Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Ford won’t back down over skipping Pride parade

Mayor Rob Ford is sticking to his guns and says he will not be attending the Gay Pride Parade in Toronto on Canada Day. Instead he will spend the day with his family at the cottage – a 30 year tradition.

At a scrum outside an Etobicoke medical supply store, Ford told assembled reporters after being asked about his decision to spend the weekend at the family cottage: “My family comes first.”

When asked whether he would be attending any of the Gay Pride week events, he said: “I’ll take it one day at a time. My family comes first.”

Ford kept repeating the phrase as reporters continued to grill him on the topic. When a Star reporter asked him if he was homophobic, Ford looked away, mumbled something under his breath and didn’t answer the question.

Ford’s statement comes after former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman joined the chorus of voices urging Ford to choose the Pride festival over his Muskoka cottage.

“I think he’ll come around,” said Lastman, who in 1998 overcame deep unease with flamboyant displays of gay pride — and public nudity — and was rewarded with a hero’s welcome as he rode on an antique fire truck.

Full Article
Source: Toronto Star 

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