Cowardice on Olympics

Re: Medals will be soaked in blood, Terry Glavin, Feb. 11

It is the federal government's responsibility to decide whether or not Canada attends the Beijing Olympics. That Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would defer the decision to the Canadian Olympic Committee is a shocking act of political cowardice and a profound failure of leadership.

Hugh McCoy, Toronto No Canadian should attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in China. The Canadian Olympic Committee, if it had an ounce of deference toward the first word in its name, would refuse to sponsor even one athlete to attend. Any Canadian athlete with even modest respect for his citizenship would refuse to compete in China. The Canadian government should not be forced to boycott these Olympics. The government should be permitted the luxury of saying it respects and appreciates Canadians' decisions not to attend, which it views as independent approval of the government's strong objections to China's behaviour.

This said, the government has every right and very good reason to quietly inform the Canadian Olympic Committee that the Olympic movement in Canada will be as good as dead if it does not voluntarily do the right thing. Messrs. Spavor and Kovrig deserve spontaneous support and sacrifice from all Canadians and the government's job is to play the role of cheerleader.

Patrick Cowan, North York, Ont.