Last night, my friends and I watched the games. For 3 hours, we watched sled hockey and sitting/standing biathlon. In the middle of these games, there were very brief results of a few other sports, including wheelchair curling and skiing, a sport in which I would have liked to see all of it.
In sled hockey, there were people who were missing a leg or both legs or paralyzed or other disabilities that confine the players to wheelchairs or the use of a prosthetic. But that does not matter and is beside the point. The game was USA vs. Italy and it was as action packed, if not more so, as the normal Olympic games.For the full hour of showing, my friends and I were on the edge of our seats, screaming at the TV, just like we did while watching the Olympics.
To tell you the truth, I have been excited for the Paralympic games for the past two weeks or so, since I finished watching the Olympic games. My friends and I agree that we prefer the Paralympic games.
I have to say I am thoroughly upset by the almost nonexistent coverage of the Paralympic games. There is barely anything about the games on national news. There is no coverage on the Today Show, as there was during the Olympics. There is no OlympicZone on NBC. No interviews with Paralympians, as I would love to see. The only thing shown on NBC, a main national channel, was a severely shortened version of the Opening Ceremony. I say "severely shortened" because they only showed an hour of the ceremony, missing most of it. It is almost like they are saying that disabled athletes are not important enough to be on national news. Granted, they are actually showing some of the Paralympics.
Now let me explain why this is so important to me.
Ever since I was a little child, I have known people with mental and physical disabilities. In fact, I have worked with hundreds of kids and adults with special needs. My first memory of working with someone was a blind boy who I taught how to hula hoop. I have volunteered at schools and a camp. At the camp, I helped campers do activities they never thought they could do, like mountain climbing. I have a passion for helping people with disabilities achieve their dreams.
I, myself, have an almost invisible disability. It is not as apparent as most. But that does not matter.
I believe disabled people can do anything they put their mind to, with modifications.
And disabled athletes are just as important as "normal athletes."
I also believe that this lack of national coverage is awful and discriminatory. It is like saying that people with disabilities are not as important as those without disabilities, "normal" athletes. And that is wrong.
No wonder we have so much discrimination. No wonder people with disabilities are not treated correctly. No wonder there are people who park in disabled parking spots who are not disabled. No wonder people with disabilities are stared at or laughed at.
The respect is not there.
And one other thing. Most of the people in the Paralympics are veterans. These people put their lives on the line for our country and most of them lost a limb or multiple limbs while fighting. Veterans and nonveterans alike have overcome incredible odds to be in the Paralympics. The least we can do is pay attention and watch the games.
It is all about respect.
The Paralymipcs are mainly covered on the NBCSN channel, so if you receive this channel, take some time and watch.
