Eric Bristow having a mare...

[Theatre of Trees]

He isn't saying anything that a lot of other people have said.

Which other celebs have been saying the same as Bristow?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Absolutely he does, if you're bold enough to speak you have to be prepared to accept the consequences. But should we really expect/demand or even want a society where opposing points of view aren't shared? Whether they are popular opinions, or not? Personally, I don't think censorship is the way forward - however stupid or disagreeable someone's opinion is, we all have the right to form our own opinions.

He isn't being censored. He chose to air his opinion on Twitter which is very public. Sky decided that they didn't want him to work for them any more. Who is to say that is down to public demand? I don't recall seeing any demands on Twitter for him to be sacked, not one.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Which other celebs have been saying the same as Bristow?

Why do they have to be celebs? I didn't say anything about celebs, because one of the things I think is good about Twitter is that it doesn't matter who you are. You can voice your opinions, whatever they are. In this case, the man is a minor celebrity which is why it's been picked up as a story, but I'm sure if you looked for similarly offensive opinions like his on Twitter, you could find them.

He isn't being censored. He chose to air his opinion on Twitter which is very public. Sky decided that they didn't want him to work for them any more. Who is to say that is down to public demand? I don't recall seeing any demands on Twitter for him to be sacked, not one.

I wasn't saying that he is. I'm saying that he shouldn't be, whatever he says. I didn't suggest he had been sacked, you've responded to things I didn't say.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I wasn't saying that he is. I'm saying that he shouldn't be, whatever he says. I didn't suggest he had been sacked, you've responded to things I didn't say.

Then I haven't got a clue what your point is. Nobody is saying he should be censored.

 

[fat old seagull]

Its a sentiment that some can certainly relate to, and maybe if he'd just left it at that, then little (if anything) would've been said.

What went beyond the mark was when he said that the footballers were "wimps" for not taking that course of action once they'd grown up (whilst trumpeting how "hard" darts players like him apparently are in comparison). That's just crass ignorance. OK there's no law against being stupid and ignorant, and publically displaying that. But it certainly does NOTHING to help the poor souls who are still struggling with such a traumatic event in their lives. Its fear of exactly this kind of persecution that stops them coming forward in the first place.

Yes I agree, I wasn't backing his silly tweets, just relating to how I'd feel if I'd been abused. To which I could add, I would be whole lot more positive (no matter at what cost) if it had been my kids involved. But I guess EB was good at darts, and not quite so clever at social comment. Or even whether he should be gobbling off at all

 

[Paris]

I find it almost amusing how Bristow is now making out he made those tweets to raise awareness. Comes across as such a dummy. Though being tried by a toe-rag like Piers Morgan would take some swallowing.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

Why do they have to be celebs? I didn't say anything about celebs, because one of the things I think is good about Twitter is that it doesn't matter who you are. You can voice your opinions, whatever they are. In this case, the man is a minor celebrity which is why it's been picked up as a story, but I'm sure if you looked for similarly offensive opinions like his on Twitter, you could find them.

Because there is a huge difference between some non-entity troll in a bedsit in Kettering with half a dozen followers and a sportsman who has some national media presence. The latter has a far greater reach than the former and thus needs to be a bit more responsible in what they say. You appear to be unable to recognise this.

 

[LlcoolJ]

Like Keys and Gray, he is very well versed in his chosen sport and I liked watching them talking about football without caring even just for a moment about what they think about anything else.

Aside from everything else, you actually LIKED Richard Keys on Sky?

 

[BigGully]

But what about the people he was tweeting about? By putting it in the public domain there is a chance they will pick up on it, unless of course you are quite happy for someone to publically call you a wimp because you didn't act a certain way when you were 13.

It certainly wasnt very nice but in the main scheme of things, whether a ex dart champion's boorish, inarticulate call to arms to go and 'sort out' the perpertrator of the abuse whilst accepting the inappropriate 'wimp' jibe, beyond those that really care whether Bristow is worthy of a wage or their adulation I cannot see why there is so much coverage or the associated condemnation by those that cannot really know what he is genuinely like.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Because there is a huge difference between some non-entity troll in a bedsit in Kettering with half a dozen followers and a sportsman who has some national media presence. The latter has a far greater reach than the former and thus needs to be a bit more responsible in what they say. You appear to be unable to recognise this.

No, I just don't agree with you. There's a difference.

