I was utterly disgusted by the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympics. I tuned in last Friday night to see our athletes and celebrate the discipline and hard work they did to prepare for these games. I wanted to support them and rout for America.

Instead, I was met with celebrities who knew nothing about sports, announcers who had no idea what was happening and couldn’t explain most of what we saw, an almost naked singer painted blue, transvestites, drag queens mocking Jesus and the Last Supper and more. I watched in disbelief and several times wondered, “This is the Olympics right?”

I took to X and found the Last Supper trending. Interestingly, people from other religions and even professing no religion were saying the French went too far. Christians were shocked and offended and moved to their knees. The French Catholic Church’s Conference of Bishops put out this statement, “This ceremony has unfortunately included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we very deeply deplore” And the support for calling out indecency was definitely vocalized in an amazing show of global unity.

I felt sorry for the athletes. This bizarre attempt at entertainment deflected their very reason for the games. It took them out of the spotlight. The entire show could have been edited to show only the lighting of the flame and the one moment of true inspiration, Celine Dion’s amazing anthem, sung as she stood tall on the Eiffel Tower. Despite her well known physical ailments, she looked like an athlete who had trained for this moment and performed powerfully with beauty and grace. She represented strength, endurance and resiliency. She symbolized those who face defeat but get up and keep going to win the prize. I was looking for this type of story telling. Stories that would inspire me, make me want to exercise more, and encourage young athletes not to give up on their dreams.

But no. Once again those in media and with the microphone subjected us to nonsense, immorality and off-putting messages. How sad that people can’t produce redeeming stories and make us better, not more divided. America, please learn from this moral failure for your turn in 4 years. The athletes and viewers deserve better.