Two protestors in Massachusetts disrupted an Olympic/Boston Globe PR event last week, shouting questions and protesting until they were forcibly removed.
On one hand: it’s hard to agree with a person who is yelling a lot and does not appear to have anyone backing them up, because that looks like it might be a crazy person.
But on the other hand: anyone who’s been following the Olympics at all ought to know that the concerns about Russia’s human rights abuses are not crazy-person issues. And when’s the last time that a meek, well-behaved protest accomplished anything?
The video above shows Robert Hamburger asking a loooooooooooong question, a dismissive response from an Olympic official, and then things get ugly. Skip to 3:20 to see Robert being neither meek nor well-behaved.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Sasha Kaufmann of GetEqual Massachusetts didn’t make it into the video, but she later asked the panel, “How can you reassure that I won’t be arrested as an out lesbian at Sochi?” Though we don’t have footage, GetEqualMA reports that two-time Olympic medalist Picabo Street answered, “I would take you under my arm. We will experience the Olympic games together, and have a wonderful time.”
This is pretty much the height of heterosexual privilege. “Hey, what are all those uppity gays complaining about? As a cisgender heterosexual I have never experienced any safety concerns at all!”
Kaufman followed up by asking what would happen to LGBT Russians after the games are over. Street’s response: “I don’t know. Hopefully, nothing.”
Great job, everyone.
hyhybt
Kaufman followed up by asking what would happen to LGBT Russians after the games are over. Street’s response: “I don’t know. Hopefully, nothing.”
Seems like a pretty good answer to me, and frankly, more polite than the deserves. “Why the hell would I know that?” covers it a bit better. It’s essentially demanding fortune-telling from someone who has no rational reason to know any more than anyone else and a lot less reason to know than, say, people who actually have any control whatsoever over what happens in Russia after the Olympics.
Goforit
Mr. Hamburger may not have been meek but he certainly was “well-behaved”. Merely following up with a tough question when given a dismissive answer is not misbehaving. Something that as a reporter you should be well aware of Mr. Baume. I am all for someone standing up for their Constitutional right to free speech, in a public forum, against any organization that is not working for the equal rights of ALL the people they represent.
Esther L. Hutchins
my neigbour recently purchased a fantastic cream Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible just by some part time working online with a cheap laptop. go right here http://iz.sg/HS
viveutvivas
What a patronizing douche ? If she really cared, she would refuse to lend her (rather ridiculous) name to this Olympic travesty.