Who Gets To Decide What We Protest?

Well I have had months and months of various things that Rob Ford has done that strike me as foolish to downright immoral.  But here is one issue I will stand beside him on -- even at an arm's length. 

When it comes to the fight over the flag, he is right.  “This about the Olympics, this about being patriotic to your country,” Ford said.

Any thinking, objective person can see that this is about the LBGT movement getting press and being grossly opportunistic.  Where will we draw the line in future Olympic locations?   Is it the role of the international community to ascertain every issue in the host country and make a statement about it? Of course not.  So why pick this one?  

"According to international human rights organizations as well as domestic press, violations of human rights in Russia include widespread and systematic torture of persons in custody by police, dedovshchina in Russian Army, neglect and cruelty in Russian orphanages, violations of children's rights. According to Amnesty International there is discrimination, racism, and murders of members of ethnic minorities.  Since 1992 at least 50 journalists have been killed across the country." [1]

So why this one?  Why gay rights?   

The issue isn't even whether one agrees or disagrees with gay and lesbian issues.  

The issue is, "Who gets to decide what we protest?"

Rob Ford is right. Let's support sport; let's support Canada.  Unfortunately this Olympics will go down in history as advancing the cause of the LBGT movement and less will be known about fast times, tenacious endurance and the amazing skill of gifted athletes.  

That's sad.





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1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Russia