According to the London Sunday Telegraph:

"American athletes have been warned not to wave the U.S. flag during their medal celebrations at this summer's Olympic Games in Athens, for fear of provoking crowd hostility and harming the country's already-battered public image. ... U.S. Olympic officials have ordered their 550-strong team to exercise restraint and avoid any jingoistic behavior."

Internet difficulties prevented me from posting on this subject last week, but James Lilek’s provides a terrific response to this nonsense in his Dallas Morning News op-ed:

“Please. You'd think President Bush had announced that our Olympians have a God-given right not only to grab the flag but to use the pole to knock the losers senseless.”

“Apparently if an athlete grabs an American flag and runs around the stadium, it will enflame the European Street. And the Arab Street, the Asian Street, the African Street, the Central and South American Streets, the Canadian Rue, and various other roads and alleys from assorted islands and subcontinents. The world simply is not able to take the sight of an American waving a flag in victory.”

Mr. Lileks correctly points out that the Olympics have always been the stage for political maneuvering, especially for Russia, who drugged its athletes just to make sure they beat the Americans.

Of course, only the Americans are barred from patriotic displays. Mr. Lileks notes:

“Sudan, which is ethnically cleansing its Christian blacks, could hoist its flag. China, whose treatment of Tibet birthed a million indignant bumper stickers, can run around with the flag held high. Russia can flatten Grozny, and its athletes can be assured of huzzahs and applause.”

His conclusion?

“It's not that these governments are better than the United States. What counts is that they are not the United States. In the opening stanzas of the 21st century, that is sufficient to give them a pass.”

It’s time to stop apologizing for being Americans. The idea that we should be ashamed to wave our flag and chant “USA USA” when our athletes are victorious is absurd.

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