To the owner of the Volkswagen van with the "This is not the place: 2002 Olympics" bumper sticker:
Shortly after the big announcement I noticed your bumper sticker, which clearly states your position about the prospect of holding the games in Utah. By no means is yours the first such sticker I've seen. However, today your van with its message happened to collide head-on with my delight.I have heard plenty of reasons why people such as you have chosen to decorate their vehicles with this sentiment. And in this free country of ours, you and the other naysayers have every right to your opinions and every right to express them.
But like it or not, this is the place for the 2002 Olympics. And I, like many others, am extremely pleased. I've supported holding the Games in Salt Lake City ever since I moved here; and since 1994, when I had the time of my life at the Lillehammer Olympics, I have tried to explain to anyone who will listen (and to a few who don't) why the Olympics could be one of the greatest events ever to happen in Utah.
Thanks to the 2002 Olympics, we have the opportunity for the world to be our very own house guest! Some of those descending on us will be the best athletes ever, competing in events that to us may be just sports, but to them are lifelong passions. Others will be spectators, ordinary people like you and me. But no matter who we encounter seven short years from now, each of us will have the potential to benefit personally from this great adventure.
Thank you for reminding us about important issues, especially about environmental effects and financial concerns. You need to keep bringing these matters up, to anyone who will listen (and especially to those who don't). And if it seems to me that you are being ignored, I'll be right there with you, writing more letters if necessary.
But please keep in mind that your attitude, and mine, and everyone else's, will make all the difference during the preparation, the Games themselves and the aftermath. So if you can't or won't think positively, could you at least cover up your bumper sticker?
Susan Schulman
Salt Lake City