For what it's worth, I tend to agree with you. Maybe I might understand if I were an athlete, but as I sit here, it would be extremely difficult for me to stand under another country's flag and be all proud listening to another country's anthem in the name of my win all in the name of sport. It seems that this happens more and more now.
It is not often that athletes from my country are able to compete under their own flag. A few governing bodies recognise us and so we can represent ourselves, such as in football or netball. But for other sports, the only time we can compete as ourselves is at the Commonwealth Games. And unfortunately there is no Winter version of those. :disapp:
So, for athletes from here, it isn't a big deal standing under a flag that doesn't have a Red Hand on it (
Northern Ireland;
Ulster). It is something that they are used to. The problem is that the media and the politicians make a big deal of which flag they do choose to stand under.
Hey, look at Rory McIlroy. When it was announced that golf was returning to the Olympics, he agonised for years over which flag to compete under, because he knew the fuss that would be kicked up whenever he had to declare. In the end, he opted for Ireland and there was so much fuss that he decided that it wasn't worth it, and pulled out (Zika was just the final straw that broke the camel's back).
Personally, I don't care which flag they stand under, just so long as they get the opportunity to compete.
And I should add that I am not somebody who blindly supports athletes from their own country at the expense of athletes from other countries. If I like somebody, I will support them. If I don't like somebody, I won't support them. Simple as that. :agree:
The easier solution to this seems to be to get the IOC to change it rules regarding citizenship changed (they are outdated, and represent a different era of sport) and allow the sports federations to determine who is eligible to compete for which country. If an athlete can compete on a regular basis in international competition for a country, citizen or not, they should be able to compete at the Olympics.
Totally agree that the IOC rules are outdated. But, I would go further and get rid of the competing for your country thing completely.
Your nationality should just be a way of describing where you are from. Nothing more, nothing less.
Or you have two now. I was involved with a Syrian family who came to Canada as refugees. They don't stop loving Syria or feeling attached to it, but they've come to love Canada too. Different situation obviously, but my point is you can love two countries at once in my opinion.
Agree. Due to the complicated political situation here, I have dual nationality (UK and Ireland). And I love both countries. There are also things I don't like about both countries, but you get my drift.
Most athletes are getting dual citizenship, save for those from countries that don't allow it like Kavaguti who had to give up Japanese citizenship.
People feel a variety of ways about citizenship and what that means to them.
I think this is a super important point. It's different for different people.
Exactly! :agree:
Notably, as far as American citizenship goes, " United States requires applicants for naturalization to swear to an oath renouncing all prior "allegiance and fidelity" to any other nation or sovereignty as part of the naturalization ceremony."
Personally, I think it's kind of a silly oath, considering the US is fine with dual citizenship. Like chameleon says, it's not actually true. You aren't really renouncing anything. If I were ever to get US citizenship, I'd think it was stupid and I probably wouldn't really want to say it, but it wouldn't really matter because I wouldn't be doing it. That line anyways would just be words, since I would still be a dual citizen. I would be gaining a country, not losing one. And TontoK, on the question you asked 4everchan in a later post, I'm proud to be Canadian, and I wouldn't ever actually "renounce my allegiance and fidelity" to Canada. But no matter what the oath says, I just don't view getting dual citizenship as doing that.
"Working abroad for a few years" is not the same as "renouncing your allegiance and fidelity" to your homeland (US Naturalization oath).
Canadians (and all others) who obtain American citizenship must swear this oath.
For me, that would be a VERY big deal. In fact, it would be a deal-breaker.
It would be for me too. I know it's only a formality, and like
moriel says for Brazil and
chameleon for America, you don't have to mean it. But it's the principle of the thing.
So, if I was to take on the citizenship of a third country, I wouldn't go for one that had an oath of allegiance. And I certainly wouldn't go for one that had military service, as I am against people fighting and believe all people should just get along.
well... maybe it's a generation or cultural thing
It's definitely a generational thing here. The older generation feel patriotic about being British or Irish (depending on their political leanings). But for the younger generation, we don't even think of ourselves as being British or Irish. We only think of ourselves as being Northern Irish.
Incidentally, that is why young people here don't vote. Because
NONE of the politicians here share that way of thinking. All the politicians are too busy fighting with each other along tribal lines to realise that things have changed. :disapp:
And it is because of the tribal politics and the "Themmuns and Ussins" mentality that exists amongst the politicians here that has really put me off the idea of competing for a specific country in sport.
Much better to just forget about everything else and compete for yourself! :agree:
CaroLiza_fan
:disapp:
