The whole taking of the knee thing can't go anywhere. If anything, they need to keep doing it and show that they're actively fighting racism behind the scene as well. Racists trolling online and vandalising murals shows as a nation we need to actively move away from racism. We very much aren't there yet. There is plenty of racism about.
Through no fault of their own the taking of the knee has been politicised and is now deeply divisive, because that's what politics is now. Good or evil, 100 percent for or 100 percent against. I think the England lads have built up enough goodwill to evolve their stance without losing face. Don't give the people you're trying to change an easy excuse to not listen to you, which is what's happening now.
Good post. You are right regarding the politicisation of the taking the knee/ Black Lives Matter Campaign. I know that the taking the knee is meant as an anti-racist gesture,but it is also closely associated with the Black Lives Matter Campaign, which contains elements of Anti-Establishment and Anti-Police sentiments, which I personally couldn't back. 'Show Racism the red card' is something I have always backed and will continue to do so.
I think its pretty common to be against the taking of the knee before sporting events and also be disgusted by the racist backlash towards those players. Its rhetoric like this (if you are against the taking of the knee then you obviously must just accept racism and not be horrified by it and possibly be racist yourself) that is causing a bigger divide and is not helping their cause.
As far as I'm aware taking the knee was started by that American padded rugby player who refused to stand for the US national anthem and flag which he said was symbolic of racism. Unfortunately, BLM jumped all over it and now everybody thinks taking the knee is a BLM 'thing' The players need to distance themselves from BLM. It's an organisation that give up any credibility it had left when it's leader was shot in the head by a gang of black kids and everybody that witnessed the shooting has stayed silent. Silence is violence and, no justice no peace... Clearly what's happened after the final is showing that we do have an issue with racism that needs to be stamped out so the players should be looking at ways of stamping it out, but if they want widespread support they need to get up from the ground and have their own way of doing things.
Another good post,but,I think we have to say that it's a minority have an issue with racism,and it's a great pity that,in,say,a crowd of 1000 people,with 1 of whom may have a racist attitude,it seems to be his behaviour which attracts the media and makes the headlines. We mustn't allow ourselves to be tarnished by the behaviour of a relatively few cowardly idiots sticking up drink-fuelled bile on social media sites.The vast majority of us are not bad people....we understand. Unfortunately, human kind will always generate a diverse range of behaviour,and,in a country with in excess of 60m souls,most of whom are packed together, you're always going to have the full spectrum of our good and our bad. I think these players do have widespread support,with or without the knee.
If these same lads are all prepared to go and play in Qatar their taking the knee protest becomes hypocritical and means zilch.
I agree with that. I think it's ****ing mental that more hasn't been made of the human rights abuse that's made that tournament possible. I don't understand how it has been conveniently overlooked by pretty much every **** inside football.
I think Russia and Qatar was Blatter's farewell as FIFA president. I'm assuming that was his redundancy package. The twat.
The politicians have a problem with all of this because football players are just 'lads' who won't accept 10 minutes of unrelated waffle ... ... unlike their buddies, Marr, Kuenssberg, etc, they ask direct questions and expect a direct answer.
I know a few guys who worked on those stadiums and some stories they tell me about how some of the laborers where treated is simply inhuman
That's pretty problematic. The entire racism issue really needs to be reframed. There are divisions between races. There are negative feelings from all sides. It's that that needs fixing.
I don't know a great deal about it. I've heard soundbites of course. It's a massive shame someone hasn't properly blown the whistle on it all.
Totally agree. Pointless fixing half of the problem as the other problematic half then feels and practically becomes more empowered.
BLM, etc, seems to be making things worse imo ... ... I can't remember things being this bad, in the UK, before George Floyd tbh.
