BLM - Will you boo ?

[Vindec]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

Taking the knee is an acknowledgment that society is racially unequal and that that has got to change. What are some "legitimate" reasons for not wanting to acknowledge that?

I don't think anyone is suggesting that the message is inappropriate but you have to admit that, if the practice continues at kick off time indefinitely, the message will get stale. Perhaps for next season taking the knee could be introduced at a different time, for example at the beginning of the second half, or at the end of the match just to freshen the message up. Ultimately the authorities will have to decide whether the practice of taking the knee will continue after that.

[Tuerto]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

I don't think anyone is suggesting that the message is inappropriate but you have to admit that, if the practice continues at kick off time indefinitely, the message will get stale. Perhaps for next season taking the knee could be introduced at a different time, for example at the beginning of the second half, or at the end of the match just to freshen the message up. Ultimately the authorities will have to decide whether the practice of taking the knee will continue after that.

Why do you think it will get stale, and what are you basing your opinion on? it's not a marketing ploy, maybe what you're saying is that it will start annoying a certain demographic a bit more, the longer it goes on-Racism doesn't stop, can't see why taking the knee has to.

[NYCBlue]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

Anybody who misinterprets that 'Black Lives Matter' as meaning 'Only Black Lives Matter' probably thought that the slogan 'Free Nelson Mandela' meant that everyone else incarcerated in apartheid-South Africa should remain in prison....

That's a good way of putting it.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

Taking the knee is an acknowledgment that society is racially unequal and that that has got to change. What are some "legitimate" reasons for not wanting to acknowledge that?

Wouldn't we be better doing something about it rather than acknowledging it? The fact that society is unequal towards poor (often non-white) people is only a shock to racists and idiots. The arena we pick to take the knee and demonstrate how bad the problem is? Sport - the one area where talent and genetics wins the day (over connections and nepotism) and black people are ****ing killing it.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

Why do you think it will get stale, and what are you basing your opinion on? it's not a marketing ploy, maybe what you're saying is that it will start annoying a certain demographic a bit more, the longer it goes on-Racism doesn't stop, can't see why taking the knee has to.

Maybe 5 seconds isn't long enough to completely get rid of racism, they could add a minute or two to the kneeling every year that racism isn't eradicated?

[Tuerto]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

Maybe 5 seconds isn't long enough to completely get rid of racism, they could add a minute or two to the kneeling every year that racism isn't eradicated?

That's a great idea-Get on to the football authorities.

[jeepster]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

No

I grew up in the valleys where racism is rife, it still is. I’ve said things I’m not proud of from a race perspective. I now have black friends from different parts of Wales and the UK and I try and see things from their perspective. I now argue with other friends and family who come out with such nonsense about how their fed up of seeing more black people on tv or the taking of the knee.

Personally, I don’t look at the taking the knee as a Marxist political movement, anyone using that excuse is just a closet racist imo. To me it’s about black people wanting to be respected too not that only black lives matter. It’s bringing awareness to a problem within our society and if people are going to froth at the mouth or boo over a simple 3 second knee bend then they need to take a long hard look at themselves.

A very good reply just how i feel.:thumbup:

[UNDERHILL1927]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

A very good reply just how i feel.:thumbup:

Agreed, summed up my thoughts exactly

[Eric Cartman]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

As we have 100% agreement in the poll, I will try and spark some debate by playing devils advocate.


I would not Boo black lives matter, I fully respect the right of people to peacefully protest against injustice, discrimination and racism of all kinds. However I do not support elements of the movement and therefore I personally if on a football pitch would not want to kneel, as this would be a contradiction to some of my principles, and hopefully I could show my solidarity in another way.

But would my refusal to kneel automatically brand me a racist?

Unfortunately I believe for many not wanting to kneel would open me up for immediate criticism.
This fact alone is one of my complaints, I am not a big fan of the: 'You are either with us or against us mentality' that surrounds the movement.

One of my biggest complaints is the organisers and individuals who have spoken for BLM. Primarily at rallies in the USA, These individual's are mainly college students who are self declared Marxist, proponents of identity politics and are using BLM to promote their political views, for example the Defund the Police movement.

As someone who is not a supporter of socialist's policy, Does not agree with the practicalities around defunding the police, and believes identity politics is extremely dangerous and does nothing but to further segregate and divide people than bring us together.

I also found it concerning, that while the world was under the strictest lockdown measures, the media and commentators tried to promote a narrative, that the protests of tens of thousands of people shouting in close proximity would not/did not contribute to the consequential covid spikes in the following 1-2 weeks.
In a fantastic paradox of the only thing worse than putting others peoples lives at risk via covid, is racism and therefore protests are justified.

