Pierre de Coubertin, the father of modern Olympism, modernised ancient Greek ideals by blending sport with culture and education, promoting a way of life based on:

• The balanced development of the body, will and mind.
• The joy found in effort.
• The educational value of being a good role model.
• Respect for universal ethics including tolerance, generosity, unity, friendship, non-discrimination and respect for others.

I think we have to take a few steps back before we can take a step forward.

That

Pope Benedict XVI will make a stop at Park Street Synagogue in New York City today. The Synagogue’s leader, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, is a holocaust survivor that emigrated to the United States from Nazi-controlled Budapest in 1947. I find this to be very interesting for the following reasons:

• The Pope is obviously Catholic.
• Only the 2nd Pope in modern history to visit a Synagogue, this is his second visit to a Jewish place of worship. Pope John Paul II was the first to visit a synagogue, doing so in 1986.
• Pope Benedict was a member of the Hitler Youth program, forced to join against his will as a teenager.
• He was drafted into the German army during WWII, deserting his command in the final months of the war.

Why does Pope Benedict XVI feel that it’s a priority to visit Synagogues? Is it his first-hand experiences? Could it be that the Catholic Church finally apologized to the Jewish community for its silence during the holocaust in 1998 and feels the need to reach out? Is there a more political agenda? These are just a few of my thoughts.

…And the Other Thing

The Pennsylvania Presidential Debate that was held this past Wednesday evening in Philadelphia was by far the worst debate I’ve ever watched; Moderators Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos should be ashamed of themselves. Instead of an intelligent, articulated debate concerning the economy and the war in Iraq, I was forced to listen to ridiculous questions, Senator Obama’s failure to wear patriotic flags on lapel, his controversial former pastor, and the misconstrued comments he made in San Francisco. Senator Clinton, too, was attacked by the moderators, and admitted that she was embarrassed for embellishing her trip to Bosnia during the 1990’s. While Senator Clinton seized opportunities to put Senator Obama on the defensive, he took the high road.

I think Senator Clinton deserves the right to make some errors once in a while…what's important is to make sure we don't get so obsessed with gaffes we lose sight that this is a defining moment in our history.

That’s my boy.