Suppose the Fulham fans should be glad he doesn't play for Rangers or Celtic then! I agree - it seems like racism has become the latest target for zero tolerance and is just used by the FA to make a statement. Tho' some sociologists do argue that racism is actually worse than physical violence, as racism is violence is a crime against the individual whilst racism is effectively a crime against an entire race. Still, gotta feel a bit for Suarez - one unthinking word hardly constitutes a serious crime!
What happened about Evra's initial, and repeated claim that Suarez used the word "ten times"? Does that make Evra a liar? Or, if it was said ten times, how can the FA say that Suarez "is not a racist" There is a huge inconsistency about all this, the FA could well be hoisted on their own petard.
I think it's a case of the FA trying to seem harsh so that noone even attempts to use any kind of derogatory comments. But where does the line stop with this? What if someone makes a comment about another player's family? It's a dangerous precedent that the FA have set themselves and I don't think enough of the spotlight has fallen on the FA and how poorly they've handled this IMO.
Ahh, here is the almighty English FA - shouldering the 'White Man's Burden', exhibiting 'Cultural Imperialism' and sticking it to the ignorant foreigners good and proper. I presume they believe that this show of force will make Blatter look stupid, with his handshake comment. Unfortunately, it makes the FA look stupid. They've forgotten (or perhaps its to wipe out the disgrace of) about the English head of FIFA in the 60's and 70's being an apartheid supporter. The punishment would be appropriate for Woodgate or Bowyer after what happened 10 years ago, but this is a ridiculous overraction. The FA said that they accept that Suarez is not a racist, then punish him as if he were found guilty of racism. This is getting Orwellian - there are now words that need deleting from dictionaries, because they could be construed as offensive and racist if used to describe a person. Next up on the banned list - Afro, Afro-Carribean, African, Afro-American, Asian, Aboriginal, Black, Brown, Tan, Yellow, Red, Gypsy, Irish, Polish, Scottish, Manc, Scouse, Geordie, Mackem, Brummie... In fact, if you use any descriptive, you might upset someone because of the context it's used in. The FA will have this as a stick to be beaten with - What is the definition of 'Racism' in the way used by the FA under rule E3(2)? and what is an 'insulting word' that are going to be punished by the FA under rule E3 (1). Frankly, this entire thread, and probably all of not606 (not just GC) would be prosecuted by the FA under that. I fully expect Evra to be prosecuted and receive a similar ban under these rules, if Suarez was upset by the words he used towards Luis. (Fat ****ing Chance!) I hope this will be taken all the way to the CAS if the FA do not moderate the punishment.
Discriminating someone because of the colour of their skin is exactly the same as discriminating someone because of where they are from. Calling someone a ****** or a paki (this is used for both race and xenophobia), what's the difference between that and saying "manc scum" for example? Two wrongs don't make a right even though the latter example is never construed as racism or any type of discrimination. People will say that Evra needs to just be a man and take it but he called Suarez's bluff and let it be known. What's wrong with using this incident as a precedent? So that people know that you can't use anything that can even be construed as discrimination (bearing in mind that the football pitch is their workplace). You don't like it because it's a Liverpool player but there has to be a first. We United fans didn't like the ban that Rooney got for swearing (wasn't at anyone or used as a degrogatory term, again context matters not a jot) but do you think anyone would even dare do something like that now? How can that be a bad thing? It's a small thing in the general context of players' fans' and sideline language- how often on the TV do you hear manager's swearing through the mics- but its a start.
I think the FA, for whatever reason, has decided that race (i.e. ethnicity) is separate from nationality. They did the same thing against Evra in 2008, when "****ing immigrant" was deemed not to be a racist term. Tho' as you say in your other post, would they do the same if a player called another a "paki", which is arguably a reference to a country rather than a race.
