Madam, - Despite the old maxim, there are times when sport and politics should mix. The South African apartheid regime didn't take much notice of international pressures until no one would play their much-adored Springboks. When reform came, who was wearing a Springbok jersey to present the South African captain with the William Webb Ellis Trophy? None other than Nelson Mandela. This symbol of reconciliation brought a tear to many eyes.
Sport is for entertainment, self-expression and building community spirit. These are important virtues, but what moral integrity do we have if we simply disregard the Chinese government's categorical abuse of human rights, its close relationships with militias in Darfur and Burma, the facts that it is Zimbabwe's second largest trading partner and North Korea's only ally?
I will do my utmost not to watch any of the Olympics. I urge people who share similar feelings to do the same. The athletes can still compete, but the advertisers of the business world, the Chinese government and the international community will get a gentle reminder that ethics and human rights are still important. - Is mise,
ALEX STAVELEY,
Norseman Court,
Stoneybatter,
Dublin 7.