"Mr. Lopez, there are a lot of protesting people outside, what should we do?" the staff member asked cautiously.
"Ignore them, let them stay outside! If they get tired of staying there, they will leave naturally." Lopez snorted coldly.
Protests and demonstrations are nothing new in the United States. Events big and small may trigger protests. It can even be said that no matter what kind of decision is made, someone will protest.
If a Republican president is elected, Democratic voters will come out to protest; if a Democratic president is elected, Republican voters will come out to protest; if the government wants to increase taxes, the rich will come out to protest; if the government wants to reduce taxes, the poor living at the bottom of society will They will also jump out to protest; if the government wants to provide universal basic medical insurance, people who have money to buy commercial insurance will protest; if the government does not provide universal basic medical insurance, poor people who cannot afford to see a doctor will protest again; allowing refugees to enter the country will cause security problems. People will protest; if refugees are not allowed to enter, people from human rights organizations will also protest.
The above are all major policy matters, and more often than not, some people are simply protesting for their own preferences. For example, some people felt that juvenile detention centers should not exist, so they went to protest; some felt that McDonald's had removed a type of hamburger they liked, so they protested; a supermarket owner felt that the supermarket next door was taking away his business by opening too long hours. , so we have to protest; some people who don’t buy what they want on “Black Friday” will also protest...
It can be said that Americans have fully implemented the saying "people who do not benefit themselves will be destroyed by heaven and earth" through protests. As long as it is detrimental to me, as long as it harms my interests, as long as I don't agree with it, no matter what is right or wrong, just protest.
In fact, there is no "win-win" for most things in the world. When four people play mahjong at a table, it is impossible for everyone to win money. It is already relatively difficult to have a "one shot and three shots" to make more people benefit. thing. With every change in this world, while some people benefit, there are also people who suffer losses. It is inevitable that those who have suffered losses will protest.
However, protesting only allows others to hear one's voice. Whether it has any effect is another matter. In the United States, hundreds of thousands of people often protest against the president, but the president's position is still secure. A large group of people protested and shouted for the president to step down. They walked from Capitol Hill to the White House with great momentum. The protest was over the next day, and the protesters went back to their homes to find their mothers. The president continued to be president, still sitting in the Oval Office of the White House drinking Coke and watching TV. It serves no purpose other than providing some material for journalists.
In the end, it is the law and procedures that are decisive. For example, if you want to remove the president of the United States, you rely on the impeachment procedures stipulated in the law, rather than taking to the streets to protest. For a presidential impeachment case, the U.S. House of Representatives passes it, the Senate passes it, and then more than two-thirds of the justices must pass it before the president can be impeached. If one side has more people taking to the streets to protest, and which side has a louder voice, then listen to the other side, completely ignoring existing laws and systems, and not following established procedures. This is just pure populism. Populist ideas cannot be opened. They cannot be closed once they are opened. The American elites are not stupid, so they will not support populist ideas.
There is a saying that if there are too many lice, it will not itch. Americans protest too much, so it is not surprising. Lopez did not take the people protesting outside seriously at all. Even if Congressman Dimon comes, he will not be able to affect the power of Lopez's stewards.
From another perspective, if someone protests, Philip will have to compromise and change his decision-making. Then his prestige as a tournament director will be ruined, and he will be unable to do his future work. Therefore, Philip will definitely not overturn his decision.
The protesters outside made Philip a little upset. He leaned on the boss's chair, picked up the coffee cup, and a sip of strong coffee rolled into his throat. The effect of caffeine calmed his mood a lot.
At this moment, Lopez's cell phone suddenly rang.
"It's Mr. Williams, CEO of the Athletics Association!" Lopez hurriedly answered the phone.
USA Track and Field is not an officially sponsored organization, but a private non-profit organization, so the top leader of the Association is generally the president of BA.
"Lopez, there is a disabled athlete named Felipe, nicknamed 'Blade Runner'. You refused to participate, right?" Williams asked on the phone.
"Yes, sir." Lopez's heart tightened, and he secretly thought that Williams was indeed here for this matter.
"Is he eligible?" Williams asked.
"He has no legs and is a disabled person. He should go to the Paralympic Games instead of competing here." Lopez had already thought of an excuse in his mind. He continued: "As a disabled person, it is impossible for Philip to compete with Normal athletes with sound limbs compete against each other, so I think he just wants to use this competition as an opportunity to increase his popularity! He doesn’t really come to participate in the competition at all.”
