Letter to the Editor: From his handling of the 2002 Olympics to today, Mitt Romney ‘exemplifies American values’

October 16, 2018 Utah Channel 3

OPINION — On Sept. 11, I spent much of the day remembering the impact 9/11/01 had on my life and on our nation. That day changed my life and the lives of many other Americans forever. In the moments immediately after the attack, we experienced the blessings of strong leadership that exemplified American strength.

One of my favorite memories in the months that followed was President Bush sitting with our athletes at the 2002 Winter Olympic games, unafraid, unapologetic, loving and strong. The 2002 Olympics were, in my opinion, a critical juncture for our country. The whole world watched in a way that was different from previous Olympics.

Could we continue to move forward in the face of such loss and such trauma? The answer was a resounding “Yes!” We declared that America still matters and continues to promote American ideals. We have the chance here in Utah this November to continue that message with the man responsible for making those Olympic games and everything surrounding them a success.

In 1999 when Mitt Romney was recruited to serve as the CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Utah, no one could have imagined how important those games would be. None of us could have imagined that just five months prior to the games we would have experienced the worst terrorist attack in history.

Our youngest voters don’t have a memory of that time period, so I’d like to paint a picture. In the days and months after Sept. 11, 2001, we felt as if nothing was safe or sacred. Almost 3,000 citizens who had the audacity to go to work or get on an airplane, lost their lives for doing nothing more than being American.

The tallest buildings on the East Coast had been reduced to rubble, and the city that never sleeps was eerily silent. There was a silent fear, resolve and anger in the knowing looks from strangers. Not since Pearl Harbor in 1941 had we felt so vulnerable as a nation. And here we were, just five months from that attack, about to host the Winter Olympic Games.

As significant as the games are normally, 2002 carried with it the hopes and fears of every American. We weren’t looking for the most gold medals. We were just hoping nothing blew up and no one died. But, no one knew any of that would be the case three years earlier when Mitt Romney was asked to step in as the CEO of the 2002 Olympic games.

With an eye toward making the games successful and putting Utah’s best foot forward, he approached the games in the same way he approached many difficult business decisions in the past. He began by doing a deep-dive analysis of the games and the issues affecting them. He donated his salary to charity and dramatically trimmed the budget. He moved the Washington, D.C. office to save on rent and literally eliminated free lunch.

His leadership brought the Olympics from a scandal-ridden certain disaster to an unmitigated success. Even the Olympic venues today remain one of a handful of venues in the history of any country to continue to produce revenue. The 2002 Olympics remain a shining example of everything an Olympics should be. It showcased the best that America has to offer during a dark and difficult time thanks in large part to Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney exemplifies American values with an eye toward doing what is right and not necessarily worrying about who is right. I hope my fellow Utahns will join with me in voting for Mitt Romney this November.

Submitted by LYNDA COX, North Salt Lake City, Utah.

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