Curling for Voting Rights

Should DC have its own Olympic team, separate from the US team? Mike Panetta thinks so, and that’s why he’s set up the District of Columbia Olympic Committee. After all, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands all have Olympic teams, even though they, like DC, are parts of the United States and have nonvoting delegates in the House of Representatives (though their residents, unlike DC’s, pay no federal income tax).

And that’s the point. Panetta launched his committee to call attention to DC’s status as the only part of the United States where the residents pay federal taxes but have no vote in the Congress that decides how those taxes are spent. If the International Olympic Committee has to rule on the issue, then that will generate some publicity that will educate more people about the situation — a situation most Americans are still unaware of.

Panetta has chosen curling as his sport and put together a team. He’s eager for more volunteers, so if you’re interested in any of 39 Olympic sports, join up. Whether you’re an athlete or not, you can use the form on the front page to send a message to Olympic officials and do a bit for DC voting rights.