Regarding the Deseret News article: “Olympic viewership is down. Why are the conservatives getting all the blame?” (July 31), I don’t believe pinning it on conservatives or liberals is appropriate.
I’m an Independent voter and I haven’t watched one iota of this year’s Olympic games from Tokyo. Quite simply, Americans of all stripes (myself included) have very little to cheer for. I am old-enough to remember the enthusiasm of past Olympic Games, such as 1976 and especially 1980, when chants of “USA! USA! USA!” were a kindred spirit of unified national pride.
However, the 2020 Olympics were wisely postponed due to the pandemic. The organizers had to recoup part of their investment by putting on a half-baked show in 2021, when half of Americans are at each other’s throats over masks, vaccines and lack of workers in places such as restaurants. In my opinion, the average American is more concerned about getting outside to enjoy the summer weather, plus there are already debates brewing on renewals of masks and booster vaccines. No year to cheer.
JAMES A. MARPLES.
Provo, Utah