"I know he is a disabled person, and I don't want to know the purpose of his participation. I am asking you whether he meets the qualifications for registration. In other words, is there any article in the registration rules that can clearly refuse him to participate?" William Pu Si became serious.
"Well, it doesn't seem like..." Lopez's voice lost some confidence.
Williams took a deep breath and continued to say in a stern tone: "Lopez, we are very passive now!"
"Sir, I don't think you need to worry too much. Although there are a few protesters, this is normal. We don't need to pay attention to them. After a day or two, they will disperse on their own. Even if there are reporters, If they say we discriminate against disabled people, we just need to deny it directly. There are no legal provisions for disabled people to participate in competitions for normal people, and we are the organizer, so the decision-making power is ours," Lopez said.
"Do you think I'm worried about the people protesting, or the reporters? I'm worried about our sponsors!" Williams continued; "Sponsors have already called to inquire, and they don't want to be negatively affected. Impact."
Lopez's brows suddenly furrowed. He had calculated everything but forgot about the sponsors.
Since USATF is not a government agency, their main source of income comes from sponsors. Under normal circumstances, USATF has 15 to 20 sponsors at the same time, and sometimes they even sign contracts with different brands in the same industry. It's like signing with KFC and then signing with McDonald's. Sponsors can bring more than 30 million in revenue to USATF every year. If there is an Olympic year, sponsorship revenue will increase.
As a sponsor, you naturally hope that the objects you sponsor will not have any negative news. Discrimination against people with disabilities is an absolutely untouchable taboo in the eyes of the American public and will be condemned morally. Although in reality Among them, there will definitely be people who discriminate against people with disabilities, but when it comes time to express their stance publicly, they will definitely be fair and even say that they take the initiative to help people with disabilities, because this is politically correct!
On the other end of the phone, Williams continued: "Lopez, listen to me, I don't want to cause trouble, so don't cause trouble for me! That 'Blade Runner' just wants a place in the qualifying round. Just give him that damn spot and let him compete. Whether he really wants to compete or wants to get hype, it has nothing to do with us. I don’t want this matter to continue to ferment! I don’t want to take it anymore. Call the sponsor for inquiries!”
"Yes, sir, I will do it right away. The disabled athlete will get a place in the qualifying competition." With the leader's instructions, Lopez immediately agreed.
…
"Mr. Lopez, everything you asked has been completed. I just received Barron Philip's registration form. He can participate in the 400-meter qualifying race tomorrow." The staff reported.
"I understand." Lopez, who was standing in front of the window, nodded. Through the gap in the blinds, he saw Philip leaving here, walking further and further away.
"I feel so aggrieved after being put in a position. I can't bear to accept it!" Lopez clenched his fists tightly.
"Damn lame! You don't even have any feet. What's the point of participating in this competition? Even if you are allowed to break into the main competition and face so many top athletes, you will not be able to get a ranking, let alone the death championship. It’s time to compete! You just want to take this opportunity to increase your popularity."
The next second, Lopez suddenly had a plan on his mind.
"Do you hope to increase your reputation through this competition? I am not as good as you want. If you want to participate in a formal competition, you must first have the ability to pass the qualifying round! I will put the seven strongest people in the same group as you Let’s see how you break out of the qualifying round!”
Lopez thought of this and waved to the staff member: "After the registration deadline, send me the list of all athletes participating in the men's 400-meter qualifying event. I will personally group them!"
…
"This qualifying grouping is very detrimental to you!" Dai Li sat in front of the computer and entered one name after another on the website.
"Jim Oliver, 28 years old, his personal best in the past year is 44.92 seconds."
"Joe Christian, 21 years old, his personal best in the past year is 45.05 seconds."
"Marcus Garcia, 25 years old, his personal best time in the past year is 44.98 seconds. Another one who ran under 45 seconds."
"Sam Scott, 25 years old, his personal best in the past year was 45.11 seconds."
"Rudy Jackson, 23 years old, his personal best time in the past year is 44.86 seconds. This is the third person to run under 45 seconds."
"Lester Rogge, 26 years old..."
Li Dai checked the results of all the seven athletes in the same group as Philip. All of them exceeded Philip's registration time of 45 seconds and 51 seconds, and they exceeded it by more than a tiny bit.
"The results of these people are so good. Even in the Olympics, their best results are enough to enter the semi-finals. How can the athletes with the best results in the qualifying rounds gather together?" Li Dai said, revealing his face With a helpless expression: "Philip, it seems that we have been targeted! This is a death group."