[News] Liam neeson

[Thunder Bolt]

Sorry, but if someone raped my female friend the first question to spring from my lips would not be "Was he bald?"

I'm not going to labour the point, but stating someone is black in a description is not racist, nor is asking what colour they were. Going out looking for a black man to beat to death is the part which is very wrong, but then again going out looking for a ginger haired bloke, a Northern bloke, a Chinese (sorry, East Asian) bloke - or any other bloke to beat to death is wrong.

However, after all that said - he has admitted it was wrong!

Hair or lack of it is just part of a description. Neeson found out the rapist was black, and wanted to kill a black man, any black man. He identified a whole section of society as potential rapists.
He didn't admit he was wrong. He said he was ashamed of the way he felt. That isn't the same thing.

 

[Springal]

I'll type slower for you.

The friend did not answer that the attacker was black. (A not unreasonable response if you're asking to describe someone in that situation)

Liam's question was about the attacker's colour.

What was his friends answer ?

 

[Wozza]

What was his friends answer ?

Oh FFS.

Amazing thing here is, Liam has admitted he was racist and that he's realised this to his shame... and some on NSC are denying he was racist.

 

[sydney]

To be fair, most Irish people I know are not in the least bit raist but rather feel a kinship, especially with black people as they were side by side in the struggle against English racism and oppression. No blacks, no Irish, no dogs etc.
In fact, I have heard the Irish called "The blacks of Europe".

agreed.......when i worked with my old man around old London town , Mitcham ,Tooting , Brixton , Hackney , Camden, i was absolutely amazed at how he and the other Irish lads got on with the West Indians around the gaff..... always knocked off early on friday and went to the pub , played dominoes and cards , smoked spliffs....had some cracking afternoons up there and i had to drive us home a few times cos they were all wankered .....funny memories , definitely a bit of unity there mate ....my old man was always friendly with the few black lads around worthing ....not that there were that many , probably only 2 or 3 families.

 

[NooBHA]

I'm not convinced that he's racist ..... he had one single bit of description to go on and used that. If the women had said it was a one legged man I'm sure it would have been one legged males he'd have been on the hunt for. He doesn't say he went on the hunt because the culprit was black.

Of course he is racist

If one of my family has suffered a rape by an Irishman the decided to shoot an Irishman and it was his son or his brother, what would be his take on such an action.

He made the decision in his mind that the act was carried out by the perpetrator because he was '' black '' not because he was a rapist or an evil man. That in my mind forms the basis of a ''racist''

It's an absolutely shocking admission.

I think he is one of the ''Greatest Actors Of All Time'' - I do think people can learn from past misdemeanours and I hope his remorse is genuine but he has gone down somewhat in my estimation

 

[Knocky's Nose]

Amazing thing here is, Liam has admitted he was racist and that he's realised this to his shame...

So... typing slowly... is this actually not a good thing, then?

 

[black & white seagull]

A line from Gary Younge's piece about it in the Guardian:

“She said it was a black person.” At this point one has to wonder what would have happened if the answer had been a white person. Would Neeson have gone out looking for a “white bastard” to kill? Or would he just have killed himself? Is the race of the attacker only relevant if they are black? Or can we share this bigotry around?

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...am-neeson-interview-black-people-actor-racism

 

[The Clamp]

agreed.......when i worked with my old man around old London town , Mitcham ,Tooting , Brixton , Hackney , Camden, i was absolutely amazed at how he and the other Irish lads got on with the West Indians around the gaff..... always knocked off early on friday and went to the pub , played dominoes and cards , smoked spliffs....had some cracking afternoons up there and i had to drive us home a few times cos they were all wankered .....funny memories , definitely a bit of unity there mate ....my old man was always friendly with the few black lads around worthing ....not that there were that many , probably only 2 or 3 families.

Yup. That’s my experience too.

And besides, anyone that spent the 1980’s balls deep in Helen Mirren gets my vote.

 

[Springal]

Oh FFS.

Amazing thing here is, Liam has admitted he was racist and that he's realised this to his shame... and some on NSC are denying he was racist.

I'm not saying it wasn't wrong, it was. I just don't get the witch hunt. I've had a friend whose wife was raped 12 years ago and I saw what he went through at the time, it was not rational behavior but was the result of his emotions.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

A line from Gary Younge's piece about it in the Guardian:

“She said it was a black person.” At this point one has to wonder what would have happened if the answer had been a white person. Would Neeson have gone out looking for a “white *******” to kill? [/url]

I suspect he'd have dug more into the finer details of his appearance such as hair length, size, build, and so on? Good point though.

 

[sydney]

Yup. That’s my experience too.

And besides, anyone that spent the 1980’s balls deep in Helen Mirren gets my vote.

once again i concur wholeheartedly.....

 

[sydney]

I'm not saying it wasn't wrong, it was. I just don't get the witch hunt. I've had a friend whose wife was raped 12 years ago and I saw what he went through at the time, it was not rational behavior but was the result of his emotions.

you can't explain life experience to some people mate .......it's been proven over and over again.

 

[Wozza]

So... typing slowly... is this actually not a good thing, then?

If people understand the nuances, yes.

But given that, apparently, many people don't recognise racism, then the message is probably wasted.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

If people understand the nuances, yes.

But given that, apparently, many people don't recognise racism, then the message is probably wasted.

The press do not deal in nuances on the whole. The great unwashed are usually too thick or lazy minded for that.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Oh FFS.

Amazing thing here is, Liam has admitted he was racist and that he's realised this to his shame... and some on NSC are denying he was racist.

No he hasn't ..... in fact the EXACT opposite ! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47133868

 

[Easy 10]

Good on John Barnes. He's got some real gonads comparing him to Churchill (and he's not wrong, really). But he's seen Neeson admitting he's wrong and made a clear decision not to criticise him - I'd argue that's pretty brave in the modern era.

Would you agree with Barnes's assertion that "we are all unconcious racists" ? (aside from the fact that he probably means 'subconcious', but then it fits in with the overall generally semi-coherent ramble of that entire interview anyway).

 

[The Clamp]

I think he did concede that looking for a “black *******” was racist but that it was a stupid reaction that he regrets and amended and learned from his behaviour.

Lest we forget, John Newton wrote Amazing Grace about his rejection of his slave trading and his reformation into an abolitionist.

 

[Bold Seagull]

No he hasn't ..... in fact the EXACT opposite ! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47133868

Liam is saying he 'isn't racist' which is fair enough, but he is admitting, and has said he is ashamed of the thoughts and actions he had that were racist and that he sought help for. Slight difference between 'he was racist' in that particular action, and 'is racist' generally.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I guess he's not alongside Denzel Washington in his next film then.

 

[NooBHA]

Point 1) I think when describing someone properly, skin colour is just as important as height, age and hair, isn't it? Do the Police have a 'do not include' section for skin colour when it comes to e-fits?! If it was the first question he asked, then it's fairly clear he is racist, or at the time was racist.

Point 2) I agree with you. Nobody in their right mind would disagree in fairness.

Actually - Thats very true

But let's say you were scouting at a Brighton football match and you saw two players you were going to recommend to someone

1. Lewis Dunk

2. Yves Bissouma


I guarantee most would not include the word ''white'' when making reference to and recommending Lewis Dunk

BUT

Most would use the word ''black'' when making reference to and recommending Yves Bissouma

That sort of thing is very harmless but it is in itself a very mild form of racism.

I remember being at a Millwall v Derby match many years ago and recommending a very young player to someone and described the as tall slight blond ''white'' guy - - Even though I am white, I still think it is important to ensure that every race is treated in a similar way, good or bad. So when I describe someone I feel there needs to be conformity. Either you use skin colour in every instance OR Never use skin colour at all.


Will Hughes was who I was trying to describe at the time.