasion of a sovereign nation and their war crimes against the civilians of that nation.

Well DUH.
You going to tell us we breath oxygen next?

Appropriate reaction. Russians are not welcome.

Speak for yourself you xenophobe.

1) so, what about Russian-born Americans?
2) what about Russians who are against the war?

3) and why are Saudi's not banned from coming to America?
They have committed far, FAR more war crimes by bombing Yemenis and killing thousands of them?
Should they be banned?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_...ntion_in_Yemen

4) and are you saying that every nationality that EVER invades another country should be banned from America/American sports?
Yes or no?

[Doc Dutch]

my Russian neighbor took his Russian plate off his car
Crazy morons out there

Are you brave enough to wear Russian plates on your car and a sign "Kill all Ukrainian children!"?

Are you brave enough to talk to you neighbors like you talk here, Dookie? Or do you hide it and scurry around like the little rat you are?

[Doc Dutch]

No! You are mistaken. Russia does not have fair elections. Pooty is an Autocrat and plutocrat who uses every Voter suppression technique available and Fake News resource to keep himself in power!

Pooty Boy is about as popular in Russia as a fart in a crowded elevator!

Just so you will know!

Regardless, the only way this conflict ends without WWIII is for the Russian people themselves to take out Putin. While I agree the Boston Marathon is politicizing their event, hopefully the Russian athletes will go home and shoot Putin in the head.

[McRocket]

Yes, it was a world war and prevented sabotage.

The A-bombings of two Japanese cities were justified and ended the war saving an estimated 100 thousand American soldiers’ lives, one of whom was my brother.

So it was alright to intern American-born people with Japanese heritage?

Like George Takei (who played 'Sulu' on Star Trek)?
He and his family were interned.
He and his mother were born in America.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Takei#Early_life

[PostmodernProphet]

So, for how long are these Russians 'not welcome'?

how about, until they give back Crimea and rebuild Ukraine.......