In another example, remember the BLM police free zone?
Hundreds of protesters took over several blocks of Seattle and transformed it into the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or “Chaz”, helping to amplify nationwide protests while offering a real-world example of what a community can look like without police.

within days, they became exactly what they claimed to hate, they put up walls, implemented their own policing and enforcement, beat up press and residents who resisted the takeover of their homes and businesses, and were allegations of shootings and sexual assaults' within the zone, that could not be investigated.

The Whole situation literally reads straight out of George Orwells, Animal Farm. And people should remember that history teaches us that the far left is just as dangerous as the far right.

Part of the problem with the BLM movement is how strongly it is tied to American politics and the incredibly polarised nature of it but we should try and separate the issue from the pantomime as much as possible. The issue is structural racism and by taking a knee in the UK you aren't supporting defunding the police or Chaz in America and by not taking a knee you aren't a skinhead Nazi.

My concern is that this is 'clapping the NHS' all over again, it gives people who wouldn't lift a finger to force the kind of positive change that is required (and quite often would vote directly against it) an easy way to pretend they are on the right side of history.

[delmbox]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

Wouldn't we be better doing something about it rather than acknowledging it? The fact that society is unequal towards poor (often non-white) people is only a shock to racists and idiots. The arena we pick to take the knee and demonstrate how bad the problem is? Sport - the one area where talent and genetics wins the day (over connections and nepotism) and black people are ****ing killing it.

Acknowledging it and doing something about it aren't mutually exclusive though are they? And racism is rife in sport, football especially, regardless of if "black people are killing it" so it's a great arena to acknowledge it, although it's not the only one which does, which is what you seem to be suggesting

[surge]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

BLM is a message of anti-racism, it's a loosely formed movement of people from a wide-spectrum (some part of radical organisations, most not) who were captured by the need for such a message and recognise the need for change, and a new organisation. The football players probably don't know enough about the new organisation, or any other organisation using the slogan, but probably were amongst the majority who support the anti-racist message and were captured by need to speak out and promote change.

Opponents to message also come from a spectrum of people as well with some who oppose an anti-racist message, some of whom oppose any changes to make current system more fair (or have been told the changes that will be made are radical and scary), and some who belong to both groups. This loosely formed group will tell you that BLM is a far-left and violent, echoing what they have read in the Mail/Spectator/Telegraph etc., but have forgotten that large scale change are often brought about by coalitions with what used to be seen as radicals being active at the core. Mostly, I am really looking forward to see if Millwall fans boo Remembrance Sunday because Churchill (British hero) worked with Stalin (communist - must be booed) and Rooservelt (anti-business, pro-government interference in order to support poor and unemployed and so seems a bit too "marxist" - must be booed)....

[Vindec]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

Why do you think it will get stale, and what are you basing your opinion on? it's not a marketing ploy, maybe what you're saying is that it will start annoying a certain demographic a bit more, the longer it goes on-Racism doesn't stop, can't see why taking the knee has to.

I'm not saying that at all. I think the current practice may get stale in time but if you think differently then that's fine.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

Acknowledging it and doing something about it aren't mutually exclusive though are they? And racism is rife in sport, football especially, regardless of if "black people are killing it" so it's a great arena to acknowledge it, although it's not the only one which does, which is what you seem to be suggesting

They aren't but what is anybody actually doing?

Worth pointing out that there are two issues here and I think the primary concern should be structural racism (this was always meant about black lives and not black feelings), once you manage to make public/private sector leadership more balanced and inclusive (not by quota but by interrogating their recruitment processes and systems and prosecuting people for discrimination) then we will see an automatic reduction in the kind of casual racism that is hurtful on an individual level. When you pop into Barclays to pay in some cheques, do you take a quick knee to protest against the fact that their leadership/board are a bunch of old white men? I certainly don't and nobody has asked me to.

[celticknight]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

Trying to associate the kneeling to politics is a dog whistle.

Racism isn't political, so by trying to make it political certain people can hide behind BS excuses like "free speech" and scream "how dare you attack my political opinion, you Marxist!". They want a way to not be held accountable for their racism. It's why they rail against so called "cancel culture" when it used to be called being held accountable for your actions.

The last few years of Trump, Brexit et al has shown people how to be a c*nt in public and get away with it.

[Tuerto]

Re: BLM - Will you boo ?

I'm not saying that at all. I think the current practice may get stale in time but if you think differently then that's fine.

I don't think that it will get stale, it'll become more relevant as more racist behaviour occurs. That's the beauty of it, some people may get used to it, although it'll refresh their minds in my opinion when the next bout of racism occurs. Hopefully it's making some people very uncomfortable and they'll show their true self the longer it goes on.