Maybe I should have put verbalises/writes! In this day and age when computers and phones can be readily seized, texts become tantamount to speech so I think as much care should be taken when texting as in open speech, especially when you're in the public eye. We run the risk of putting these sort of sporting issues into the public 'right to know' domain. If for instance this was the Minister for Culture's private texts, should we the public be made aware of his/her private thoughts? Are they in keeping with the ministerial role they are being paid to perform? The private persona would seem to be at odds with the public persona which, bearing in mind the job title, should surely be compatible. But that isn't who we're talking about so we don't have a right to know. You're right about some factions demanding their opinion is more valid than all others. Frank pointed it out earlier, the black ex-player seeing the racism as serious but dismissing the sexism! Mackay is paying the price for his naivety in believing that text messages are purely private and I don't see him as racist in the sense of how that is generally defined, but now his words have come to light I don't believe it's ok to dismiss them as banter, neither do I think he should be hung out to dry. We now know something about him we didn't know before - he either does hold the views he made texts about or he doesn't but felt drawn in to making them - both of which show a lack of maturity.
i think actually this is kind of funny.... tribalism for 1million years or however long humans have evolved and what 100 years total of feminism and about oh 20 years of anti racism on football. I think eradicating something that is as human as looking out the window is impossible. The only means to have a proper society in the end will not be to pass a guy in the street not see a black or white person but to see the differences and feel positive. It is fear, it is negativity and it is threat that forms the issues If people for instance now see the muslim memebrs of our community as a danger its negative. IF they start wondering which kid is getting radicalised and going to head for isis or whatever its a problem. Then you'll find some football manager texting derogatory terms at city i suppose.... And then you'll find some guys on the other side posting stuff about isreal etc... if there's a perfect person in the world i've not met them. there's too many problems in the world to stop all fears..... but it doesn't excuse macay nor does it excuse tan's actions either
Nobody is born racist, we learn it. Little kids in their innocence pick out differences - as adults we need to keep hold of that innocence about differences, question them, don't fear them, just like a child would. Once innocence is lost, it's gone forever. The truth remains though that even if the whole world was brainwashed and innocence put back in, we'd still find all the differences to fight over rather than the similarities we share!
Bit wrong there JB little kids see similarities and not difference. Studies of children in nursery, kindergartens etc appear to show that little children don't discriminate on colour or even physical differences (handicaps if you like). It's later when those 'differences' are used negatively.
I don't think I am wrong mate. I've got first hand experience of this from 15 years in primary education. Little kids when seeing someone who's different to themselves such as different race, in a wheelchair, hearing aid, noticeable birth marks ........ the list is endless ... will always ask straight away about that difference on the first encounter. Once the answer's been given, it's never questioned or brought up again [usually] and never used in a prejudicial way. All colours/deformities etc. are completely accepted and become as if invisible from then on. Only once did I ever encounter a child who went against this and she seemed pretty troubled herself anyway, her parents eventually took her out of the school. You are right that the negativity about differences comes later in life. We must all take responsibility for that.
We're making a habit of this! I thought I just said the same thing in so far as the differences were treated as being irrelevant.
