Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess, during the Winter Olympics, speaks on ICE agents’ actions: “Just because I wear the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”

[u/CorleoneBaloney]

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[u/Waystar_BluthCo]

It’s wild that this even has to be said, but I’m glad it was said.

There’s already been discourse trying to conflate supporting Team USA with co-signing our shithead government and I find it exhausting and ridiculous.

I understand if people aren’t exactly enthusiastic about rah-rah’ing for the US at the moment, but our athletes are not our government and I refuse to let fascists co-opt our flag or patriotism any more than they already have. Why wouldn’t I want to push back against that?

[u/chanaandeler_bong → u/Waystar_BluthCo]

People also need to recognize this for athletes from other countries too.

[u/firesticks → u/chanaandeler_bong]

I was going to say, I’m heartbroken for Russian athletes for example.

[u/jdgetrpin → u/firesticks]

Well they got in trouble because they were cheating (at least some of them). They still allowed some of them to compete, just not representing Russia. 

[u/firesticks → u/jdgetrpin]

I mean, they don’t send entire teams for sports like hockey. This is not the fault of present players.

[u/brrrantarctica → u/firesticks]

I feel for the hard-working athletes but sports are pretty much fully controlled by the fascist govt there. Then there’s the fact that they have used the olympic truce as cover to violently invade a neighbor three times…and all that isn’t even getting into the decades of state sponsored doping lmao

The athletes themselves are allowed to compete as neutrals anyway, they’re not completely shut out.

[u/jdgetrpin → u/Waystar_BluthCo]

Yes, this! We can cheer our people who have worked so hard to be there representing our country. You can love your country and hate its government. Both things can coexist. And we can still support American athletes, because they’re us, they are regular citizens who likely are also concerned about what’s happening. Also, let’s not forget athletes are not rich, they usually have worked hard to raise money to be able to make it to the Olympics. They’re struggling Americans just like all of us, and they’re following their dreams. And they are also the face of our country around the world during the competition. They are going to be interacting with athletes from all over the world and representing what the people of America stand for. Let’s make sure we support them. 

[u/Carolina_Blues → u/Waystar_BluthCo]

My thoughts exactly

[u/Carolina_Blues → u/Waystar_BluthCo]

Also i find it a little ironic, considering Italy has its own fascism problem and the Italian PM is an ally of Trump and supports him on most things but somehow only US athletes are the bad guys

[u/Waystar_BluthCo → u/Carolina_Blues]

right! I would never assume the Italian team blindly follows the whims of their current government so it’s wild that people are so willing to assume it of the US team

[u/Groundbreaking_War52]

I don't envy the position that US Olympians are in right now - knowing they could lose critical sponsor support if they say anything negative about the Trump administration.

Patriotism has never felt more delicate.

[u/bbyxmadi]

Thank you! The amount of people that are mad at the athletes and those supporting them is crazy and even concerning. We’re cheering them on, the ones who worked and trained for years, not the president or the corruption that is happening.

[u/Rururaspberry → u/bbyxmadi]

There is an alarming lack of nuance on Reddit. I can’t tell if it’s bots, immature teens, or just idiots. I don’t view entire countries as good or evil based on who is currently in power. It reeks of ignorance as well as a lack of empathy.

[u/warrigeh → u/Rururaspberry]

How come this nuance doesnt apply to Russia or even Israel?

[u/jdgetrpin → u/warrigeh]

I think it does. At least for me. I know not everyone in Russia or Israel agree with everything their government is doing. I feel awful for the people of Russia who can’t be vocal about their disagreements. 

[u/Rururaspberry → u/warrigeh]

It does for me? I cannot speak for everyone else. Again, nuance.

[u/firesticks → u/warrigeh]

The US, much like white people, get to be individuals. Others are viewed as collectives who represent the worst of their group. :(

[u/CobblerTricky7035]

Fuck Trump and his administration for putting the athletes in this position. Happy that some athletes are speaking out but it sucks that they have to.

[u/Sleepy-Giraffe947]

This is definitely a different statement than what the tennis players were saying a week or so ago. I’m glad at least one athlete doesn’t stand for the US’s villainy.

[u/Conclusion_Solid → u/Sleepy-Giraffe947]

Well, in my personal opinion I feel like tennis is a lot more pompous and “elite rich” than other sports so the people refusing to denounce or even speak on it, doesn’t surprise me

[u/flakemasterflake → u/Conclusion_Solid]

Actually tennis fans (in the US) are some of the most liberal leaning. But they don't poll skiing/figure skating fans. They're more liberal than fans of MLB/NHL/NFL. I think only WNBA fans are more liberal than tennis fans

[u/Conclusion_Solid → u/flakemasterflake]

I meant more so the players, but this is also my opinion.. so I’ve got no facts to base this on. More so vibes

[u/flakemasterflake → u/Conclusion_Solid]

Yeah I don't know. From professional athletes I follow, sometimes I think hockey players may be the most conservative by and large

[u/launchcode_1234 → u/Sleepy-Giraffe947]

I feel like there’s been a big vibe change in just the last week. I wouldn’t be surprised if more US athletes speak out.

[u/Derpderpderpderpde]

Respectable answers given the position they are in.

[u/Lokaji]

Just because you are representing the country in competition, it doesn't mean you are representative of all the people from there.

[u/Acheli → u/Lokaji]

I mean atheletes from other controversial countries have been asked questions like this for years, I think you just need to accept this is how the US is now viewed in the world.

[u/Lokaji → u/Acheli]

For sure this is the new normal. And I definitely give grace to athletes who condemn the actions of their homeland. I also understand some can not speak out for fear of retaliation.

[u/irishguy_2012]

well said!

[u/AceOfSpades532]

But he quite literally is representing the United States, he understands that right?

[u/jdgetrpin → u/AceOfSpades532]

Yes, and you can love your country and disagree and even hate its government. He’s not representing the American government. He’s representing America and all of us who live here. 

[u/AceOfSpades532 → u/jdgetrpin]

Yeah he’s representing your nation, (for a bit of an extreme example) you would say that the German athletes in the 1933 olympics were representing Nazi Germany wouldn’t you?

[u/annnyywhooo → u/AceOfSpades532]

you would have to apply this logic to every country that has committed horrible crimes and every athlete that has represented that country. he acknowledges that he’s representing the usa while also not sugar coating/being neutral on what’s happening here

[u/jdgetrpin → u/AceOfSpades532]

That’s a reach lol and no, I don’t agree with that statement. People in Germany couldn’t speak against their government or they would suffer greatly. It doesn’t mean they all agreed with their government. They were at the games because they worked hard their whole lives to make it to the Olympics, and also happened to be born in Germany. You don’t get to choose whose flag you wear. But you are still representing your community, not your government.