Skier Lindsey Vonn Responds to Her Critics After Some Seething Criticisms

Recently skier Lindsey Vonn said she will not represent the President when she goes to the Olympics – if she goes – and she will not accept an invitation to go to the White House if invited. There was severe backlash because most people interpret her comments as anti-American because the government and the President are America. It is disrespectful to insult him abroad, and by way of putting him down, she is putting down his supporters.

For some reason, she sees the need to express herself further on the matter and double down on her contemptuous feelings.

She responded to her critics and wants them to know she is representing the people and not the politicians. That might not fly.

What she wrote is athletes are not representatives of their government. Olympics are non-political.

That really seems a stretch to many of us since the whole idea of the Olympics is to represent the country and every nation believes it includes the government. The government is number one.

She said the Olympics are non-political but didn’t she make it political by singling out the President? If she said what is in the message below the first time, there probably would not have been a problem, but she made it about the President.

She praised the nation in her message.

We’ve included her message for you to decide.

As I head to France for the next races, I would like to share with you my reflections from the past few days. I’ve received a tremendous amount of feedback, both positive and negative, about my recent CNN interview. The point that I was trying to articulate is that all Olympic athletes represent their nation as a whole, and are not representatives of their government or any specific political figure or party. None of us work tirelessly for years on end to compete in the Olympics on behalf of Democrats or Republicans. The Olympics are a non-political event, a chance for everyone to put aside their differences and be on the same “team.”. That does not mean that Olympic athletes don’t have political opinions. As an American, I am extremely proud that our great nation was founded on principals and ideals where citizens can express our opinions openly. It is a privilege that some others around the world don’t have. I am proud to be an American, and I want our country to continue to be a symbol of hope, compassion, inclusion and world unity. My travels around the world have recently made clear that this is no longer how people view the United States. You cannot pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV in Europe without noticing how people are questioning our direction. It seems to me that we must lead with understanding and strive for unity in our relationships throughout the world. As for myself, my recent comments opened up my eyes as to how divided we are right now. It is hurtful to read comments where people are hoping I break my neck or that God is punishing me for being “anti-Trump.” We need to find a way to put aside our differences and find common ground in communicating. Is it wrong to hope for a better world? All of this is much bigger than skiing and the Olympics. I am going to take the next two months to focus on what I can do and right now that is competing for my country. In doing that, I will be hoping that we Americans can still be that “shining city on a hill.”

A post shared by L I N D S E Y • V O N N (@lindseyvonn) on Dec 12, 2017 at 4:57am PST

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