Many interesting things have been said, and many good points made.  Boycotting would be bad for those poor athletes who spent so much time training for their dreams and might not get them...But I fear for their safety.  China has come out and said there are plots to kidnap the athletes that they've uncovered.  They said one venue was safe at a ceremony to make everyone feel safer, and yet protesters still got in and stormed the stage.  My worry is for the athletes and those spectators who will go and watch them.

It wasn't that many years ago that 9/11 happened, my mom had a friend in china on business.  The consult there told all americans to stay hidden in their hotels because they could not guarantee their safety.  After a week of hiding in their hotel rooms, those people were snuck out of the country in the dead of night, and their safety still wasn't guaranteed.  Are we to believe that their country has gotten that much safer since then???  Has any country??

That's an interesting story. I was there (Beijing) with my wife for a month and never saw or heard of any threat. We didn't hide and in fact went to the Embassy in Beijing to apply for a visa for my wife and was never discouraged or warned of any danger. I guess we were there during a 'safe' time. We have been there since on 4 different occasions to Shanghai and Beijing and no problems whatsoever.

It always amazes me to compare these kind of experiences. I remember a few years ago when TV here in the SF area were warning travelers about the SARS epidemic and advised against travel to China. The TV stations gave grave descriptions of ill people everywhere and others wearing surgical masks which sort of frightened us. Since we had already purchased our tickets we went anyway including our (then) 6 year old son. During our entire 30 day visit we never saw any hint of any epidemic or illness' nor surgical masks. What I thought was really amazing was that upon our return to the states we were never questioned by customs or immigration where we had traveled in China or if we came in contact with anyone who 'was' ill.

We're going back in June and really looking forward to the visit. BTW, we don't do tours. We go on our own and go where and when 'we' want so nothing is hidden.

interesting replies, i have one question, that i want a solid answer on it

what constitutes human rights?

and can someone recommand a site that tells the history of tibet as it is without much personal opinion?

Here's a non-biased site.

http://www.presscluboftibet.org/

Also wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet

The objects and purposes of the olympics was developed as NON-political in any way, shape, form.  There is no way that making it a political statement is in line with the olympics at all.  

The problems that have occurred over the years can be seen as political interference in a non-political event.  There is always another way to protest your objections to any country and its policies.  Is anyone perfect?  How will you find a perfect venue?