Aside from everything else, you actually LIKED Richard Keys on Sky?

I grew up watching football on Sky, at that point he was THE standard. And if we're all being honest, nobody has come close to him since.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

It certainly wasnt very nice but in the main scheme of things, whether a ex dart champion's boorish, inarticulate call to arms to go and 'sort out' the perpertrator of the abuse whilst accepting the inappropriate 'wimp' jibe, beyond those that really care whether Bristow is worthy of a wage or their adulation I cannot see why there is so much coverage or the associated condemnation by those that cannot really know what he is genuinely like.

Because Bristow is an ex-sportsman and thus a minor celeb he has a greater reach in who his tweets connect with and thus his views are more likely to spread a lot quicker than any you or I would send. A prime example of not thinking before you air you views in cyber space.

 

[BadFish]

He's used his free speech as he's entitled to do. Now he has to accept the consequences of his opinions.

Exactly with the right to free speech comes the responsibility. If you don't accept the right to free speech you also have to accept the consequences.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

No, I just don't agree with you. There's a difference.

So you believe that Bristow should be able to air his views in public and those he is condemning as wimps should just ignore his tweets.

 

[marlowe]

For Bristow to make those comments and for others to not express their outrage at those comments has far reaching implications. Bristow's comments only serve to perpetuate the very attitudes which prevent victims of abuse from coming forward in the first place. The ongoing fear of such attitudes being expressed and generally accepted is, I believe, a significant reason why there are no current, younger players coming forward as they fear the real possibility of taunting from the terraces from a small but significant minority of rival fans. As long as victims of abuse feel discouraged from coming forward it only creates a safer and less risky environment for abusers to continue to perpetrate their behaviour with less risk of being exposed. So it is not only those that have already been abused that have to continue to suffer in silence that we have to consider but also those children who will suffer abuse in the future because of the cultural attitudes which have made it easier for the abuser to continue with his behaviour. Of course Bristow is allowed to have his opinions and even express them, no matter how abhorrent, but freedom of expression works both ways and it is up to those who disagree with his opinions to openly express our disgust, with the purpose of not only making Bristow and his sympathisers aware that his public proclamations only serve to perpetuate the continued abuse of children, but also to publicly declare to all past and future victims of abuse that they have nothing to feel ashamed about in speaking out because the opinions expressed by Bristow are in a small, ill informed minority.

As for Bristow's claim that these victims should have sorted their abusers out when they got older, unless I'm mistaken isn't that exactly what they are doing now by coming forward? I'm sure if Bennell was given the choice between a good kicking or being publicly exposed and shamed, as is happening now, he would take the kicking every time. So as far as Bristow's claims that these victims should have exacted revenge on Bennell when they got older, the revenge that is being exacted now is far more damaging and painful to Bennell than any physical assault that he could have suffered. Why should the victims of his abuse risk prosecution for assault and suffer further distress in their lives, and furthermore leaving themselves open to further abuse and manipulation from Bennell as they come to terms with the fact that he was the chief prosecution witness whose testimony led to their criminal record for assault, with all its implications, when they have another option available to them? And they will only feel able to use that other option if they are confident that the tide of public opinion is fully supportive of them. It is for this reason that we have to openly express our disapproval of Bristow's comments rather than ignore him in silence.

 

[joeinbrighton]

Jim Bowen summed up Eric Bristow pretty well I thought. You can't beat a bitter bully.

 

[pottert]

I don't agree with king Eric's comments but I see his point.
When I was a little boy my mother married a German man.A horrible c***
He would often smack my mother about.My brother & I often got a few whacks but nothing sexual.
After a couple of years my mother left him.
My brother & I vowed that if we ever saw that man again we would deal with him & I mean deal with him permanently.
I'm talking now about something that happened over 30 years ago & my feelings towards him have not changed.
I want him to suffer even now.

What I don't understand Is how so many young lads who were abused.Many of whom have gone on to have successful professional football careers.have not felt the need to settle the score.















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[W.C.]

