Threats of violence in my home state's election, and grotesque ignorance and false equivalence by FIFA.

There is one people standing for election in my home state who has made a vile, violent threat: that threat is being investigated by police, which is as it should be. 

However, there is a case that such behaviour should also be addressed by our electoral procedures - which is a questions for all of us voters, not the VEC, who are charged with enforcing existing electoral laws and should not comment, other than to advise on procedural risks and similar matters. 

The problem with considering that is that it could become a slippery slope, which is why I consider the advocacy or commission of physical violence (including the violent overthrow of our government) should be the bar. Abhorrent behaviour such as this, this, or this should be dealt with through voting against them, and the exercise of responsibility by the mainstream and social media.

Now, FIFA and its grotesquely irresponsible and damaging decision to give this year's world soccer championship to human rights abusing Qatar.

FIFA’s head has tried to compare the racism abuse he experienced with that experienced by LGBTIQA+ people in Qatar, including making a flippant and highly offensive remark that he was gay.

The problems with this are: 

• the standard you walk past is the standard you accept - FIFA’s acceptance of Qatar’s anti-LGBTIQA+ hate is a strong indication that all other LGBTIQA+ inclusion moves by FIFA are a farcical, hypocritical pretence;
  
• LGBTIQA+ identity is not a matter of a flippant choice: it is an inherent part of our nature, just as race is not a matter of choice; 
• if that person's comparison was to have any validity, it would need to be equivalent - including a legal ban on existing that includes the death penalty;
  
• any wrong is wrong, whether it is large or small.