The "Special" Olympics is dumb

[Minimalist]

I recall from my youth that there is de jure and de facto segregation. The civil rights movement focused on de jure segregation in the south but as a northerner it wasn't too hard to look at examples of de facto segregation in the slums of every northern city.

Now while the fact of the SO may be segregationist in fact it is really the right of free association which is involved here. They do have a right to establish criteria for participation in their own event.

[NoraBrimstone]

I've never watched the Special Olympics. They always look kinda patronising to me, and the name is slightly offensive imo.

The Paralympic Games on the other hand, are brilliant. One of our regulars is a Paralympian (T13) for New Zealand who lives here in London. He didn't win anything in London, but he won a Gold Medal in Athens and 2 Silver Medals in Sydney. So yeah, I follow those. It's just amazing to see what human beings are capable of, and blind football is one of the most entertaining things I have ever seen in my life, if for all the wrong reasons.

[bennyboy]

I'm personally more interested in the Olympics. But in some ways, I think the special olympics and paralympic games are more important. They serve as a moral reminder to everyone, and inspiration to many who have few sources of inspiration.

[Violet]

I think the olympics is commercialism and nationalism run amok.

And it's just brilliantly done, too

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Sometimes. But some autistic people cannot compete amongst non-limited people, same with a vast majority of the para-athletes. A lot of times, it's not necessarily about the competition, but the inclusion of the athlete and the family. Belonging somewhere can be really important.

Spethyul.

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

It's an improvement over sending them to the circus at least.

[Violet]

Sometimes. But some autistic people cannot compete amongst non-limited people, same with a vast majority of the para-athletes. A lot of times, it's not necessarily about the competition, but the inclusion of the athlete and the family. Belonging somewhere can be really important.

Sure, maybe they need a place to belong. How about their home? When trophies are handed to *all participants*: the experience is cheapened for all of them, and the value of 'winning' and 'losing' is become muddied.

It's a farce... and it's being taught to the people who would have the very hardest time understanding that it is a farce. From that point, they will go through life until adversity properly strikes them. But hey, let's just baby them forever and never let them grow the fuck up, why don't we? I cannot possibly see this being an ill-advised move

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It's an improvement over sending them to the circus at least.

I disagree. If they have the ability to function: I want to see them function, dammit

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"Special" competitors being crushed by pro athletes would not encourage them in any way.

Good.

One or more of them crushing a pro athlete would be rare, and would justify the "special" athlete being placed among equal peers within a regular competition.

People are people, end of. Babying them serves only to hope that they be helpless people. We're quite seriously not so different... and brains were never really what physical sports rely upon... and they don't necessarily need all of their senses for it, either. Myriad are the things any person might do, so long as they retain the ability TO do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krjqmszB0xc

Seriously. The potential of humanity is immense. Don't be selling it short.

If they were able to compete at that level, they'd be placed in the "regular" Olympics or some such similar event.

Some of them could... the existence of 'the special olympics' ensures that they not strive past such.

[CapnAwesome]

One ironic thing about the Special Olympics is how they were started. They were founded by Eunice Kennedy (JFKs Brother) to honor their older sister, Rosmary Kennedy who was mentally disabled. It doesn't sound ironic, except that Rosemary was disabled because their father lobotomized her as a teenager, some say for unruly behavior.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Olympics#History
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Kennedy