Remember Ted Kennedy? The Massachusetts senator was a progressive icon—a liberal lion who endured the tragic killings of his three older brothers, all in their respective primes.
Ted ran for President once, in 1980, when he challenged our sitting 39th President, Jimmy Carter, a fellow Democrat. This, of course, required him to run in the New Hampshire Primary, something expected of any prospective President—at least up until Joe Biden just blew us off.
That mid-February of 1980 saw Ted’s Granite State campaign come to Groveton, N.H., where he toured the paper mill and then met with a few Groveton High School folks—including me, then a GHS history teacher.
The Lake Placid Winter Olympics were ongoing, and Ted modestly compared his campaign effort with that of the miracle U.S. ice hockey team. Then he took questions.
Always a sports guy, I immediately followed up on his Winter Olympic reference with a query about Taiwan’s exclusion from that competition.
(The International Olympic Committee wouldn’t allow a small contingent from the Republic of China/Taiwan to compete unless it forsook its name and national flag, out of deference to the Communist People’s Republic of China—the PRC—which was competing in its first Winter Olympics.)
Ted glared at me.
“Well, er, ah, we perhaps should consider how both the USA and Puerto Rico have separate Olympic teams, even though we’re all Americans,” replied the Massachusetts senator.
I quickly responded.
“But Puerto Rico’s never been prevented from completing under its own flag, unlike Taiwan.”
The liberal lion further glared at me, perhaps regretting that the road to the White House required him to travel through Groveton, N.H., to be hassled by an impertinent jock like me over an issue that certainly wasn’t then as important to most Americans as inflation or the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Ted then came back with what I believe was a very honest reply.
“I frankly don’t care whether Taiwan competes in the Olympics or not,” he snapped. “Next question.”
I resurrect this old sports story because I was recently privileged to visit Taiwan with a New England legislative delegation as guests of the ROC’s Foreign Ministry. The trip was timely and informative, given current international geopolitics. And the Taiwanese were wonderful hosts on their island of freedom—surrounded by hostile waters dominated by a PRC committed to conquering the ROC.
For the record, the Republic of China/Taiwan did eventually return to the Olympics in 1984 as “Chinese Taipei,” a compromise the Taiwanese reluctantly agreed to so as to allow their athletes opportunities to compete.
Fast forward to 2021, and an international swimming and diving competition in Cyprus involving 40 countries. Bullied by the PRC, officials there wouldn’t allow Taiwan’s flag to be shown on displays or scoreboards. Taiwanese divers could compete under an Olympic flag or under no flag at all. The ROC athletes chose to compete under no flag.
Then came one of those inspiring “I am Spartacus” episodes where the sports world commendably separates itself from the political realm. The Japanese athletes issued a statement of support for the Taiwanese and indicated they, too, would compete without their flag being displayed anywhere. Subsequently, divers from other countries voted likewise to have their flags removed to show their solidarity with Taiwan.
Australia, Croatia, Germany, the USA, and others soon followed Japan’s lead—even the French.
Even the Russians!
The shows of support were the results of impromptu athlete actions, not government policy directives. That’s what made it all so inspiring to so many—except for the elephant bully in the room: the Communist PRC.
Carpe diem!
And I want to believe that even Ted Kennedy—from wherever he may have then been watching—was similarly inspired!
