Greek Athlete Kicked Off Olympic Team After Racist Tweets: Was It the Right Decision?

by Chris D Posted 2012/07/25 19:00:00

Related Topics: Sports, Greece, Greek Olympic Team, Paraskevi Papahristo, Olympic Games, Racist Tweets

452 votes
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	Yes	230 votes	51%
	No	222 votes	49%

Should the personal views and politics of athletes stop them from representing their country in the Olympics? Clearly her views were not politically correct but does that mean she shouldn't be able to compete?

ABCNEWS.GO.COM reports:
Greece Expels Olympic Athlete Over Racist Tweets

abcnews reports greece expels olympic athlete racist tweets

+15

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Nimitz 2012/07/25 20:35:22

Yes

+14
The Olympics is as much a political event as an athletic one. People who do politically incorrect things should be disqualified from entry on account of stupidity.
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More polls by Chris D

Bill Sundling 2012/07/26 20:45:35

No

+2
It wasn't racism. Even if it was, that wasn't enough reason to do it. I'm sure no black athlete would ever be suspended no matter what they said. It's liberalism running amok.

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Hockey 40 2012/07/26 20:43:14 (edited)

No

The Greek Olympic Board over reacted! (WTF) On the onther hand,Ms.Voula Papachristo can fly to New York where she can become the next super model in Vogue.Voula, is a strong woman with negative feeling about the Greek Goverment and, their immigration law. http://images.sodahead.com/pr... http://images.sodahead.com/pr...

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Heisenberg 2012/07/26 20:33:39

No

+4
I don't think her tweet was racist and I have seen much, much worse.

Government bodies (yes the Olympic committee is funded by governments) should not deprive people of free speech.

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Courtney Hammett 2012/07/26 20:15:56

No

+2
Um, no. She's not in the Olympics because she's not racist. She's there cause she's an athlete. let her play!

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bpf 2012/07/26 20:11:10

No

+1
What crap...you constantly hear about anti-Jewish rants from other middle east countries nothing is done or the complaints from married athletes who can not dome together but the Gays can....what a crock of BS.

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Bigbrowneyes 2012/07/26 20:03:58

Yes

The Olympics does stand for other things besides athletic ability, even if you would like to believe otherwise.

Although I didn't see the racism in the "joke", just stupid humor, in the end, it's Greece's decision, and they don't want someone that thoughtless representing them.

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Sofahead to Bigbrow... 2012/07/26 21:12:04

+1
Yeah, politicial grandstanding and pissing contest.

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keliffa 2012/07/26 19:31:36

No

+1
Ridiculous.

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Robshock 2012/07/26 18:55:52

No

She is an idiot for saying or doing anything even remotely "insensitive" this close to the show, but being stupid should not get you kicked off the team. Oh well, some black chick would have probably won anyway. Those people were bred for track and field stuff.

:)

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SOUL4REAL 2012/07/26 18:42:30

Yes

The Olympic is about unity and representing your country and what she said was unprofessional and she needed to be removed.

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The Lib... to SOUL4REAL 2012/07/26 19:55:28

+1
What about Iran, Saudi Arabia and other countries who have similar bigotry.

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SOUL4REAL to The Lib... 2012/07/26 21:22:35

They are not in the Olympic,if they express their bigotry on a team in the Olympic, it applies to them too!

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The Lib... to SOUL4REAL 2012/07/26 22:17:36

+1
They are in the Olympics!!! They want all Jews dead plus they suppress women, where have you been?

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danjac1263 to The Lib... 2012/07/26 23:01:42

Well, thats ok of course.

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Max7 2012/07/26 18:35:39

Yes

Right is right and wrong is wrong, and she's no different from anyone else, we all regardless to where we come from, need to respect the difference in others.

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Mandy 2012/07/26 18:30:29

No

+1
I don't know anything about this "Golden Dawn" political party, but, honestly, I didn't find her 'joke' all that racist (or funny for that matter). Maybe it's more offensive in Greek or something.

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Don Leuty 2012/07/26 18:10:38

No

But it was the Greek decision.

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Sawdust_128 2012/07/26 17:54:02
ppk007@... to Sawdust... 2012/07/26 20:17:15

Yeah - like the Gestapo were anti-racists ...LOL ... you might take the time to research how the Nazi's felt about race during the 1936 Summer Games held in Berlin, Germany.

