NBA superstars Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, among others, have previously voiced their views against the genocide in Darfur.  With the Olympics being held in Beijing, and China's overall support of Sudan and those responsible for the genocide, now is the perfect time to speak out. David Stern has even announced that he has no plans to restrict the players' freedom of speech in any way whatsoever. So why aren't they?

For years, the Chinese government has been blocking UN sanctions proposed by the US and UK against Sudan because of Darfur. By doing so, they essentially are throwing support behind the murder of at least 200,000 people, and possibly as much as twice that. Hollywood celebrities Mia Farrow and Steven Speilberg have been especially vocal and active, as well as NBA players Ira Newble and Tracy McGrady. McGrady wrote all about his experiences visiting refugee camps in Chad on his personal website, and Farrow and a group of athletes formed Team Darfur, a self-proclaimed "International coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness about and bringing an end to the crisis in Darfur, Sudan". Newble collected signatures from various NBA athletes for a letter addressed to the president of the IOC, as well as the Chinese government. Lebron James initially declined the opportunity to sign the letter, citing a lack of knowledge about the situation, but later spoke out about it, after researching it for himself. Many politicians, athletes and celebrities have joined together to speak out against the atrocities, as well as China's essential approval of the killings, in the form of their support of the Sudanese government.

While Team USA basketball stars Lebron James and Kobe Bryant have been active in the past in terms of campaigning for a solution to the crisis, the entire team has been silent on the topic as the Games draw closer. Apparently, USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo told the team to stay quiet about politics, and ever since then, the players have been unified in their silence.

Colangelo's request is not only directly against the players' inalienable rights as Americans, it's flat out wrong. This isn't a case of Lebron James stumping for one presidential candidate or another, or some other kind of polarizing partisan political issue. This is a matter of hundreds of thousands of lives at stake, and China's support of the government who is engaging in a modern day Holocaust. There should be no question whatsoever in anyone's mind as to what is the right thing to do. The Sudanese government is wrong. By refusing to support (and allow) the UN sanctions, the Chinese government is wrong as well. The Beijing Olympics are the perfect forum for sending a message. Players have spoke on this issue before, so why not now, when the opportunity is greatest?

China has even gone so far as to revoke the visa of Joey Cheek, because he planned on attending the Games and protesting China's stance on Darfur, as president and co-founder of Team Darfur. China has claimed that they will allow various protests from athletes, but their actions against people like Cheek suggest otherwise. Corruption in China is as problematic as ever, and it's obvious that more high-profile athletes need to speak out, if this subject is ever going to be legitimately addressed. The Chinese government wishes to disassociate the Olympic Games with the Darfur situation. While the two things are certainly independent of each other, athletes keeping mum on the subject only amounts to lost opportunities.

For the most part, I think politics and sports should be kept separate. I don't want to hear who Curt Schilling thinks will make a better president, I don't want to hear who Lebron is voting for, or even Mike Sweeney's thoughts on stem cell research. If you're an athlete, leave the partisan politics at the door. PLEASE. But this isn't an issue of who will veto what bill, or the government keeping their laws off peoples' bodies. This is a matter of life and death, quite literally. There is no question about what is the right thing to do. The time is now to speak up against the genocide in Darfur, and China's support of it. Athletes who have the opportunity and yet fail to do so are not only failing themselves, but the global community as a whole. The USA basketball team, as well as the rest of the athletes involved in the games, should show a united front against China's toleration of the genocide in Darfur. Some things are just bigger than the game. This is absolutely one of them.