TIMES THE OLYMPICS WERE CANCELED
And the Postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Games
deep in the trenches of WWI. Many nations had sent their athletes to fight in the war, so the games were canceled.
World War II caused the next two cancellations. The 1940 Olympics were initially scheduled to be held in Tokyo. It would have been the first time the games were hosted by a non-Western country, but Japan forfeited the right to host when they invaded China in 1937. The games were then rebooked for Helsinki, Finland, but after Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and started WWII, those games were scrapped as well. Since the fighting hadn’t ceased by the time the games were supposed to happen in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in 1944, the Olympics were canceled again. Though the Olympics have happened on schedule since the end of WWII, the United States has not always participated. In 1980, when the U.S. boycotted the Olympics that were held in Moscow, Russia, in protest of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, 64 other nations followed suit. However, those games still went on as planned and 80 countries participated. The fact that major global conflicts are the only other events that have been catastrophic enough to affect the Olympics might be distressing and elevate anxiety about our current global health crisis. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the Olympics have only been postponed this time, not canceled. We’ll still get to cheer on our favorite Olympians next year.
In late March, amid the global spread of COVID-19, the International Olympic Committee announced the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games. They were slated to take place in Tokyo, Japan, this summer, but they will now happen in the summer of 2021. While this is an unprecedented decision, it’s not the first time that major global events have affected the Olympic Games or which countries participated. Since the inception of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, they have been outright canceled three times — 1916, 1940, and 1944. The first cancellation of the Olympic Games happened during World War I. The German Empire was supposed to host the games in Berlin, but by the time 1916 rolled around, Europe was
DISTURBING RESULTS
3 Reasons Breathalyzer Tests Can Be Inaccurate
When someone is pulled over and suspected of driving while intoxicated, police will often use a breathalyzer to determine if the driver is drunk. However, breath tests are far from perfect and often give inaccurate readings. Here are three common reasons why a breath test may be inaccurate. No. 1: Unreliable Test Procedure The breath machines respond to temperatures. If the machine is not calibrated to adjust to changes in ambient temperature, it can produce inaccurate readings. Before administering the test, the police officer should observe the suspect for at least 15 minutes and make sure they don’t do anything that could impact the test results, such as vomiting, smoking, or belching. No. 2: Presence of Mouth Alcohol Breathalyzers are meant to capture a sample of breath for the suspect’s deep lung tissue. However, burping, regurgitating, or acid reflux can cause alcohol to be in the mouth during the test, corrupting the sample.
No. 3: Medical Conditions Medical conditions, like gastroesophageal reflux disease, acid reflux, heartburn, diabetes, and hypoglycemia, can create circumstances that cause a DWI breath test to result in a falsely high blood alcohol content reading. Considering how easy it is for a breathalyzer test to produce inaccurate readings, you might be wondering if you should consent to take a test at all. In Texas, you can refuse to take a breathalyzer test. However, this can result in your license being suspended. You do have the right to have a blood test conducted by a medical professional of your choice within two hours of your arrest. This is usually a more sensible option than agreeing to a breath test, as blood tests are more accurate. Whether you decide to take a blood test or a breath test, remember that the most important decision to make after being accused of a DWI is to hire an attorney. If you’ve been accused of a DWI, call 817-900-6000 and get an experienced DWI attorney on your side.
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