Editor:
I've got a simple answer to the question Helen Halet poses in her letter (Coast Reporter, Oct. 5) where she asks 'isn't the purpose of the Olympics to promote the importance of sports - the joy of competition, the thrill of trying one's best?'
No, it's not.
Those ideals have long gone. Although I accept the Olympics do have some entertainment value for us non-competitors on the sidelines, beneath all the 'razamataz', the ultimate purpose of today's Olympics is to enable people who are already rich, to become richer.
I suggest your readers 'Google' the phrase 'bread and circuses' (coined bythe Roman satirist/philosopher, Juvenal) for further enlightenment.
Paul Gibson
Sandy Hook
