ABC NEWS on its website reported a story about the possibility of homosexual athletes and fans at the 2014 Olympics being prosecuted under its new law that forbids, "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" around minors. This will include public displays of affection like holding hands or displaying gay pride rainbow flags. Russians citizens face fines and possible jail time, foreigners could additionally face deportation.
A Russian lawmaker, Vitaly Milonov, was quoted saying,
"If a law has been approved by the federal legislature and signed by the president, then the government has no right to suspend it. It doesn't have the authority," he reportedly said, stressing that he has not heard anything different from Russian officials.
In our country we have a similar system of government where congress makes laws and our president signs them into law. We however have allowed our president the ignore laws he does not agree with, like D.O.M.A. and the employer mandate on the A.C.A., with no repercussions.
I want to make it perfectly clear that I personally do not agree with the Russian law, although I do acknowledge they have the right to make laws that they want to live by, as do we in our country. If they or we do not like a law we vote in politicians that are more in line with our personal beliefs and have the law amended legally, it is unlawful to simply ignore a legal law in either country. My question is when is it ok to simply ignore a law, and if it's OK to ignore a law I don't like how can I complain when someone chooses to ignore a law I do agree with?
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