Almost Famous!
I was just interviewed by some guy with a microphone and a cameraman with a big light.
Microphone Man: Excuse me, how do you feel about people not being allowed to wear anti-Olympic slogans during the games?
Me: I don’t like it.
MM: Could you elaborate?
Me: I don’t think it’s right that we’re not allowed to express what we think. Some of us voted for health care, not a circus.
As I turned away, I heard the cameraman say, “That was good.” I don’t know what station or what it was for, though.
Then I started to worry, because I am woefully apolitical, and am not exactly up on events. Possibly they were going to use me as an example of knee-jerk ignorance of opinion?
But the government telling me I’m ‘not allowed’ to wear something? I sort of want to get arrested for wearing a shirt that says something really offensively anti-Olympic.
Some Stuff | Liz October 14, 2009
By Arwen, October 14, 2009 @ 2:15 pm
Oh, yay you! That doesn’t sound knee-jerk at all, and part of it is how you look – hip and teachery both, you could have an opinion either way, right?
I agree; getting arrested for anti-Olympic slogans would be sort of enjoyable. The government shouldn’t be parenting like we’re teenagers. You’re not wearing THAT, young lady!
By Liz, October 14, 2009 @ 2:24 pm
Wasn’t there a bylaw passed that made it legal for women to go topless in Vancouver? I might wear a ‘Fuck The Olympics’ T shirt and then, when told I wasn’t allowed to wear it, just take it off.
By clara, October 14, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
Let’s all get FUCK THE OLYMPICS tattoos.
Oh, sort of extreme.
I saw, too late, that citizens can work as volunteer observers http://www.pivotlegal.org/News/09-09-16—Olympic_legal_observers.html during the games.
By Liz, October 14, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
I’ll be interested to see just how much they can report, Clara. VANOC’s probably going to have a jackal pack of lawyers snapping at Pivot.
By Beth, October 14, 2009 @ 5:44 pm
ooo, jackal pack of lawyers. What a totally apt description.
I know Guelph had the young lady (Gwen Jacobs?) who went topless on a hot day, got arrested and fought it on equal rights and won. So all Canadian women have the right to go topless. The timing of the event in February however might make it difficult.
By elswhere, October 14, 2009 @ 7:35 pm
What!? People aren’t ALLOWED to wear anti-Olympic stuff? Not just at the events but, like, anywhere?? That’s totally bananas! I mean, I know there isn’t a first amendment here exactly the way there is in the States, but isn’t there some kind of guarantee of freedom of speech?
Captcha: “I’m blither.” Sums it up pretty well, I think. As in “blithering and gibbering” not as in “blither than thou”. I am decidedly un-blithe about this development.
By Arwen, October 15, 2009 @ 9:50 am
Elswhere, I doubt very much it would make it through the supreme court unscathed. Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has a freedom of expression clause right up in 2), and this is pretty much covered – thought, belief, opinion, etc.
However, at the Olympic Venue, being private property, they may have a case – but they may not, too. It’d be an interesting case. Outside the venue you SHOULD have freedom of expression, but VANOC would like you to believe otherwise; it’ll take a court case, hence Pivot Legal getting up to witness.
There isn’t a universal freedom of speech in Canada of course: hate speech and some expressions of obscenity are constrained.
By Liz, October 15, 2009 @ 10:00 am
Beth, I think that’s the case I was thinking about! February will just make it a bit…nipply.
On second thought, “Fuck the Olympics” would be construed as hate speech by VANOC’s jackal pack. How about a shirt that says, “Hosting the Olympics in Vancouver has put the city into debt, displaced already marginalized citizens, and inconvenienced many people.” Not as catchy, I know.
By Beth, October 15, 2009 @ 4:04 pm
I like your origianl comment for a Tshirt:
I want health care, not circuses.
ooo, neat captcha that has nothing to do with anything: packed puffin
By rachel, October 16, 2009 @ 7:07 am
Vancouver hosted the Olympics and all I got was this big lousy debt?
By Liz, October 16, 2009 @ 1:42 pm
Beth, that one might be subtle enough to slip incer VANOC’s radar. Ha, Rachel, I totally should!
By Beth, October 16, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
So, did you ever figure out who filmed you and did you see yourself on TV?
By Liz, October 16, 2009 @ 8:49 pm
Nope. Not a clue.
By Nicole, October 16, 2009 @ 10:33 pm
If we can bring automatic rifles to the President’s speech, we should also be able to wear anti-Olympic looks to the Olympics. Pretty mild in comparison, right? Unless you truly believe the pen is mightier than the sword.
But I wouldn’t do either.
By Liz, October 17, 2009 @ 12:00 am
Nicole, welcome to the blog, and, you’re exactly right on the rifle front.
By Stephanie, October 19, 2009 @ 8:14 am
Free speech. It’s such a crazy line. You should get free speech if you’re not insane, but then how do you tell if someone is insane? Sometimes insane people look normal.