Friday evening, after Congress expressed severe and inappropriate outrage over Olympic uniforms because they are made in China, the head of the U.S. Olympics Team issued a statement asking the American people — presumably, that includes Congress — to support our Olympic athletes, not focus on what they’ll be wearing.
READ:Â Opinion: Until Congress Funds US Olympic Team, They Should Shut Up About Uniforms
Noting that America’s athletes “already arrived in London,” United States Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun said in a statement that they “take seriously the concerns we’ve heard from members of Congress and the American public regarding the U.S. Olympic Team’s Opening and Closing Ceremonies uniforms.”
But Blackmum added, “we are unfortunately not able to make a change for London.”
In the meantime, we ask for the American people’s support. The members of Team USA have dedicated their entire lives to training for this one moment. They are some of the finest men and women this country has to offer and they are prepared to succeed both on and off the field of play in London. Our country should be proud of the individual athletes that will represent them in London and I’m hopeful that everyone will rally around Team USA.
America’s lawmakers who are attacking the “made in America” uniforms are, by extension, attacking America’s olympic athletes. Harry Reid, John Boehner, and Nancy Pelosi decided, literally as America’s team was boarding planes to the London Olympic, to send our team off under a cloud of fake disgrace.
Imagine, if you will, being an 18-year old Olympic athlete, representing the United States of America in your first Olympics game, and sitting in an airport terminal waiting area, only to see on CNN your Congressman or Senator say your uniform is a disgrace, should be burned, that you should instead wear a singlet rather than a Ralph Lauren-designed uniform, because it was made in China, like 75% of the rest of America’s clothes — probably like the clothes that most Congressmen and Senators themselves wear.
How’s that for patriotism? How’s that for supporting our team?
To every single American Olympic athlete, to their coaches, to their parents, friends, trainers, I offer you my apology, since our lawmakers are too busy putting faux politics ahead of what’s really important: you.