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June 29, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – The 2021 Tokyo Olympics mandate that “no friends, no family” attend competitions, forcing a mother-athlete to choose between taking part in the Games or caring for her breastfed 3-month-old daughter.
Kim Gaucher, a member of the Canadian national women’s basketball team, says she is “being forced to decide between being a breastfeeding mom or an Olympic athlete.”
“All I’ve ever wanted out of my basketball career has been to rep (represent) Canada at the Olympics. Last year, my teammates and I qualified for Tokyo, but right now I’m being forced to decide between being a breastfeeding mom or an Olympic athlete,” Gaucher, 37, said in an Instagram video.
She stated that the regulations allow for “no friends, no family, no exceptions.” However, news reporters and local fans will be permitted to attend.
“Players and media are all flying in from around the world, Japanese fans are going to be in attendance, the arenas are going to be half full, but I will not have access to my daughter?” asked an incredulous Gaucher, a shooting guard who played college basketball at the University of Utah and in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) before going to Europe to continue her career. She is currently with USO Mondeville in France.
She appealed to people over the internet asking for help and support, saying “If anybody knows anything, let’s see if we can make a difference. It’s 2021, let’s make working moms normal.” She also asked for prayers, saying “It’s Hail Mary time.”
The Communist-run People’s Republic of China is guilty of systematic human rights' abuses which are totally and utterly inconsistent with the spirit of the Olympic Games.
And yet, the 2022 Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held in Beijjing, starting in only one year's time.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which calls on the International Olympic Committee to take emergency action and relocate the 2022 Winter Olympics away from China for widespread human rights' abuses incompatible with the ethos of the Olympic Games.
Think about the ongoing genocide of the Uighur people who inhabit the North-west corner of China; think of the recent crackdown and arrest of dozens of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong; think of the detention of members of Falun Gong; and, think of the persecution of Christians in China.
This is sickening.
China should be held to account for its manifest human rights' abuses, not lauded on the world stage. The Chinese Communist Party should be shamed, not celebrated.
Right now, the delay of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which were scheduled to begin last summer, provides the perfect opportunity for the IOC to press pause on the Beijing Games, and take emergency action to relocate them away from China.
Not only that, but it could be very strongly argued that sending athletes from around the world to the "breeding ground of Covid-19" and then back home again, makes absolutely no sense from the perspective of protecting public health.
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition which calls on the IOC to cancel the 2022 Winter Games in China and relocate them to another country which upholds and defends human rights.
Here are just some of the human rights' abuses which China is guilty of:
GENOCIDE. In a report released on January, 19th of this year, the U.S. State Department found that, at least since 2017, the Chinese Communist Party is guilty of "genocide" against the Uighur population, living in Xinjiang Province. An abbreviated list of lesser crimes committed by the state against this largely-Muslim ethnic group includes:
- Torture of a large number of those arbitrarily detained
- Forced labor
- The imposition of draconian restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of movement.
CRACKDOWN ON HONG KONG DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS. China's newly-implemented National Security Law (NSL) is being used to enforce a draconian clampdown and arrest of pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong, who have bravely resisted the Communist Party's efforts to squash the right to vote and the right to run for political office.
PERSECUTION. China has mercilessly persecuted practioners of Falun Gong and Christians of every denomination. Over the last few years, incidents of persecution include:
- Christian churches have been destroyed by authorities.
- Two million Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and Falun Gong followers have been held in detention.
- Christian teachings have been reinterpreted according to socialist doctrine.
- Churches in Hunan province were forced to remove displays of the Ten Commandments and replace them with quotes of President Xi Jinping.
These appalling human rights' abuses don't even include the extensive history of forced abortion and sterilization which the Chinese Communists are known to have committed in their ruthless enforcement of their "one-child policy," which only ended in 2015.
Of course, the world's premier amateur athletes should not be punished for the sins of the hosting nation, but neither should they lend their credibility and talent to support a nation which is guilty of so many systematic human rights' abuses.
That's why the IOC has an obligation to act and pull the Olympics out of China; otherwise, the IOC, itself, faces losing all credibility with sports fans around the world.
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition which urges the IOC to take emergency action and relocate the 2022 Winter Olympics out of China. Not only will the IOC avoid the disgrace of supporting a human rights abuser, it will also help to ensure that yet a new wave of Covid doesn't emanate from China.
Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'One of Trump’s last moves: US declares China’s actions against Uyghurs ‘genocide’' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/one-of-trumps-last-moves-us-declares-chinas-actions-against-uyghurs-genocide
'Hong Kong authorities arrest dozens of prominent pro-democracy activists' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/hong-kong-authorities-arrest-dozens-of-prominent-pro-democracy-activists
'It’s time for the Pope to recognize the carnage among Uighurs, Catholics in China' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/its-time-for-the-pope-to-recognize-the-carnage-among-uighurs-catholics-in-china
In order to participate in the Olympics, she will need to find a way to feed her daughter while overseas. “The basketball team is going to be gone for 28 days,” she said. “People have told me to try to pump like mad.”
“I don’t have enough milk in me to train as a high-level athlete, get my butt back in shape, and feed her currently, all while stocking a 28-day supply,” Gaucher continued. “We’ve looked into shipping milk, we’ve run into complications, we’re still exploring that option. But it’s not going to be easy.”
She remains hopeful that an exception will be made and she will be able to attend with her baby. However, with the Games only a month away, she is still in the middle of an appeal. “We’ve tried appeals. Everyone says they’re on board, but nobody can do anything,” she said.
“National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are responsible for the composition of their delegations at Games time, and the IOC is aware that a small number of them have been dealing with requests from athletes to bring their children on a case-by-case basis,”
The IOC released a statement to CBC News noting the difficulty of the situation but also the possibility of an exemption being made.
“The Tokyo Olympic Games are understandably being conducted with an unprecedented focus on health and safety,” it reads. “This includes Japanese borders being closed to overseas visitors, family and friends.”
“It is our understanding that no children stayed at Olympic Villages during previous Games,” the statement says. “Nevertheless, there may be special circumstances, particularly with regard to infant children, and we will therefore continue to consult with the IOC and the (International Paralympic Committee) and solicit opinions from other relevant parties.”