This Racism Thing

Forgive me for being a white male in a country which is predominantly white so perhaps not having the experience of the injustice of racism I might not be able to comprehend as well as others, but isn’t this picking out certain footballers who have used the n-word a bit pedantic?

I am sure that it is offensive to many, and should ideally not be used.  I would certainly not use it.  Neither should a certain previously bald striker for Man Utd go around saying f****** c*** all the time every game, or so it seems – surely that is offensive to some people too?

I am not defending it for a second, but I feel that some people are really going over the top – perhaps in some strange misguided logic to correct heinous wrongs done by generations in the past, I don’t know.

How come it is ok for me to take the piss out of someone for being French, but not for being black?  I don’t quite understand.  Perhaps it is because I view everyone as equals that it is nonsensical to me.

How come Suarez gets an 8 game ban for using the n-word, which is apparently common in South America, but ex-baldy who has lived here all his life pretty much gets away with what he says?

To me – racism is when you get excluded from society in one way or another – be that not getting a job because of your skin colour, or not having the same educational opportunities, or being looked upon as a lower form of face.

Aggressive verbal racism, like the tram woman, is also abhorrent.

I am not convinced that some racist comments on a football pitch, or apparently now I hear Alan Hansen had to apologise for using the word ‘coloured’ – it just all seems to much to me, and will probably do more harm than good in the long run to stop those intolerant folk of whom there sadly still are some in society behaving in a racist manner.

Rant over.