taking the knee - what are your thoughts

[Tyrone Biggums]

I prefer taking the piss.

 

[m@goo]

Before this gets moved into the bear pit...

If you are not of colour and I doubt most of us are then your opinion on whether it should continue is irrelevant!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

How about players stop taking a knee when people stop being racist? Deal?

I think the knee loses its power when it becomes the expected norm - apart from maybe being useful in helping identify the booing vvankers that you really wouldn't want to share much oxygen with. New and more incisive ways of tackling racism in real time WILL emerge, there's nothing surer

 

[super-seagulls]

I think the knee loses its power when it becomes the expected norm - apart from maybe being useful in helping identify the booing vvankers that you really wouldn't want to share much oxygen with. New and more incisive ways of tackling racism in real time WILL emerge, there's nothing surer

Something that worked WOULD be good!

 

[Knocky's Nose]

Racism should have died when the Nazi’s. Lost WWII.

Racism has been around for thousands of years, and will no doubt be around for many more years.

At no point have I seen someone say "well... that kneeling footballer really made me change my thoughts and views on racism when he did it for the 374th time"

I get it though. I accepted it at the time as a powerful message. However, I am now bored of it and it now means nothing to me, and by the looks on their faces as they kneel, many of the players.

 

[Klaas]

I wouldn't have cared if it had run it's course and the players stopped as some positive, real world changes had been introduced. But all the while it's booed by *****, carry on kneeling.

 

[BBassic]

As long as it's sparking debates like this one then it has value as a gesture.

 

[Old Greg]

It's funny how people are saying it's lost its impact yet they're still talking about it, which surely is the point - to keep the conversation going.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Racism has been around for thousands of years, and will no doubt be around for many more years.

At no point have I seen someone say "well... that kneeling footballer really made me change my thoughts and views on racism when he did it for the 374th time"

I get it though. I accepted it at the time as a powerful message. However, I am now bored of it and it now means nothing to me, and by the looks on their faces as they kneel, many of the players.

With respect, you're not really the target audience. Neither are die hard Bear Pit residents on either side of the argument.

The players are icons, especially to the young, so the value, for me, is in influencing future attitudes rather than current ones.

Plus, of course. making sure we can all avoid anyone who boos it.

 

[Stato]

Ta, not everyone is a Stato

Luckily. Imagine how dull and earnest that would be!

 

[drew]

Before this gets moved into the bear pit...

If you are not of colour and I doubt most of us are then your opinion on whether it should continue is irrelevant!

Truly bizarre comment. On the basis that it is probably considered that, particularly in this country, it is Caucasians that are accused of racism then surely our view is relevant.

I'm not a woman but does that mean I can't express a view on scum that are wife beaters?

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Happy for the players to do whatever they think is best. Neither here nor there for me. I support the anti-discrimination cause. There shouldn't be pressure or judgement though.

I don't know why some folk get so wound up about it. Some may think it identifies with a political movement. I don't think that is the intent.

I'm not sure this will survive the Bear Pit though. Reasonable discourse has a shelf limit on these threads.

Last I saw, the Bear Pit was closed. I wish it would return though.

 

[Live by the sea]

I don’t really have a strong view on it either way , the concept is noble , unfortunately the organisation behind it is not ,

What I would also like to see is some high profile footballers getting behind campaigns to stop kids joining gangs . I am aware that it isn’t the job of a footballer but it might help if some high profile players got behind it . I’m not suggesting only black players but white as well as there are some white gang members as well .

 

[aolstudios]

Many decent points here.
Nevertheless. Boo it, you're a racist as far as I'm concerned.
Every time

 

[m@goo]

Truly bizarre comment. On the basis that it is probably considered that, particularly in this country, it is Caucasians that are accused of racism then surely our view is relevant.

I'm not a woman but does that mean I can't express a view on scum that are wife beaters?

We can all know that racism is wrong or physical abuse is wrong but as we're not victims (sorry if you are) then it's not our place say what those victims should or should not do about it. In a peaceful way of course.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

im confused by authority's response or lack of response to booing. its implicitly racist, but nothing is proposed to be done about it. so whats the purpose of the gesture, if when people openly dissent to it, you just carry on the same regardless?

Free speech
Regards
DF

 

[essbee1]

We can all know that racism is wrong or physical abuse is wrong but as we're not victims (sorry if you are) then it's not our place say what those victims should or should not do about it. In a peaceful way of course.

So, magoo.........quick question, players who have not been the victim of abuse should not take the knee according to your stance?

 

[m@goo]

So, magoo.........quick question, players who have not been the victim of abuse should not take the knee according to your stance?

No... that's not what I'm saying. White players taking the knee are doing it in solidarity not because they've been victims.

 

[worthingseagull]

And there are a growing number of black footballers/personalities saying its lost its effectiveness and they no longer participate; Wilfred (our mate from up the road), Sir Les Ferdinand, Brentford first team (60% black players) so how does this all fit into the debate?

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Thoughts are that this will turn out like every other thread we've had on the same subject since last autumn. It will attract the same posters making exactly the same points, convincing nobody to change their original stance. It will result in multiple 'post reports' and eventually get closed as frankly it is more trouble than it's worth trying to moderate something that turns toxic within 3 pages.

But I may be wrong.

Of course, this could happen, but it will also depend on some who read into stuff that just is not there, because they want to believe it so much. They are just looking to change their follower's perceptions of certain person/s.