Olympics and Terrorism

In two weeks the 2014 Winter Olympics will begin in Sochi, Russia and it seems there's problems already with security issues. Two suicide bombs have gone off with dozens of casualties already, and Russian authorities have issued warnings in the last two days of female suicide bombers who might try to disrupt the games. The country and the area are on high alert and even navy carriers and airbases in nearby countries are on the guard for trouble. This time around its apparent.

Terrorism has not quelled in the past few years. Here in America there has been a steady flow of violent events ranging from religious fanaticism of the Boston Marathon bombings, but a growing number of domestic related violence. Schools, theaters, and malls are turning out to be just as dangerous home as they are in other parts of the world. Even today, there was an incident at Perdue University, which is still under investigation.

Widespread violence like this has gotten to be so commonplace most people just regard it with apathetic sympathy and never speak of it again. However with the target of the Olympic games in an area that is very close to the middle east, its no surprise that at least one individual would take a crack at disruption. There is large groups of people around enjoying a symbol of the western world in which they are fighting against. And it just FEELS like these morons want another spectacular display of there destruction.

The Olympic games have been a tradition dating back to antiquity and revived in Greece in 1896. The games themselves represent a unity of nations to compete in agreed upon games with agreed upon rules. Athletes train and attend the games as ambassadors of their home nations, and at times the worldview of that nation is judged by there performance and public sportsmanship. Although not every nation on earth is represented there, the vast majority of cultures that exist come together without incident. Even in 1938 when the games were hosted in Nazi Germany there was a sense of respectfulness that everyone (as best they could given a 1938 way of thinking)heeded to.

They way terrorists work now is with an immense disrespect for such events as this. Not as a symbol of peaceful competition but as a way to hurt people for not sharing there singular worldview. And they are just a small handful of people. Of course now it feels like Russia itself is turning the situation into a police state.