With the start of the Beijing Summer Olympic Games rapidly approaching on Aug. 8, debate has arisen as to whether the United States should boycott the event in protest of China’s recent political action toward Tibet. Protestors have argued that we should follow France’s lead (who threatened to boycott the opening ceremonies) and take it further, by boycotting the Olympics in its entirety.

Simply put, the protestors who argue for this are only a step above the ignorant religious activists who demonstrated against the Dalai Lama while his Holiness was gracing us with his presence during his induction to the Husky family.

Certainly I understand the political injustice that China is imposing upon Tibet and can see why people would want to keep U.S. money and support out of China. But there are many other factors that come into play that necessitate our involvement in this international event.

One major consideration being discounted is the lives of the athletes involved. These gifted individuals have trained for years to have the chance to compete for their country. Sure, some, such as swimmer Michael Phelps, are young and have many more Olympiads and gold medal podiums in their futures. But for many, this will be their only chance to fulfill a dream. Denying them the chance of a lifetime through no fault of their own is unjust.

Another thing to consider is our international image. Many people, within the United States and outside it, are frustrated with the role our nation has recently assumed. They say that we consider ourselves the global police and that we take it upon ourselves to tell other countries what to do and what not to do. Protesting the Olympics would further cement the global perception that our nation believes we are above the rest and think of ourselves as the moral authority of the universe.

But of course, we are an independently thinking nation, and we do what is right instead of what is popular. Thus, the task of revealing China’s political aggression can be accomplished without harming our athletes’ futures or our image by doing one thing: attending the Summer Olympics.

With the participation of Team USA, an army of media personnel brandishing stylish NBC sports jackets will follow. Although the press ban on Tibet may still be intact, the presence would certainly apply more pressure to the situation. Surely at least one rogue reporter aspiring toward journalistic prominence would be able to slip through the lines to give us the real scoop.

Bob Costas could bring Al Gore to tears by giving us stunning high-definition pictures of highly polluted Chinese “air” right into our living rooms. The disgust of this revelation could manifest itself in the form of a “green wave,” forcing China to join the environmental revolution. The fact is that the media and their manipulation have always been some of the greatest weapons, and their use (or misuse) of these weapons has been attributed to some of history’s greatest sways of public opinion.

Our nation’s presence at the Olympics does many positive things: It will allow American athletes to fulfill their dreams by asserting their collective dominance, our nation can appear to be more humble, and we don’t have to associate ourselves with the French. But most importantly, we can utilize the powerful tool of the media to reveal to the world the lack of humanity that China has continually imposed on Tibet and in this way bring about real change.

[Reach columnist Jeff Dickson at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]