To Apologize or not to Apologize

I can't help but wonder something. The rules of the olympics require safety equipment for pretty much every event. In an area where the smog is so bad that visibility is down to just a mile, my question is, why didn't those who make the rules require this piece of safety equipment be made available to the atheletes? The Chinese government may have been outraged by the implication, but are they willing to accept the responsibility of the possible consequences of their outrage? I bet there are already lawyers in China preparing for the possibility of lawsuits against the country if atheletes contract respiratory and other illnesses. If they demand apologies from the atheletes, are they going to be prepared to offer apologies to the atheletes?

After hearing that visability in Beijing was just 1 mile on Wednesday, and it was a sunny day. I think that they didn't have to apologize, seeing how the city spoke for itself.

I know that there is a lot of flak being given for US apologizing to foreign countries, a lot of people see it as a sign of disrespect to the US. In this circumstance though, I think it is absolutely appropriate! If I were to go over to someone's house for dinner, I would never hand wash their dishes before eating off them. If I had questions about that person's cleanliness, I would just stay home. But if I did it only to later realize it was offensive, I would have the class to apologize for it. Beijing has recognized that their air quality is poor, and is making large steps to improve it for the athletes. However, it is an incredible sign of disrespect to refuse to breathe Chinese air. I think its incredibly mature that these athletes took the initiative to apologize for this, even if it was coerced!