Racism and the Olympics
Well, we've seen what's far more offensive to the Chinese than a handful of U.S. athletes departing a plane been wearing surgical masks for fear of the polluted air.
How about the Spanish Olympic basketball team pulling back its eyes to approximate the look of a Chinese person during a team photo?
How dumb is that?
Considerably, is the word that comes to mind.
Here's the first reaction: Thank God it's Spain, not the United States. I say that as an American and an American reporter who would have to cover the fallout that would never stop falling. It would feed directly into an anti-American sentiment that pervades many parts of the world. It would be extended to show how all Americans feel.
The good news: The U.S. basketball team, to date, has been polite and showed good sportsmanship.
Spain's got some explaining to do.










