POLL: Stephen Fry says we should we boycott the Winter Olympics in Russia. Do you agree?
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Your support makes all the difference.Earlier this week the actor, writer and TV personality, Stephen Fry wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister and the International Olympic Committee calling for them to back a ban on the 2014 Winter Games being held in Sochi. This boycott would act as a protest against the human rights abuses inflicted on LGBT people in Russia.
Fry is regarded with deep respect and affection by many Britons, so it was no surprising that his letter received a lot of support and attention. This support was not, however, universal. Andrew Pierce, a journalist and, according to his online biography, "fellow gay rights campaigner" wrote a piece dismissing Fry's stance as "preposterous". He calls Fry "grandiose" and "egregiously self-satisfied" and argues that a boycott would not be effective: "When it comes to challenging 'unfair' laws, it is always much more effective to confront your enemy and make their position look stupid."
Nor is Andrew Pierce the only one. David Cameron took to Twitter to publicly reject the suggested boycott. He tweeted. "I share your deep concern about the abuse of gay people in Russia. However, I believe we can better challenge prejudice as we attend, rather than boycotting the Winter Olympics."
What do you think?
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