Because of the way Russia’s leaders and bureaucrats have operated, Yale University student Tyler Blackmon wanted their Olympics to be a failure.

However, he has now changed his tune:

From the country’s overt persecution of gay citizens to the mass slaughter of stray dogs in preparation for the Games, Russia’s string of abuses have prompted activists from around the world to question the International Olympic Committee’s selection of Sochi as the host of this year’s Winter Games. Joining that sentiment, I too balked at celebrating a country that had so aggressively mistreated its own citizens.

So in a key moment of the opening ceremonies, when five points of light were supposed to expand into five prominent Olympic rings as one of the most recognizable symbols of international cooperation, one ring unexpectedly malfunctioned. The result was a sad configuration of four interwoven rings and one wilted star off in the far right corner. In this moment meant to serve as a testament to the rebirth of Russia, the country had fallen short.

And as I watched the spectacle unfold, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction: Russia had failed; President Vladimir Putin had failed; proponents of a viciously anti-gay society had failed.

…But in the midst of our sardonic tweets and posts, many Americans crossed a line from criticizing the acts of a government to attacking an entire people. Such a reaction is particularly unfortunate because in focusing so narrowly on the country’s faults, we missed out on the opening ceremony’s rich display of Russian culture and history told through the lens of the Russian people.

Russians spent $51 billion in taxpayer money to cut through international politics for one moment and tell the international community a story, and America simply laughed.

If we’re not careful, we risk soiling the spirit of the Olympics in the name of our own political agenda — a tragically shortsighted strategy that forgets how easily the international community could flip the script on the United States in future years. After all, our own government seems to have no qualms about spying on both its own citizens and international leaders or using “enhanced interrogation techniques” in Guantanamo Bay.

We should neither forgive nor forget the abuses carried out by the Russian government. But as painful as it may seem, we must put aside our politics for now and take the time to celebrate an age-old athletic tradition, and compete with one another unconditionally.

It’s a truly inspiring idea we had all those decades ago — every two years, no matter how much hate we harbor, the international community takes less than three weeks off from the constant deluge of negative news to highlight the best the world has to offer.

I almost let myself ruin that tradition, and for that, I apologize.