As part of the millennial generation, do you care more about the sports and the medal or people placed in extreme adversity in exchange for the success of this grand occasion?

When a grand sporting occasion like the Sochi winter Olympics roll around, people are generally so mesmerized by winter athletic’s graceful moves and the competition between U.S. and other countries on the medal chart. People rarely cares about what goes on outside of those few particular stadium, of course, with the exception of the horrendous condition of the hotels that American journalists are staying in. No one really pays too much, if any, attention to the unpleasant conditions in a village inflicted by the preparation of Olympics less than 30 miles away from the Olympic Park called Akhshtyr.

Akhshtyr has been heavily affected by Sochi Olympics in multiple ways: construction trucks have driven by days and nights for the past five years, houses in local communities are covered in layers of dust as a result; the village has gone without water since 2008 due to the construction waste dump into the drinking wells. The money set aside to compensate the villagers are not yet in place.

Thanks to New York Times for publishing this article about the village of Akhshtyr, otherwise we would never be reminded the full picture presented by the Olympics. Russia has gone to great length to make this winter Olympics a success by pouring multibillion dollars on the Olympics construction and numerous other tasks. But the people live within close proximity to the facilities have become a liability to the Olympics therefore they were either relocated with little, or close to zero compensation. They endured the biggest sacrifice in making this Olympics happened, yet who even know about what they have been through, and more importantly, who care?

As part of the millennial generation, I feel much more compelled to raise awareness about the misfortune of these people than watching the actual sporting events. Sports is great, I am not denying that but if it is done at the expenses of some people’s basic need and their conveniences of lives, It’s not worth it. I am not trying to start a boycott campaign against Sochi winter Olympics, I am just asking people to pay more attention to the injustice happening outside the sports arena and to be more sympathetic towards those who are affected. Americans are sympathetic people, let our judgment not be clouded and our compassions not be frittered away by the fanciful show they put on.