FOLLOW UP: Streaming Sochi (& the Importance of Wording)

Last week, I wrote about the various ways to watch and engage in the 2014 Olympic coverage. However, after receiving a few emails from readers, I realized that “distraction” was perhaps a poor choice of words.

The topic of the article was merely about how to follow the 2014 Olympics via the internet, and that reference was just to illustrate the athletes’ readiness for events they train for their whole lives. It was in no way meant to minimize the humans rights violations in Russia and I didn’t intend any offense or trivialization. I am acutely aware of how egregious these are.

Here at Small Dog, we are huge advocates of LGBT rights — it’s a human rights issue, after all — and we often write about these issues in other articles. As Kibbles & Bytes readers (especially long-term ones), I know you’re familiar with Don’s Soapboxes. Even though he gets flack for it from time to time, he isn’t shy about mixing pet causes and beliefs with business to bring awareness and authenticity. It’s at the core of our brand to speak about what we believe in, and human rights are at the top of the list.

I sympathize with the athletes put in this position; they have a chance to participate in something that has likely been a lifelong dream (or at the very least, a rare opportunity), so I respect the decisions that they’ve made to continue on. As illustrated by an IOC member’s comments yesterday, support may feel in short supply, so the best thing that we can do as spectators is to support their efforts. I sincerely hope that the controversy surrounding these Games brings enough awareness that facilitates change.

Thanks for all of your meaningful feedback! We love our feisty group of readers!