With the recent end of the 2016 Summer Olympics, many people are looking ahead to the future Games. The locations for the next three Olympics have already been put in place, however, the slot for the 2024 Summer Olympics is still open and is going to be interesting to fill. One possible location that is certainly turning heads is Los Angeles, California. While there is a large following of supporters for this, many people have concerns about it taking place in L.A., or the U.S. for that matter.
Based on a survey conducted with 80 Northeast students, 81% of students agreed that L.A. should host the Olympics in 2024, but 31% of those students said they would not want to attend them. These Northeast students, along with the rest of the U.S., have concerns about what could happen with it being in L.A. With the current uprising in terrorist attacks and violence in the world, many see the Olympics as a gateway for an increase of this. Many people also see overcrowding becoming a potential problem. The argument is that L.A.’s population is already extremely high, making it crowded as it is, so there may not be enough room for L.A. to host them.
Despite these cons, there is a decent list of pros that have been brought to light. The most common positive of having the Olympics here is that it is an opportunity one might only see once in his/her lifetime. Many believe that having it in the U.S. makes it much more accessible to U.S. citizens. It being overseas nearly every time makes it an unrealistic goal for most, so this would allow many more Americans to experience the Olympics. Along with this, many agree that this will bring in tourists, which in turn means an increase in revenue. With America’s debt, now being $19.3 trillion, people see the Olympics as an opportunity to begin reversing this.
It is hard to say whether or not L.A. will win the bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. While it is an amazing opportunity for Americans and potentially the government, it is important to keep in mind the violence and overcrowding that may occur. As of right now, all that everyone can do is sit back and wait for the final decision in September of 2017.