For Bristow to make those comments and for others to not express their outrage at those comments has far reaching implications. Bristow's comments only serve to perpetuate the very attitudes which prevent victims of abuse from coming forward in the first place. The ongoing fear of such attitudes being expressed and generally accepted is, I believe, a significant reason why there are no current, younger players coming forward as they fear the real possibility of taunting from the terraces from a small but significant minority of rival fans. As long as victims of abuse feel discouraged from coming forward it only creates a safer and less risky environment for abusers to continue to perpetrate their behaviour with less risk of being exposed. So it is not only those that have already been abused that have to continue to suffer in silence that we have to consider but also those children who will suffer abuse in the future because of the cultural attitudes which have made it easier for the abuser to continue with his behaviour. Of course Bristow is allowed to have his opinions and even express them, no matter how abhorrent, but freedom of expression works both ways and it is up to those who disagree with his opinions to openly express our disgust, with the purpose of not only making Bristow and his sympathisers aware that his public proclamations only serve to perpetuate the continued abuse of children, but also to publicly declare to all past and future victims of abuse that they have nothing to feel ashamed about in speaking out because the opinions expressed by Bristow are in a small, ill informed minority.

As for Bristow's claim that these victims should have sorted their abusers out when they got older, unless I'm mistaken isn't that exactly what they are doing now by coming forward? I'm sure if Bennell was given the choice between a good kicking or being publicly exposed and shamed, as is happening now, he would take the kicking every time. So as far as Bristow's claims that these victims should have exacted revenge on Bennell when they got older, the revenge that is being exacted now is far more damaging and painful to Bennell than any physical assault that he could have suffered. Why should the victims of his abuse risk prosecution for assault and suffer further distress in their lives, and furthermore leaving themselves open to further abuse and manipulation from Bennell as they come to terms with the fact that he was the chief prosecution witness whose testimony led to their criminal record for assault, with all its implications, when they have another option available to them? And they will only feel able to use that other option if they are confident that the tide of public opinion is fully supportive of them. It is for this reason that we have to openly express our disapproval of Bristow's comments rather than ignore him in silence.

Perfectly put.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I don't agree with king Eric's comments but I see his point.
When I was a little boy my mother married a German man.A horrible c***
He would often smack my mother about.My brother & I often got a few whacks but nothing sexual.
After a couple of years my mother left him.
My brother & I vowed that if we ever saw that man again we would deal with him & I mean deal with him permanently.
I'm talking now about something that happened over 30 years ago & my feelings towards him have not changed.
I want him to suffer even now.

What I don't understand Is how so many young lads who were abused.Many of whom have gone on to have successful professional football careers.have not felt the need to settle the score.















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I witnessed domestic violence growing up but there is no comparison. Your Mum, brother & you were united against this man.

Predators groom their victims, isolate them, threaten them, blackmail them and convince them no one will ever believe them. Kids are too frightened to tell their parents, mates or anyone in authority. It's a shame they carry and don't know it's a shame they don't have to carry.
Even if someone does speak up, very often they've been told to keep quiet and not to rock the boat. That's why there are so many speaking out now, as one person has had the courage to say it publicly.
As for the silly notion that victims are just after compensation, that person obviously doesn't know the pitiful amounts of criminal compensation awarded. It's hundreds not thousands.

 

[spring hall convert]

I'm with Eric. Can't see what the problem is. He's entitled to his opinion & oh well some lefties who get easily offended (a la alleged homophobic chanting by fulham) will be offended again.

Storm in a teacup / trial by social media again = that's what's wrong with society

Has it occurred to you why it might take the victims of child abuse, decades to speak out?

During which time hundreds, possibly thousands more children were abused by the same people. If you think there's nothing wrong with Bristow's comments then you are on the side of the abuser.

Are you on the side of the abuser?

 

[spring hall convert]

Yeah, it may be what is wrong with society but 'death by tweet' is a part of life now. Social media becomes public lynch mob. He is too old school and too simplistic in his judgements. We all get what he is trying to say, and after a few pints, many of us would nod our heads and say 'I know what you mean mate', but to do it on Twitter is media suicide. Daft thing to say to a public audience, daft but not malicious intent. Poor bloke will have the PC hounds after him. I hope Trump nuts someone to take the dairy off old Eric.

It's not 'old school' to have no empathy with survivors of child sexual abuse. It's callous.

Yeah, perhaps social media can make a mountain out of a molehill sometimes but this isn't 'political correctness gone mad,' it's totally vile. Nobody forced Bristow to put it out there, he could have saved it for an extremely ill advised pub conversation. He deserves everything he gets.

It's rubbish like this that makes victims of CSA fearful to speak out. Or is that what you want - for victims of child sexual abuse to shut up and take it like a man?