I'm a football fan but would support England withdrawing from international football until the country shows the maturity to be able to participate properly.
Proud to be English? Coming together as a nation? Count me out. I'm reluctant to admit to liking football and embarrassed to be English. The racism, abuse, booing of National Anthems and taking the knee, ticketless fans forcing their way into Wembley to take the seats of those that have tickets, the touts making a fortune by fleecing the genuine fans, the anti-social, drunken behaviour, mass littering and complete disregard for Covid aren't all exclusive to football but it is a sport to which large swathes of pondlife seem to attach themselves. I despair If this nation ever was great, I certainly don't believe it is now.
I really hope this gets dealt with properly. Despite how bad this is being made to look in the media we still have to remember that the UK has come a long way in recent years, despite being dragged back by racist political parties and certain media outlets. Compare the UK to what's happening almost everywhere else in the world and let those without sin cast the first stone. We're light years ahead of the USA and many many other countries that suffer from systemic racism. Italy have been repeatedly punished by UEFA for racism as have almost every European country. If it wasn't for a minority of idiots in this country we would be one of the world leaders for equality and diversity. There's a long way to go, and dealing with any situation like this is a very important step, but let's not pretend the situation in England is any different from elsewhere in the world right now.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I really hope this gets dealt with properly. Despite how bad this is being made to look in the media we still have to remember that the UK has come a long way in recent years, despite being dragged back by racist political parties and certain media outlets. Compare the UK to what's happening almost everywhere else in the world and let those without sin cast the first stone. We're light years ahead of the USA and many many other countries that suffer from systemic racism. Italy have been repeatedly punished by UEFA for racism as have almost every European country. If it wasn't for a minority of idiots in this country we would be one of the world leaders for equality and diversity. There's a long way to go, and dealing with any situation like this is a very important step, but let's not pretend the situation in England is any different from elsewhere in the world right now.
“Despite how bad this is being made to look in the media”
Are you actually implying that the media are making this country’s racism appear more inflated than it is? How would you know that, exactly? And why on earth would the media want to exaggerate this country’s racism when the media is usually at the forefront of inflaming such racist rhetoric in the first place.
I’m also speechless by your claim that the UK would be “one of the world leaders of equality and diversity” if it wasn’t for a “minority”?
Again, are you genuinely implying that the “minority” are the only problem? Are the racist and xenophobic policies and language of Boris Johnson and Priti Patel also part of the minority? Or doesn’t that kind of polite, well-educated upper-class racism, count?
Well said, @wild edges, those are sentiments I entirely echo. The nasty, bigoted racists are, I sincerely believe, a very tiny slice of society but they get massive publicity. It distorts our perception of life on our shores.
My belief is that we have moved a long way in the direction of tolerance and respect in the last 50 years. The United Kingdom, as Wild Edges says, is more inclusive and accepting than most other wealthy countries and that gives me hope, hope that the odious few can be crushed by others calling them out, loudly and publicly.
I believe it's not just in football. I think that racists, xenophobes, homophobes and the likes are now not afraid to raise their voices. I'd say we peaked in " tolerance " about 15 years ago and it's been going downhill ever since. Bigots like Bojo and P. Patel and the whole Brexit fiasco have brought every bigot out their shells.
While we congratulate ourselves that things are better than they were, the lived experience of many people ‘on our shores’ is that they are racially abused and racially profiled on a regular basis.
Until the non-racist but silent majority of us step up and call out racism ‘… loudly and publicly …’ every time we see it we are condoning it.
While politicians think they can attract votes with coded ‘dog whistle’ statements designed to appeal to the far right racist bigots and get away with it, we too are guilty.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It seems to me that in recent years a number of people have felt increasingly free to express views that once they would have kept to themselves. We have hate speech, threats, personal attacks against individuals or groups who are just getting on with their lives. I don't understand why this is happening - it's too easy to blame social media, even if that has a part. What is happening that makes so many so ready to be offensive and aggressive?
It seems to me that in recent years a number of people have felt increasingly free to express views that once they would have kept to themselves. We have hate speech, threats, personal attacks against individuals or groups who are just getting on with their lives. I don't understand why this is happening - it's too easy to blame social media, even if that has a part. What is happening that makes so many so ready to be offensive and aggressive?
and didn't the flood gates open during the whole Brexit debate? Remind me who made comments about women looking like letter boxes and bank robbers?
Posts
A lot of hate filled bigots about.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Proud to be English? Coming together as a nation? Count me out. I'm reluctant to admit to liking football and embarrassed to be English. The racism, abuse, booing of National Anthems and taking the knee, ticketless fans forcing their way into Wembley to take the seats of those that have tickets, the touts making a fortune by fleecing the genuine fans, the anti-social, drunken behaviour, mass littering and complete disregard for Covid aren't all exclusive to football but it is a sport to which large swathes of pondlife seem to attach themselves. I despair
Are you actually implying that the media are making this country’s racism appear more inflated than it is? How would you know that, exactly? And why on earth would the media want to exaggerate this country’s racism when the media is usually at the forefront of inflaming such racist rhetoric in the first place.
Again, are you genuinely implying that the “minority” are the only problem? Are the racist and xenophobic policies and language of Boris Johnson and Priti Patel also part of the minority? Or doesn’t that kind of polite, well-educated upper-class racism, count?
My belief is that we have moved a long way in the direction of tolerance and respect in the last 50 years. The United Kingdom, as Wild Edges says, is more inclusive and accepting than most other wealthy countries and that gives me hope, hope that the odious few can be crushed by others calling them out, loudly and publicly.
I think that racists, xenophobes, homophobes and the likes are now not afraid to raise their voices.
I'd say we peaked in " tolerance " about 15 years ago and it's been going downhill ever since.
Bigots like Bojo and P. Patel and the whole Brexit fiasco have brought every bigot out their shells.
‘… loudly and publicly …’ every time we see it
we are condoning it.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I don't understand why this is happening - it's too easy to blame social media, even if that has a part. What is happening that makes so many so ready to be offensive and aggressive?
Remind me who made comments about women looking like letter boxes and bank robbers?