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WTC flag: memorial to peace
Deseret News editorial
Tonight, the tattered American flag recovered from the ruins of the World Trade Center will be carried into Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Games by an honor guard of American athletes and other heroes, among them policemen and firemen. Given the global implications of the Sept. 11 attacks, this was an appropriate compromise of International Olympic Committee rules that strictly prohibit political acts by athletes during its ceremonies.
The attacks on the World Trade Center, which resulted in the deaths of people from more than 80 nations, had universal impact. Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews and people of no particular religious bent perished together that horrific September morning. People worldwide mourned the mass casualties and destruction. They grieved for the loss of a world's collective sense of security.
As the start of what all Americans hope will be a prosperous and peaceable Winter Games, this tattered flag represents more than a horrible day in world history. It exemplifies brotherhood and humankind's remarkable capacity to overcome obstacles — some of the very same ideals of the Olympic movement.
Most reasonable people respect why the IOC insists on strict rules to govern its ceremonies. These help to preserve the dignity and tradition of the Games. However, this particular circumstance required a compromise of patriotism and protocol.
It is disingenuous to suggest that the Games are apolitical. The Berlin Games were a shameless showcase of Nazism. In the 1968 Games in Mexico City, American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medalists respectively, each donned a black glove and thrust clenched fists skyward in a simultaneous show of triumph and a protest of racial inequality during the medal ceremony. At the height of the Cold War, the United States boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games. The then-Soviet Union returned the favor at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games.
It's not possible, really, to insulate the Games from world politics.
That said, the Games present a unique opportunity for nations to come together under the Olympic flag for several weeks of competition and fellowship. As the nations' athletes, officials and visitors gather in Salt Lake City, it will become increasingly apparent that humankind is more alike than not. Hopefully, that renewed understanding will lead to improved relations among nations.
The ground zero flag is a reminder of the strength of human character and the awesome responsibility of the nations to seek peace, dignity and human rights for all of the world's inhabitants. It is completely appropriate that this symbol of resolve have a prominent part in tonight's opening ceremonies.
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February 8, 2002
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