R. Slicker
Well-known member
- Jan 1, 2009
- 4,490
Maybe I'm too 'woke'. Whatever that means, but I can't understand how anybody can be bothered to get angry about players taking the knee..
Very hypothetical question in my case but no I would never boo anyone with the exception of some dirty player from the opponents. Not the team, not the ref, not the arrangement, and I wouldnt boo any statement/theme like BLM or the mental health thing they did last year at some point or if there was a silent minute to honour someone (even if I didnt like the person).
I dont believe in behaving like that, I dont see the value. Personally I dont give a shit about some dead politican getting honored or if someone wants to make a cute little talk about the climate or whatever, but I wouldnt boo it. "Oh they are expressing opinions, my ego needs me to make some noise to override theirs". Its ****ing primitive.
I dont boo anyone trying to do the best for the team or the world regardless if they are doing it badly or not doing what I personally believe to be the right thing. Its not a way of improving anything.
Maybe I'm too 'woke'. Whatever that means, but I can't understand how anybody can be bothered to get angry about players taking the knee..
The best response to show genuine solidarity would be if we all took the knee in the stands too.
Fail to see why Kazim-Richards appears to have made himself exempt. What is it with this guy?
Wouldn`t boo. but do think it has run its course !! How long are those in favour wanting it to go on for ?
I’m sure many fans would enjoy kneeling in puddles of spilt fizzy drinks.
Ahh, the old Plooks ploy of ‘You don’t agree with me so you are a ****’.
Grow up you childish little moron.
Fail to see why Kazim-Richards appears to have made himself exempt. What is it with this guy?
I can take the knee no probs....I’m sure many fans would enjoy kneeling in puddles of spilt fizzy drinks.
Agree, a stupid but I'm sure tongue in cheek suggestion.
Applause would be the way to go for fans...
https://www.ruck.co.uk/billy-vunipola-reveals-why-he-refused-to-take-the-knee-against-georgia/
Billy Vunipola reveals why he refused to take the knee against Georgia
15th November 2020
Rugby Rucker
Billy Vunipola, Ben Earl and Henry Slade all stood before the 40-0 win against Georgia in the Autumn Nations Cup on Saturday.
“What I saw in terms of that movement was not aligned with what I believe in. They were burning churches and Bibles. I can’t support that.
“Even though I am a person of colour, I’m still more a person of, I guess, Jesus.”
And the RFU has backed the players who made the choice not to take the knee.
The best response to show genuine solidarity would be if we all took the knee in the stands too.
That’s nice. As Elvis Costello once said, “What’s so funny ‘bout peace, love and understanding.” Not something that appeals to you, clearly.
I think that shows what a narrow-minded mixed up kid he is. It says more about the narrowness of his religion and/or his understanding than anything else. Does everyone who supports BLM burn down Churches.?
I was totally against the taking the knee but one single tweet from Farage trying to stop it and I’m now not so sure.
So just some thoughts.
Which player really has a choice in not taking the knee? Can you imagine the backlash, therefore it is being societally forced upon them. I feel we are more likely for a player to announce they are gay.
Racism and discrimination in every form is unacceptable. I’ve not seen racism ( I have seen homophobia and sexism) in my life but I’m a white male so am supposedly ‘privileged’.
We cannot compare the UK to the US - I chat to colleagues in our US offices and although they have a much more diverse society than us their racism is so much deeper to ours (and what I’ve heard well educated people saying about Hispanics is worse). The patriotism of having to (and you have to - there is no real choice) stand for the national anthem was why taking the knee was such a powerful message.
I know individuals who are black but have no black friends so I cannot speak or feel what they suffer, I do though have friends who are of Indian, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Chinese decent (first, second and third generation) and we have had good chats about this when it first started. They say they see less and less racism in society now and interesting none wanted to be called BAME. One friend on Bangladesh decent said he gets more racism from his own than from any white person - recently walked out of a curry restaurant in Surrey because of it. Another friend who recently moved from India laughed at the whole concept - he said we should all see the cast system that still exists in India today. Another friend said look at where we are, ‘we all arrived’ in the Uk in the 60s/70s with nothing (whether from India, Pakistan (East or West), Hong Kong or the West Indies) and were treated like something you lot had stood on but by knuckling down and doing the right thing - working stupid hours so we could afford to buy a corner shop, so we could ensure that our kids and grand kids went on to get well educated, so they got better jobs than us and then prove our value to society through action and hard work.
Slavery is abhorrent but let’s not forget most of us weren’t slave traders or got any value out of it. 150+ years ago most of our great great great grandparents would have been in some form of servitude towards a landowner, mill, factory or mine owner. When slavery was at its peak my descendants were being driven off the land in the highland clearances an act so offensive in British History that most people in England have no idea happened or that ‘we’ starved the Irish at the time of the potato blight by still exporting wheat rather than redistribution or that only 120 years ago we ran concentration camps on Boer families in South Africa. Look at the racist views of some of the 20th century’s greatest Churchill, Gandhi, Ford - completely unacceptable now but the norm then. There has been much more recent examples of slavery from some very large corporations during WW2 we all know and use today ( Mercedes, Bosch, Siemens). And for anyone who wants to see the eradication of slavery - then never go to holiday in Dubai or the Other Gulf states - those posh hotels were built with near slave labour.
We as a country voted for Brexit and for a lot of individuals this was about keeping foreigners out - a different form of racism/bigotry because it was against white Eastern Europeans
The societal norm of different races and creeds in London for example - which is so diverse does not match the UK norm, for example in my home town there less than 1% none white people. So taking the knee can be seen as a London thing (60% of Loners are white, 95% of Scots are white, 98% in Northern Ireland, 95% in North East).
And hear us irony - read elsewhere that being called a gammon is seen as a compliment not an insult by some and the reason why - because it’s a pork product and you can see the rest of the stupid logic.....
Anyway as Farage hates it - probably best we keep it going