Garastas comments

[Richey666]

Racist LBF president may face jail time

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Basketball Federation President Vladas Garastas may face a prison sentence after making a series of racist comments about American players in the Lithuanian league.

"Now about the negro playing in Zalgiris, I would expel him immediately. Zygimantas Janavicius is twice as good as he is... Education, there's no education there, with only the blackies playing," the Lithuanian-language daily Lietuvos Rytas cited Garastas, 76, as saying in reference to a Zalgiris players from the United States.

After the interview, the Human Rights Monitoring Institute asked the Prosecutor General's Office to open a probe into the conduct of the LBF president.

Garastas circulated a public apology on Tuesday, saying his emotional statements were caused by poor health and intemperance. "I acknowledge that my comments were inappropriate, insulting and indefensible... I was impulsive and emotional to use the strong-worded statements to describe the persons of a different race," said Garastas.

[Gytaz]

Garastas has to go, that has been clear for a long time. Statements like this are shameful. The literal translation of the word he used is "black-ass". However, I have to say that the journalist was very provocative, repeatedly asking the same question again and again until Garastas became furious.

By the way, the part with "jail time" is a complete bulshit. Of course it looks good as a headline, but no one will put the president of LKL in jail just because he talks shit. Sacking is completely different story, people like him should never be allowed to be in such high positions. The most logical scenario would be if he retired, but knowing him I doubt that's gonna happen.

[Mindozas]

Garastas is an old men, who sometimes doesn't understand what's he's talking about and don't feel any regrets for what he's sayin'. We can't blame him for that though, old people are all the same and probably most of us will be the same too.
The sad thing is that such LKF president is very suitable for some groups of people, who can manipulate him every they that they want. All the bullshit goes on Garastas, if there is something wrong, they just need to persuade Garastas to stay in his stool, to make him feel important and that's all. In other words, Garastas is just a symbolical president, nothing more. And it becomes so clear, when he has to talk in some press-conference or to give interview. He just can't think/speak sane enough.
And I believe he won't retire and won't be retired too, atleast in nearest future.

[Pistol Pete]

That's today's interpretation of free speech - say something government doesn't like - you get fined