frank, No apologies needed. That was one of the best posts that I've seen written on the topic. I watched the thing on BBC3 tonight and became angry. Not because of the topic but because it manipulated the arguments to suit its own purposes. A great proportion of the time was devoted to the Suarez issue. It never once asked if the FA procedures were correct or if the adjudication was fair. By implication it reinforced that Suarez was racist. Given that it was presented by the Chairman of the PFA, it never questioned what either he or the union had done their duty to the player over the whole issue. In fact Carlisle's own statements at the time added to the the pressure on the FA to find him guilty! As you say, all of us have prejudices of one type or another. It is how we learn to manage them that is the important issue. Perhaps we should re-focus the law so that it only concerns itself with the extremists and leaves society itself to manage via dialogue what is and is not acceptable.
Thanks Dave! I missed it; sounds like I'm glad I did. I'm an optimist; the majority of people of any colour & creed eventually see through those that are self serving. I think I'm maybe even too harsh on special interest groups: I know that at the grass roots level, on the ground are volunteers & community leaders that preach acceptance & responsibility for genuine reasons never to receive fame or fortune for their work. Like the modern politicians I distrust anyone who's actual lifestyle & position depends on the continuation of the very thing they purport to resolve. There's my main prejudice already: professional "do-gooders" lol. (and I'm obviously not including the likes of nurses etc in the category!)
Looks like Rio's ice creamish sense of humour might just have brought the Walls come crumbling down around him. News Twitter race row: Police investigate over Ashley Cole 'choc ice' tweet that Rio Ferdinand found so funny July 16, 2012 | Printable Version Previous | Next Rio Ferdinand Police have confirmed they are investigating comments made by Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand on Twitter. The 33-year-old defender appeared to back an attack on his former England team-mate Ashley Cole with a message which referred to him as a 'choc ice'. Cole, 31, gave evidence in support of team-mate and Chelsea captain John Terry, who was later acquitted of a racially aggravated public order offence. In a tweet that has now been deleted, Ferdinand wrote: "I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic hahahahahahha!!" Some Twitter users criticised Ferdinand for repeating the term - which can be used about black people who are seen to have betrayed their race. Later Ferdinand tried to play down the row, tweeting: "What I said yesterday is not a racist term. Its a type of slang/term used by many for someone who is being fake. So there." A number of people have lodged complaints with the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police. It is understood those complaints are now being dealt with by Derbyshire Constabulary as the original 'choc ice' comment is believed to have been posted by someone in the county. A force spokeswoman said: “We can confirm Derbyshire Constabulary is investigating complaints following alleged racist comments made on Twitter.” Last week Terry was cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence at Westminster magistrates' court. It was alleged he had maliciously called Rio's brother Anton, who plays for Queens Park Rangers, a '******* black ****' in a match on October 23 last year. Read more at: http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...c-ice-tweet-that-rio-ferdinand-found-so-funny
Before the Euros a sponts journo was on TalkShite and he referred to Platini as a "surrender monkey", drawing on the British love of stereotyping the French as cowards - "He went down quicker than a French flag in a war." Nothing was said by the kneejerk presenters who'd gotten so high and mighty about Suarez. Indeed Chelsea fan Andy Jacobs this week appeared to be making excuses for Terry. I had a feeling at the time of the Suarez fuss that if he'd called Evra a frog he'd have been championed as having assimilated into British culture so quickly. There did seem to be an element of not judging British culture rather than being racist in the Suarez charge - even Evra said LS isn't racist. How they expected a Uruguayan in the country a year to ascertain Brits would find 'negrito' racially offensive when most Brits had never heard the term before then wasn't made clear. But we all know the French are scaredy-frogs. I saw the 2nd half of the BBC3 docu and was shocked at the PFA chairman's ignorance on the subject. It was also shocking that there are so few Pakistani players moving up to the top level and the FA guy trying to make excuses for the lack of black managers showed the passive racism Barnes mentioned goes to the heart of those who judged Suarez and others.
Now there's a point! Who was the last top flight Indian Or Pakistani player? Nayim at Spurs comes to mind; think he was officially Spanish though; unsure of generational country of origin. I know there is the added complication of cricket being the main competitor even regarding 3rd generation kids but it is rarely mentioned. Or Homegrown Chinese? Not sure of mainland UK but NI has a sizeable & growing Chinese population.
