The Lada, one of the worst cars ever built, was sold in small numbers to Canadian buyers from 1979 until the late 1990s.
Boycott Russia and its product (there aren’t many) to send a message
Beacon News wasn’t planning to send reporters to Sochi, and Olympic coverage would have been limited to wire stories about hockey, but we plan to boycott Russia, anyway.
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
And while we’re at it, let’s boycott Russia vodka and caviar. I’d boycott more, but I can’t think of another Russian product I might consume.
A 1982 test drive of a Lada cured me of any idealistic inclination to support Russian manufacturing. I mean, the steering wheel was laid out almost like a pancake and driving the car reminded me of warm summer days on my grandfather’s farm bouncing up and down on his steel-wheeled 1937 tractor. The ride was that similar. The salesman at the Saskatoon dealership that had imported a few of the boxy sedans told me the driving experience was “European.”
Like Hell. No German or Italian engineer would be dumb enough to design and build such a piece of crap automobile as the Lada.
Likewise with LGBT rights, Europe is way ahead of Russia. Homosexuality is legal in the European Union and many states offer protection of gay and lesbian rights, though same sex marriage is not as common as one might think, even in some of the more modern countries (hello Germany, Italy, Ireland, Czech Republic, et. al.).
The lesson from the Lada is that if it’s a piece of crap, don’t buy it. It took 20 years to rid Canada of perhaps the only car in automotive history that never, ever changed its design, but not even dirt cheap prices could persuade Canadians to continue buying the decrepit technology that was the Lada.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on gays and lesbians reminds me of the Lada. Badly thought out, mostly a creature of politics, and a pig no amount of lipstick can dress up.
This year alone he’s signed the following anti-LGBT legislation:
- Russian-born children cannot be adopted by gay couples. That includes prospective parents in countries that have adopted marriage equality. You know, like Canada.
- Tourists and foreign nationals Russian police suspect of being homosexual or “pro-gay” can be arrested and detained up to 14 days. How will that work during the 2014 winter Olympics? Will cops be stationed at the Moscow airport with “gay-o-meters” to frisk athletes, family and sports fans?
- Homosexual propaganda is pornography. If a parent tells they’re child homosexuality is ok, they commit a crime.
Putin’s anti-gay crusade has been condemned around the world. Many LGBT groups are calling for a boycott of the Russian Olympics and of Russian goods to protest.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Boycott Russia, it’s a very good idea. Citizens can’t always wait for their political leaders to act. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, for instance, has decided the Syrian civil war is the diplomatic battleground upon which to engage Putin, not gay rights.
Sometimes, we must do our best and hope for a good result.
Don’t watch the Olympics on television or read about in the newspaper. Don’t buy Russian vodka or caviar. Sign petitions. And if you come across one of the few remaining Ladas, do yourself and the environment a huge favour and call the junk yard to scrap it.
These are all small gestures. Beacon News not carrying any 2014 Olympic news is a small gesture.
But maybe if we all make a few small gestures the cumulative effect will sway Putin and lead to greater freedom for Russian gays, lesbians and transgendered people.
Do your part. Boycott Russia.
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