Charltonpat don't take this the wrong way but your talking complete drivel and I beginning to think your the one that holds extremist views. If your saying the law is an ass, can you give me case law and the required rules of evidence that says the law was wrong on this occasion, not forgetting to argue why white people in race cases must not have the benefit of the doubt in cases where it's one word against the other with no supporting evidence to support the charge. if you want to see an innocent man reconvicted to satisfy your rather perverted form of justice then what could civilsed society judge of you? As a white man with an half Indian mother I perhaps can have a quarter of a view on this as it seems that you are favouring the colour of people skin to be sooooo more important in this matter and that overrides the proper and correct application of the law. And finally as a guess, I think your black friend will be bored to death with another well meaning but totally patronising condescending discussion from a white fella on colour and race. Quite why you mention it makes me wonder if your not certain what racism innocent or not really is. I mean would you ask a Japanese person to fix your camera? Or a Jewish person to help with your accounts?
The only thing I would like to say on this matter is that Mr Ferdinand made the first insult about John Terry's family.... as far as I am concerned then ALL restrictions are off - racist, sexist, genderist, ageist it doesn't matter... anybody insults my family deserve what they get.... I would accept the same if (and I never have) I were to insult somebody's family... As far as I am concerned ....family first, all other ****e later ......and bollocks to the law!
Read the evidence in the case. Terry may well have said there was banter between the players and that this was normal but he also stated that he only used the allegedly racist words in querying an allegation that he had used them from Ferdinand. something along the lines of " you think I said *** **** ***** *****, (you're a ) kn*bhead". Whether this was the intention of his use of the words or not this has been his defence since the first interview with officials after the event and it gave the magistrate a reasonable doubt. Where reasonable doubt exists then innocence must be presumed otherwise we return to the days of the witchfinder general or the law of the albigensian crusade.
We must be careful not to start some sort of 'Salem witch trials' and assume guilt before trial (or even after they have been found not guilty) just because they are footballers. In all my years of playing football I never once made a racist/gingerist/ageist statement against another player.
It's perfect timing and sweetly ironic that just when the press, the fa, the courts and even posters, would want you to believe that racism is rife amongst white society, Rio Ferdinand just comes along and endorses a phrase that is so vile and damagingly offensive to black and white people, it really makes you wonder wether the whole thing was really worth all the fuss.
One from my Father - He was looking over my shoulder while I was on the threads page and said "John Terry gets off" - yes, especially with Wayne Bridges' missus" Deary me...
No because I don't stereotype people in that way, do you? Far from seeing it as patronising and condescending discussion (do you actually know me?) with a mixed cultural background I am entitled to a view on these issues and my black friend feels the same way that these comments Terry made were racist abuse but then the comment made by Rio Ferdinand although not abusive implied racism.
