Another group seeks fair boycott

The Community Foundation of Lorain County is the latest group calling for a boycott of the Lorain County Fair over the sale of the Confederate flag. In a news release Thursday evening, the group announced its board voted to support a boycott of the Lorain County Fair, and asked the fair board to "consider its decision in support of the Confederate flag." "The national and global protests around the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, among others, have sharpened our focus surrounding police action and has risen our consciousness and brought into clarity the systemic issues of racism," it wrote. "And yet, our local Lorain County Fair Board continues to embrace racism through its support of the Confederate flag. The glorification of this symbol of anti-American rebellion and racial hatred cannot be supported." It is also asking sponsors, local businesses and fellow nonprofits to withdraw their support for the fair as long as the Confederate flag is "displayed and sold" at the fair. The Community Foundation's announcement comes after one of the vendors known to sell the flag decided he would not be attending this year. Russell Bissett, a retired Vietnam War veteran, has sold clothing and Civil War memorabilia, including the Confederate flag, for more than 30 years. According to the fair, Bissett cited the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as the reason he will not participate this year. Fair Board President Kim Meyers confirmed Bissett was the only vendor planning to sell the Confederate flag at the fair this year. The Medina and Wayne county fairs, as well as the Ohio State Fair, have banned the sale of the flag. The Community Foundation joins a longstanding pushback on the flag at the county fair from the Fair-minded Coalition, along with newer sponsors like Meijer, which announced it was pulling its support earlier this month. The 175th annual Lorain County Fair is still scheduled to run Aug. 23 to 30 at the county fairgrounds. A petition was started Thursday calling for this year's fair to be canceled due to the county's Level 3 COVID-19 risk designation. "We do not want all these outsiders in our town, infecting our residents as if you choose to go to the fair or not, you will be at a higher risk of contraction in public spaces," organizer Nick Tgzu wrote in the petition. "The negligence of the fair board members putting profits over the value of life, is clearly a lack of empathy, compassion and lacking there of the sacrifices we all need to make to overcome this pandemic." As of 7 p.m. Thursday evening, it had 125 out of 200 signatures sought.