Steve Chapman: Don't Boycott the Olympics
It's like 1980 all over again. There's a war in Afghanistan, the economy is lousy, Paul McCartney has a new record coming out, and some people are calling for the United States to stay away from the upcoming Olympics in Russia. When the first talk of another Olympic boycott arose, no one took it very seriously. It came from Sen. Lindsey Graham, who enjoys far more face time on Sunday morning talk shows than influence over U.S. policy, and who is upset about Edward Snowden. But the idea could be gaining traction. Some gay rights advocates, from both the United States and Russia, have urged the U.S. and other countries to stay away from Sochi this winter to protest an anti-gay law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in June. Steve Chapman explains why the proposed boycott is unlikely to accomplish anything of value.