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Korgull to ppk007@... 2012/07/27 02:26:35

Funny he should bring up the Gestapo, though, considering the fact the Golden Dawn party is a far-right, fascist to the bone, and supported by white supremacists and Neo-Nazis.

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Gava 2012/07/26 17:35:16

Yes

+1
Racism not good :(

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FunkyMunky 2012/07/26 17:00:30

Yes

The Olympics bring people together. Divisive comments are not in the spirit.

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The Libertarian 2012/07/26 16:55:13 (edited)

No

+4
What she said didn't warrant any type of suspension, ridicule yes, suspension no.

I remember one guy who made it a point to show his racism at the Olympic Games, he even went so far as to say the Aryan Race was superior to all others, and for the most part the athletes as well as a country supported him, but they didn't get suspended.

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vaderpriest 2012/07/26 16:25:18

No

+3
You'll get this everywhere and I don't agree with it. The athlete shouldn't be suspended however, just expose their prejudices for all to see. Keep the politics out of this and lets see some people that have trained hard to complete at the ultimate level. I love almost all sports, but If this continues to become a political event I'll be turning it off, grabbing my board and heading for a surf.

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wgossett99 2012/07/26 16:17:04 (edited)

Yes

+1
Her personal views WERE personal until she tweeted them. Then they became public.

As an Olympic athlete she represents her country. It is up to the Greek team leaders to determine how they wish to handle such a matter.

Free speech should be everyone's right but there may be consequences.

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David 2012/07/26 15:47:03

Yes

I am surprised that only 56% agree!

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sammanilla 2012/07/26 15:46:08

No

+2
"Authorities" want us peons to shut up.

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Aksana 2012/07/26 15:44:41

No

nope

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FordCrews 2012/07/26 15:42:09

No

You force people to keep their deeply held opinions bottled up, eventually they explode.

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The Patriot 2012/07/26 15:29:09

No

If she had posted something like these pictures - I would agree she be banned.

Don't get your panties all bunched up - I'm showing examples of what could be construed as possible racist post..

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Robshock to The Pat... 2012/07/26 18:52:29

+1
Those are funny? They look factual to me.

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Lilac T... to The Pat... 2012/07/27 10:18:18

+1
Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!... The monkeybama was the best.

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President Camacho 2012/07/26 15:26:39 (edited)

No

Racism is a value held deeply by most Europeans.

She's hot

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ajstacy 2012/07/26 15:04:18

No

+2
The whole "politically correct" thing gets under my skin. If she said "black people all have inferior intelligence" that would be racist.

If someone says "Cracker Barrel is named that because it's full of white people," that's not racist, just an observation, and a funny one at that.

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wgossett99 to ajstacy 2012/07/26 16:21:34

I think both your statements are racist in nature.

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ajstacy to wgossett99 2012/07/27 14:44:51

Why's it racist? Am I claiming that white people are inferior or underneath someone else because there is a pattern of cracker barrel having lots of white people? No, it's a cultural thing. Most white Americans were raised to like foods that are served at cracker barrel. Nothing racist about that.

The African-American thing is racist though. That was my point.

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wgossett99 to ajstacy 2012/07/27 16:03:37

Long before supermarkets, crackers in general stores were stored in barrels. The Cracker Barrel chain trades upon that image especially with the faux "general store" atmosphere of their gift shops. The food served there is generally "down home cooking" that was the norm in farming communities - both black and white.

Your "joke" is bigotted. "Cracker "was a perjorative aimed at poor whites by wealthy whites that became more commonly used by blacks in recent years.

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Diana 2012/07/26 14:49:37

Yes

+2
Racism is not the spirit of the games. Her comment was not only tasteless but her open support for a politically racist group is what did her in as well. That's the U.S. equivalent of being on the U.S. Olympic team but being affiliated with the Black Panthers or KKK.

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BOOGIE-WOOGIE-MUSIC-MAN-ROC... 2012/07/26 14:48:11

Yes

How ever, the Olympics are really boring. a little bit of drama and excitement is not going to take my mind away from music. this reminds me of a song called the games people play. written and performed by Joe South.

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Randy 2012/07/26 14:44:15

No

+2
I agree with Bob. One joke that we humans seem to grow increasingly and over the top (in my opinion) overly sensitive to should not erase a lifetime of work and achievement. We need to lighten up and not be constantly watching for others transgressions.

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