The 2014 Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia from February 7^th until February 23^rd. They will be the first Olympics held in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. A lot has changed in the world since the fall of the Soviet Union in December of 1991. One thing that has changed in these past 21 years (22 years on December 26^th) is a growing sense of peace between Russia and the United States. There is still a rivalry between the countries, but it’s much more of a friendly rivalry. Sure, rivalries existed between the US and Soviet Russia in the past, which culminated in the 1980 Ice Hockey game in Lake Placid, New York. However, there were also more hardships that made the rivalries much more tense.

The US boycotted the 1980 summer games in Moscow because the Soviets had invaded Afghanistan in the early months of that year. The Soviets then boycotted the 1984 games in Los Angeles California. This was in response to the US boycott of the 1980 games. Neither side has boycotted an Olympics since then, yet many people still call for the US to boycott Sochi 2014.

The call to Boycott Sochi came soon after President Putin of Russia signed a bill placing a ban on promoting homosexuality to minors. This law follows a string of laws that make homosexuality illegal in Russia. Punishments extend from jail time to thousands of rubles worth of fines (1 US Dollar= 32.64 Rubles). Many famous celebrities have cried out to boycott Sochi or have it relocated. Some people have even gone so far as to say it is comparable to the 1936 Olympics in Germany at the start of the Holocaust.

Boycotting Sochi because of Russian laws on homosexuality would show the world that the US does not support Russia in any capacity. The friendship that has formed in 21 years of peace should not be destroyed because of a series of laws and statements against gay rights. Boycotting Sochi would do more harm than good. Instead of forceing Russia to change, a boycott would merely say, “We don’t like your laws but we are too afraid to tell you that.” President Obama has pushed to avoid boycotting the games. However, he says he is greatly offended by the homophobia in Russia. He thinks that boycotting is the wrong way to fight the laws.

The Russians have given the IOC, the International Olympic Community, their word that they won’t prosecute athletes who identify as homosexual or support homosexual rights. The IOC says it has gained written assurance from the Russians and it will uphold the Olympic rule against political protest of homosexual athletes. Because the Russians are complying with the IOC’s rules, boycotting the Olympics wouldn’t do any good. The US should fight the Russian laws on a political front, not an athletic one. The Olympics are meant to bring people and countries together, not push them away. They are to promote friendship and community, not act as a forum for debating international crises.