I just wish the protest had a clearer message in the UK. When Kaepernick started kneeling in the NFL he was very clear about what conversation he wanted to start: But over here it's just a general protest, and with the rioting, and confusion with the "Marxist" BLM political group, it has tainted what should have been a message of unity. I think it's too late to stop doing it, but hopefully somebody can step up and give a genuine specific cause for why they're doing it.
I just read the article on sky sports about Millwall against QPR. One side kneeled the others didn't. Both side linked arms and stood in front of an equality banner. It has become so ****ing muddled and whoever is in charge of communications wants sacking. They need to develop a fit for all purposes message/gesture that has identifiable goals beneath it. It's becoming ridiculously political when it ought to be a simple gesture of solidarity and equality.
I don't fully understand anyone bringing up past crimes like it justifies what happened. It might have been a justification for some force. It isn't a justification to put a knee on his windpipe for an eternity while he pleads for his life. While people on the street plead for his life. He wasn't a threat at that point, he shouldn't have been murdered. Because that's what it was, murder. It's what the courts will say. It doesn't really matter who he was, unsavoury character isn't a mitigating circumstance for murder.
If Sunderland fans booed en masse I would seriously consider stopping attending the games until the club showed some serious leadership. I know one person is leaving here because of the clear anti minority activism and far right racist narrative operating on this board.but I’m sure I’ll be shouted down for being a liberal and pointing out there is actually a lot of racism in society and in fact Sunderland as a town has a reputation for it , through the pro Yaxley Lennon / Anhe Marie Waters stance of many and involvement in some questionable versions of pro Brexit marches. I’d say from this thread a number of people think racism against black people doesn’t exist, shouldn’t be challenged through sport and in some cases are pretty much condoning it. It’s sad to see from the supporters of the club I love.
I get that it’s difficult to police the USA because of guns on the streets and of course he had a history but he was choked to death because he had a panic attack and a person abused their power. He was also a father, brother and someone who had recently attempted to rehabilitate himself , attend the church and participate in campaigns to end gun possession for teenagers. Some on here are dehumanising him and justifying his murder.
That's one of the most ridiculous, hypocritical and incorrect posts I've seen on here tbh. In fact, you're obviously so fixated and blinkered I can't even be bothered to address your claims. People like you are so utterly convinced of their stance, and intellectual superiority, it's easier to just sit back and watch how much they can embarrass themselves. The chances of you paying attention, or even reading a reply, are virtually zero.
‘People like you’ says it all tbh. Stick me in a grouping if you like if it makes it easier for you to have disdain. What about people like you ? And I don’t think I need advice from you mate about embarrassing yourself. You seem a good lad in lots of ways but you don’t own this board. We’re all bell ends in our own way but some of us are self deprecating enough to admit it.
More nonsense. You are a person like you and I don't need to 'group you' to take offence at your claims about this board. Nor do I hide behind sweeping generalisations about people on here, if I take offence at what someone says I'll respond to them directly and be prepared to take the flak. You've stuck people in a group then complain because I've done it, that's hypocrisy plain and simple.
How to you define “far right” ? Do you label people with that vicious tag because they don’t agree with your views? Are you far left? This has been an interesting post and shows the depth of quite a few people’s feelings on this matter and as predicted back in September on this very post the true feelings of a percentage of fans would be shown when they are allowed back in the ground. It’s called free speech and no matter what the media or the virtue signalling celebrities say the fact is they have got the feeling of the country very wrong. It seems that a few people on this thread have had their backs put up because a lot of people don’t agree with them, that’s what happened on the streets of America & London when people disagreed with their agenda and they started rioting and looting & vandalism occurred all over the country. I have yet to see anything on that level from the “far right”
I personally believe these endless slogans and gestures are diluting the message rather than strengthening it. I don't need to be told how to behave by a bunch of young football players as if they're blameless and virtuous. I also find it slightly uncomfortable that the UK should be tarred with the same brush as the USA. We're basically a decent place and not the rampantly racist cesspit some would suggest.
If, as has been suggested, someone is leaving the board because it's corrupt I'd have to call that person a coward. If you feel so strongly, about such a serious subject, you should say so and not just silently slink away. It's amost as bad attempting to use this mystery poster to back up your claims. It's ironic that some people, who believe themselves to be fair minded and reasonable, automatically judge the arresting officer by the colour of his skin ... ... believing, without question, that this was a racially motivated attack seems quite bigoted to me. It may be that the man is just an outright bully, poorly trained and absolutely useless at his job. I have a long standing shoulder injury, from the SY Police, two of whom dragged me, with my arms up my back, 400 yards to the stadium cell's. They weren't being racist but fit nicely into the description I just gave.
I agree to an extent. Yes we are not America by any means but I think there is plenty of racism about from either side. England was a very divided country when I left it and it sounds like that has remained. I left a Sunderland game a few years ago, Everton away, because I heard some **** howling racist abuse at Sessegnon every time he miss-hit the ball. Was it Darren Bent's mum who was abused by our fans when she sat with them? Living in Birmingham, I was called a dirty white boy by a car, filled with South Asians, that crawled along the curb as I walked home from a shift at the pub at 3 in the morning. They're just a couple of examples. There is plenty about. You don't have to look that hard unfortunately.
I can't disagree mate but the Darren Bent scandal was by a few scumbags who were rightly condemned by the vast majority of our supporters as well as the town in general Sadly that's about as good as it'll ever get, idiots will always be idiots .... ... I remember 'town lads' waiting on the bridge, after matches, waiting for the pit village lads going to the train station. Some people just need something, anything, to rail against and shout about.
I can't argue with that at all, but while they lean on racism as the brand of idiocy it's difficult to suggest there isn't much racism in the country. I'm not even mentioning the mainstream media who consistently portray racism in blaming minorities for just about everything and anything they can. I definitely agree we aren't in the situation America are. And thank God for that. But I do think there is a lot that could and should be done to stamp it out further. Fortunately, it feels like we are headed in the right direction but until we get there, there will always be people who want more progress.
This may be a stupid question but if the western world is deemed to be racist why do so many refugees flock to our racist borders? I would actually hazard a guess that if analysed properly that quite a few of the western nations UK and USA included are far more tolerant and accepting of others beliefs than many others.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs. When we attain something that sustains us at a base level we concern ourselves with something further up the pyramid. We don't have famine, drought or genocide etc so we can worry ourselves with matters less pressing than those mentioned. I wouldn't trade our problems for the problems of say Sudan. But it doesn't mean they aren't problems all the same. Ideally we don't stop concerning ourselves until we get all the way up to the top but that's shangri la and it won't happen in our lifetime.
I think we should all do whatever we can to improve things. In my case that's as benign as just being decent with people and not causing anyone any bother. What I don't like being told is that it makes me part of the problem, f++k that. Whoever chose the slogan Black Lives Matter made a big mistake imo, it's divisive and makes no more sense than `Girl Power'. Something which prompts the automatic response of 'all lives matter' is doomed to failure. Automatically excluding Asians, Chinese, Middle Eastern people, let alone white people, doesn't make everyone rush to 'join the cause'. My overriding belief is that we're all in this together so ffs let's just all get on with it and not add to the everyday problems we all face. Works for me and I don't appreciate being told my silence is violence tbh.
