Friday, August 5, 2016

Thank God for the Olympics


The Olympics are exactly what America needs right now.

After months (feeling like decades) of unending controversies, personal attacks, and general political chaos, we finally have two weeks of coming together as a country. Nobody cares what party Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky are, or whether Simone Biles supports Trump or Allyson Felix is voting for Hillary. We can finally take something of a break from worrying about how close the nation might be to destruction, cheer on Team USA, and remember everything that brings Americans together.

I will be stunned if Donald Trump does not make at least half a dozen ridiculous statements over the course of these Games, but he finally will not be the only story in town. We can all watch, and cheer, and feel good about our country when an American takes gold and the national anthem begins to play.

The Olympics were designed to bring the world together, but they can also serve to bring the country closer together. This may not be the most divisive election in American history—yet—but it is easily the most divisive in decades, for good reason. The Olympics this year will hopefully serve as a cooling off period for the country, however brief, and remind all of us that no matter the politics, we are all on the same team in the end.



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