While UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is in FYROM with mediator Matthew Nimetz discussing the issue of the name, and while Turkey continues to threaten Greece with war if it delineates its EEZ, the state which never once defends Greek interests decided today to show its might -and humanitarian side- by hitting on the little guy who decided to make a funny remark on a twitter account.
Triple jumper Voula Papachristou was expelled from Greece’s Olympic team on Wednesday for her comments on Twitter which according to news reports mock African illegal immigrants who live in the country. Commenting on the widely reported appearance of Nile-virus-carrying mosquitoes in Athens, Papachristou said that "with so many Africans in Greece, the West Nile mosquitoes will be getting home food!"
The message went viral and Dora Bakoyannis' husband S.Kouvelas who heads the Hellenic Olympic Committee decided to expel her from the London games because he said it did not show sportsmanship or brotherhood. More exactly, in a statement the Hellenic Olympic Committee said that Papachristou is going to be "placed outside the Olympic team for statements contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement."
Papachristou got positive and negative reactions to her comment and her initial reaction on Tuesday was to tweet: "that’s how I am. I laugh. I am not a CD to get stuck! And if I make mistakes, I don’t press replay! I press play and move on!" On Wednesday and after the incident began to be featured on the international news she posted five apologetic tweets in less than two hours. The last tweet, a very long one in English, which was posted on her Facebook account, reads:
"I would like to express my heartfelt apologies for the unfortunate and tasteless joke I published on my personal Twitter account. I am very sorry and ashamed for the negative responses I triggered, since I never wanted to offend anyone, or to encroach human rights. My dream is connected to the Olympic Games and I could not possibly participate if I did not respect their values. Therefore, I could never believe in discrimination between human beings and races. I would like to apologize to all my friends and fellow athletes, who I may have insulted or shamed, the National Team, as well as the people and companies who support my athletic career. Finally, I would like to apologize to my coach and my family."Before the publication of the last tweet, the Democratic Left party, had published a statement assailing the "racist humor" and calling on the Hellenic Olympic Committee to expel Papachristou from the Olympics! On its part PASOK, which relies on the votes from immigrants and which attempted to legalize hundreds of thousands of them so that it can have a bigger foot in government had the audacity to say that "matters that deal with the human status should not be treated lightly by anyone and especially from the members of the sports community, who are symbols to young people."
And of course Kouvelas listened to his the left party + and especially to Venizelos - since we all know that his wife fully supports Venizelos and has never once supported the New Democracy party and especially Antonis Samaras.
Is this how the Democratic Left party responded to the provocations by FYROManians against Greeks? Or is this how they reacted every time Turkey raised the issue of war if we dared to delineate Greece's EEZ and extend our territorial waters? Did you ever see PASOK reacting? Personally I saw George Papandreou dancing zembekiko with Turks, and I saw Venizelos giving speeches in front of hundreds of illegal immigrants from Pakistan.
And you know something... you probably will never see them defending Greeks.
These "progressive" parties have destroyed this country... they are a cancer that cannot be cured. Till this day try to convince us that they fight for the "little guy" and human rights but have no common sense or decency to anything that is Greek. I mean how can a socialist or a semi-communist fight for the little guy when he lives in a million dollar home and is chauffeured around town in an automobile that costs about a million euros. Can this person talk about human rights? Who are they kidding?
Is this how the New Democracy party expects to govern this country?
By allowing its other two partners to dictate to it and send orders to committees to can athletes for making a joke? Where were all these parties and their reflexes when FYROM was adopting the Vergina Sun on its national flag? Where were they when Turkish war frigates were sailing Greek waters and neared Athens? Where were they when thousands of Tsams went to the Albanian-Greek boarders and demanded that we hand over half of Greece to them? Where were they every time a Greek man or woman jumped off a balcony because they could not live in shame from owing so much money to the state that they could not even face their own loved ones?
They were no where to be found.
They do not care about us, and trust me they want a divided society.
They do not want us united. They cannot control a society if it is united.
And they especially do not want us to stand tall and proud.
Hunger we can bear... but we cannot continue to walk with our heads below the sand.
And, one last thing, you see how quickly the focus turned away from the Troika's visit to Greece and suddenly everyone is talking about a joke?
Aside from the anger I feel as a common citizen at Mrs. Bakoyianni, her husband Mr. Kouvelas, the Democratic Left Party, PASOK and especially Antonis Samaras for allowing all of this to happen, I am also furious with the foreign media which totally slammed and ridiculed this poor young girl and added even more fuel to the fire by claiming that she expressed sentiment for far-right parties. Here are just a few press reports.
Listen you brainless buffoons...(Associated Press) — Triple jumper Voula Papachristou was expelled from Greece's Olympic team Wednesday for her comments on Twitter mocking African immigrants and expressing support for a far-right party. (source)NY Daily News - Papachristou also expressed support of far-right party in Greece; Greek Olympic committee says her statements run contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement (source )BBC - But the Hellenic Olympic Committee said her posts mocking African immigrants and expressing support for a far-right party went against the Olympic spirit. (source)
You parrots of information who for the past two and a half years have continually slandered and slammed our country and its people.
Everyday you publish stories about our so-called default, everyday you send numerous Greek citizens to their death because you have never once criticized let alone questioned the intentions of the credit agencies that come out with outrageous ratings against countries such as our own but instead slam us because we are easier targets by calling us lazy, inadequate, and corrupt.
You are nothing more than heartless infidels who are not even capable of handing out a perfume sample let alone report the news..
I will say it LOUD and CLEAR so you can all come to grips with the harsh truth. The girl did not say anything about the far-right and she especially did not say anything about the Golden Dawn party. She made a simple joke, just like we all do, or have done so about blonds, redheads, about Eskimos, about Pakis... or even about the Polish people.
Stop being hypocrites. You have all done it!
I understand you cannot read Greek, and therefore could not make out what she wrote on her first message but Jesus Christ why the hell did you have to add that extra bit about the far right? Where did Golden Dawn, the slap he gave to Liana Kanelli and the far-right fit in to her statement? Are you all so incompetent? Did you do this so you can spice up your stories? Was the subject too boring beforehand? Or too innocent?
I only have this to say... She should SUE all of you for slander.
Some civilizations throw shoes to show their disgust at people... Greeks usually use words and the palms of their hands.
So with my ten fingers open wide I say PARTE TA OLOI sas. This includes the Greek state, the Hellenic Olympic Committee, and especially the foreign media!
(No I will not translate).
Signed
Marina Spanos
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