However I think protesting the Olympic torch on its trip is a good way to keep up pressure on certain types of activities that the host country may engage. Whereas I don't think it's a good venue to protest the torch for strictly political disagreements. I do think boycotting the torch to highlight universal issues is appropriate. I think these universal issues include human rights abuses and environmental concerns that the host country engages in. These issues will never go away and there's only one answer to human rights and environmental abuses: stop them.

So let's call that time-out and come together in a way that allows all participating countries to showcase their athletes' talents.

To boycott the Olympics would be similar to parents who are going through a messy divorce to take out their differences on their children. Athletes aren't the cause of the political and economic differences between us and China. But they can help keep our perspective.