Oscar Pistorius is an inspiration to those who know him. As you would see in the picture, he is the fastest man … on no legs. Pistorius is the current world record holder for double amputees on the sprint events (100m, 200m and 400m) and he has been dominating the Paralympics for quite some time now. He has done these feats through the use of carbon fiber transtibial artificial limbs or simply “cheetah blades”. If you compare his record times with the winning times during the last Olympics (yes, the REAL Olympics), his clocking will only be off by a second or two from the gold medalist’s.

To further his legacy and forward the idea that athletes with similar conditions such as his predicament, the 21 year-old native of South Africa tried something that would’ve been unheard of years ago. He has officially asked the International Association of Athletics Association (IAAF) to allow him to compete for the Beijing 2008 Summer Games. His official times are within the cutoff qualifying times set for non-Paralympic athletes and it’s quite clear that Oscar doesn’t give  up an ounce of pride or determination to any of the other “limbed” competitors.

This had the makings of a fairy tale human interest story. After all, who wouldn’t want to see an athlete like Pistorius – someone who had a congenital deformity that forced doctors to amputate his legs when he was  only 11 months — represent his nation and serve as inspiration to a lot of people? It was definitely going to grab headlines and would have definitely landed Oscar stints in countless talkshows.

Unfortunately, the IAAF intervened. The regulatory body for track and field events ruled that the “cheetah blades” allow Pistorius to run at high speed while exerting relatively less effort compared to other athletes who run without the benefit of using advanced suspension technology. Though Pistorius has vowed to appeal the decision, it is going to be unlikely to see cheetah blades on the track later this year in Beijing.

It’s very debatable and makes for a good conversation. On one hand, here’s a guy with no legs armed (pun intended) with advanced technology to make up for his missing limbs. On the other, there’s an athlete in excellent physical condition – no missing limbs — who can still propel himself without using advanced equipment. Stopping Pistorius from racing against the world’s best could only make people wonder more. What if the man on blades were given a chance?

Controversy has always been linked with the Western African country of Liberia. After dominating world headlines with the ouster and eventual exile of dictator and human rights violator Charles Taylor back in 2003, the nation has been struggling to find its footing amidst the shifting political and economic forces in the region. In 2004, Liberians elected Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as president. There was much hope in Johnson-Sirleaf’s presidency – her term marks the end of 14 bloody years of civil wars and she’s also the daughter of the first indigenous Liberian to be elected into government. Coupled with her Harvard education, it seems like Liberia definitely got their money’s worth.

But here’s the deal. In a country that has seen over a decade of dictatorship, the last thing that they’ll probably want is a weakened democracy and increased centralization of power. That is precisely what’s happening now.

In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court in Liberia stated that the president should be the only to decide the mayors  of each municipality in the country because the government’s coffers will not be able to shoulder the cost  of holding the elections. This puts the president and her party at a distinct and definite advantage. Such a measure virtually insures the administration that they will have all the mayors on their side. There is nothing stopping Johnson-Sirleaf from naming all her co-party members into power.

Understandably, the opposition finds the entire thing very unacceptable. Through the Supreme Court ruling, they are  rendered  impotent and the only arena wherein they could’ve gone toe-to-toe against the administration party has been eliminated and replaced with a method that  is very partial towards the majority.

Knowing the history of Liberia and the relative volatility of post-colonial Africa, it will be wise for the global community to watch the situation closely. If possible, countries which used to have a stake in Liberia (i.e. the US – who used the country as a repository of freed slaves back in the 19th century), should help out and ensure that the nation would get a fair shake as far as elections go. Liberia has shown that it could rise up from its dark past. It’s up for the rest of the world to make sure that it doesn’t regress.