An InsiderAdvantage scientific survey of Georgians suggests that residents of this, the home of the 1996 Summer Games, are deeply concerned about the potential for terrorism at the Winter Olympiad in Sochi, Russia.
Georgians know a thing or two about unexpected acts of terrorism at Olympic Games. The 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympiad was tainted by an explosion in Centennial Olympic Park that proved to be the act of a lone terrorist.
With news stories abounding in the media about potential threats to the Sochi games, nearly 73% of Georgians said they were very concerned about such a threat, with 59% saying the United States should not participate in the games.
Only 23% of respondents said they were not concerned about a potential act of terrorism, with the rest undecided.
Atlanta holds the dubious distinction of being one of the two cities to host the Olympics in which an act of terrorism overshadowed the games. The other was Munich, (West) Germany in 1972.
InsiderAdvantage CEO Matt Towery served both as a state legislator involved in the planning of the Atlanta Olympics, and as an attorney representing the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) prior to the games. He notes, “Sochi and Atlanta really can’t be compared. Nor can Munich and Atlanta. As to Munich, that was an invasion of the actual Olympic Village, with a huge loss of life directed at one nation. The tragedy in Atlanta was more the act of a lone character, and the loss of life, while tragic, was far less (one death).
“But Georgians, many of whom were much involved in the 1996 effort, have not forgotten the sting of unexpected acts of violence.
“As of now, the biggest failure of the Sochi effort is the pitiful condition of newly constructed and basically unfinished hotels and other related venues. That alone could have made the late-IOC leader Juan Antonio Samaranch declare the Sochi Olympics less than ‘the best ever.’ Given reports that you can’t use toilet tissue in the toilets in Sochi, I think Atlanta may well surpass Sochi.”
The InsiderAdvantage survey has a margin of error of 4.3%. It is weighted for age, race, gender and political affiliation. The online survey was conducted with our survey partner OpinionSavvy. To read more about the accuracy of online surveys visit the news center at www.opinionsavvy.com
