While Ms. Holtzman raises some legitimate points on the subject of an important debate, quite a few of her arguments deserve logical and factual scrutiny.

Though I am ignorant as to whether Ms. Holtzman has been to Beijng recently, preparations for the Olympics have brought about policies that improve air quality and relocate residents to modern, sanitary and spacious homes. Foreign investment has lifted millions out of unemployment and poverty.

Though it scarcely justifies anything on the part of the Chinese, we must ask certain questions before launching into sanctimonious accusations and self-righteous rhetoric. Should the U.S. be barred from hosting the Olympics because of dubious human rights practices, a shameful past regarding territorial acquisitions, Native Americans, and blacks, or a record of supporting dictatorships (the Saudis, the Shah of Iran, Saddam, etc.) when they go along with our foreign policy objectives?

Ms. Holtzman praises praises America's boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics in protest of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Without going into the war's politics or merits, the last time I checked, China was not boycotting international events held in America because of Iraq. Ms. Holtzman then goes on to compare China to Nazi Germany. That comparison is unfounded. China is not the perpetrator of the genocide in Darfur; it has never tried to conquer the world or spread an ideology of hate.

While China is a pivotal player that must do more to help resolve the situation in Darfur, boycotting the Olympics is unwise and unfair. There is a right way to stopping genocide, and there is a wrong way. China has used its leverage constructively, from North Korea to the War on Terror; China is conscious of its image and publicity before the Olympics. The Olympics should be used as an opportunity to coerce or otherwise urge China to do more. America must pursue a responsible and pragmatic foreign policy that upholds international cooperation and human rights. Boycotting the Beijing Olympics would instead demonstrate hypocrisy and an inability to act as the mature nation that our superpower status affords us. Besides, shouldn't we leave politics out of sports and friendly competition?

–Senior Heming Yip

EDITOR'S NOTE: This letter was written in response to Beth Holtzman's U.S. should boycott Beijing Olympics article in the previous issue.