We like a “feel good” story, especially when it comes to sports. And that sensation only magnifies with the Olympics.
Think of Ukrainian medal winners – their homeland under attack – showcasing their country’s resilience and hope for all to see.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine celebrates after winning the gold medal in the High Jump women’s final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Paris, France. (Sipa via AP Images)
Or of Afghan women competing in sweet defiance of the Taliban’s efforts to erase them from the Games.
Kimia Yousofi of Afghanistan makes a political statement after a heat in the women’s 100-meter run at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner
And it probably felt good seeing North and South Korean athletes – whose countries are technically at war – taking selfies together in Paris. It makes for a nice headline.
Gold medalists China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, silver medalists North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, bronze medalists South Korea’s Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yubin pose for a selfie during the medal ceremony after the Table Tennis – Mixed Doubles Gold Medal match on day four of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at South Paris Arena on July 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Yao Yingkang/Zhejiang Daily/VCG via AP)
But smiling selfies can’t mask a darker reality.
Back in North Korea, where satellite images depict a country shrouded in darkness, 26 million people are controlled by the whims of a totalitarian dictatorship. Arbitrary arrest, torture, political prison camps, and public execution are commonplace.
There is no freedom of thought, speech, association, worship, or movement. No freedom at all.
The North Korean regime shows nothing but disdain for the dignity and rights of its own people. And we shouldn’t expect their leaders – as they aggressively develop a nuclear arsenal – to respect the rights of others any differently.
In all the Olympic excitement, remember those like the North Korean people, the Afghan people, and the Ukrainian people, who struggle under repression. They have value; they have dignity. Don’t let tyrants sweep them under the rug.
