So I’m watching the coverage of the Olympic Torch “Run” in San Francisco.  So far it’s been more of a torch drive with the torch packed on to a bus and driven to a point in downtown San Francisco where it appears that folks will get to run with the torch.

Thanks to the protests the route has been cut short and the route has been altered so that nobody really knows where they are going.

Now, I don’t begrudge people’s right to protest, and I agree that the subject of the protest is just…  But I don’t agree with the protestors trying to disrupt the torch run or attacking the runners.

I like the Olympics - I prefer the Winter Olympics to the Summer Olympics, but I like the Olympics.  I think it would be pretty neat to get the opportunity to be a Torch Bearer.  I don’t think that being a Torch Bearer is a sign of political support for the policies of the host nation for the games, and I don’t think that it’s right that the Torch Bearers are being in a sense victimized by the protesters.    If I was a Torch Bearer taking part in this once in a lifetime event I would be very upset if gangs of protesters interfered with and/or obstructed with my chance to be a Torch Bearer.

The protesters at this point have turned the entire event into a sham.  The symbolism of the Torch being the beacon of the games traveling to the event has been destroyed.  Now it’s more like a sad game, the protesters are trying to disrupt the Torch Run and the Chinese are insistent on the run progressing to essentially thumb their noses at the protesters…