By Dennis Brent Melby

Years ago I did a stand up interview about public safety on the CBS Evening News with Connie Chung. It was recorded at a park in Chevy Chase, and the reporter introduced me to his cameraman, a man who had just returned from covering the visit of Gorbachev to China prompting the Tiananmen Square demonstration. When Gorby left, the Communist dictators sent all the foreign journalists packing and executed a bloody crackdown, and the People’s Liberation Army killed hundreds to get rid of any sense of democratic hope in Red China. I was impressed with the cameraman’s first hand story and his sorrow that so many he’d covered were killed for their beliefs.

Fast forward to today and the great victory of Alysa Liu at the Olympics in Italy. I saw her compete, I saw her win, and I watched her emotional joy as her US national anthem was played when she got the gold medal. She’s talented, beautiful, athletic and patriotic. She made me proud. I found out later that her father, Arthur Liu, came to America after he  had been surveilled and targeted by the communists for supporting the students demanding democracy. Liu did the right thing, legally immigrated the right way, and started a new family in the great welcoming country of the United States. He never looked back.

Contrast that with Eileen Gu, an American by birth, also very talented with great expectations in Milan, yet she decided to compete for Red China, accepting their largess and sponsorships for millions. Instead of representing her country, she represented one of surveillance and suppression – all for the fame and the money. What a difference.

These two young ladies seem like a microcosm of our national politics. But I’m on the side of America. Very welcoming to legal immigrants, supportive of hard-working families, and encouraging to the diversity of humanity coming here to add to our great county and make it even better. We love hard working legal immigrants of all colors, creeds and income level. It’s what America is all about, and why Communist China will never be the great country it could be without freedom and democracy.

Yes, freedom dictates that Miss Gu can compete for any country she wants…I get that, but the story goes to the great athlete whose dedication and reverence goes to her home, her family and her friends. She's rooting for America.

God bless the young men and women patriots of America.

Share your thoughts on the Olympics and patriotism. What did you think? Tell me at [email protected]

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