Am I the only one who finds it sad that the man whos career was destroyed for taking a knee - Colin Kaepernick is still not playing in a sport that takes a knee?
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So youāre imagining that people are protesting even though they donāt believe in the cause. Youāve just made that up in your own brain. Your attitude is part of the problem.
Isnāt the argument that you two are having part of the problem?
Entrenched positions and neither willing to discuss or acknowledge each otherās views - black and white (sic) - Why?
Feeds into the problem imho
What are you blethering about?? If people believe that taking the knee is an appropriate gesture for them to make, Iāve got no problem with that at all. The issue under discussion is whether sportsmen should effectively be pressured into it against their wishes, or be condemned as racists should they decline to do so.
Yeah, I can see that youāve got a bee in your bonnet about the whole protest - virtually every post youāve made revolves around your imagined bullying of sportspeople so that they are forced to condemn racism. Itās obviously difficult for you to believe that people might just be against racism. Your ridiculous 1970s humour tells me everything I need to know about you.
While Iām at it, letās be straight - this board has gone downhill rapidly over the past few months. Itās not a nice place to be. Thereās a lot of unpleasant views being very openly expressed on here. Thatās started from the top and has now filtered down. Itās like a completely different place to the site that I first joined and it doesnāt particularly make me want to stick around.
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Jeez - get a room you two
You both have different view - not too far apart in what you both want / mean I think - but acting like a couple of toddlers
Ffs, why am I even bothering to try to break up a bitch-fight? 
No one asked you to
Ah, bless. Goodnight. Wonāt bother you anymore. Enjoy your nihilism.
Itās obviously equally difficult for you to believe that anyone objecting to making a gesture of subjugation can be anything other than a racist.
This really is simple
No one should ever feel uncomfortable or face sanction for standing up for what they believe in (providing its legal)
In the same manner, no one should be made to feel uncomfortable or pressured into making a gesture to support a cause if they donāt choose to
Protest is a personal thing - lots of people care about the environment but they donāt choose to glue themselves to trains
Likewise lots of people care about racism but either do not wish to take the knee or are uncomfortable with the BLM organisation and donāt want to be associate with it. Itās their choice.
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Very pragmatic and imminently sensible but obviously will never happen in this day and age. Itās like not putting a pound in the poppy box and receiving a tut-tut from the old boy ā¦
Take a break then, because I donāt know what anyone is supposed to do with this.
Itās bitch vague-booking of the highest order.
Itās interesting to prophesise where this might end. At what point do the players stop taking the knee ? Never ? I think this is the point @scotty is trying to make imho. Have the players and FA now walked in to a shit show where cometh the day it all stops, everyone is branded racist. It doesnāt follow but thatās the way it will be perceived. Maybe it should never stop ? However, does the message then get lost in the procession of pre match hand shaking ? At the time it first started, the message was strong but I fear its impact is lessening by the day and some players will ultimately end up thinking that they are doing it because all their team mates are doing it. And that makes it wrong imho.
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For the record, Iām very comfortable with the whole movement.
Iām also comfortable with putting pressure on people to pick a side.
Iām disappointed with the implication that anyone that doesnāt support the movement must be a racist.
Iām very comfortable with the inference that if you donāt support the movement then youāre happy with the status quo.
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Why canāt some stand up against racism in their own way
Why to they have to ātake a kneeā
I am not a protester, never have been the marching type. That doesnāt mean to say I canāt be bothered or I am happy to let racism exist
Whilst I might not be lobbying, I can and do ensure that the areas I can influence, such as my business, is absolutely free of it.
I am not following a movement or adhering to any proscribed behaviour - So I donāt necessarily agree with your last paragraph
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Maybe this is the problem? Because itās not one of subjugation, but has become symbolic of solidarity with the simple fact that folks are no longer happy with the status quo. That itās no longer acceptable to accept that this shit happens
Therefore, anyone who is truly not racist would have no problem showing that solidarity?
BLM and itās approach SHOULD be making us ALL uncomfortable that we have for years simply accepted racism in any form, from casual jokes, to full on hatred and violence and done fuck all about it to change our societyā¦ yes we have passed laws, but too many of us myself included have found it too UNCOMFORTABLE to take direct action when we see it, or hear it
Quite frankly I am stunned that once again a valid and necessary protest, now has white folks suggesting it makes them uncomfortable ā¦ well it fucking should! Thatās the point. And anyone who is made to feel uncomfortable because they feel āforcedā into taking a knee should also feel fucking ashamed.
As with Fatso, there has been some unpleasant POV creeping in to some threads which seem at odds with the general good vibe on the site, and itās not something I am ācomfortableā With
However, rather than ātaking a breakā as we seem to be encouraged to do, I will simply call it out for what it is when I see it. That is what BLM is encouraging us to do, and anyone who does not see that as a good thing needs to take a look in the mirror.
Youāve presumably done this your whole life?
Laudable.
But youāve had no impact at a macro level.
The problem is still there.
A movement comes along that transcends the original intention of highlighting US police targeting of black people. It could have a transformational impact if observed by all.
If you criticise the movement and the uncomfortable way it makes you feel, youāre a cheerleader for the status quo.
Nothing wrong with that - as long as youāre white.
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Iād like to think where I have had the opportunity to do the right thing I have more often than not during my life - I suspect there were opportunities for instance where I stayed silent mainly out of fear of being punched in the face - I suspect like most of us
No, I donāt have an impact on a macro level, however My āmicroā Effort when added to everyone elseās micro effort adds up
I would agree but say stick around and call it out when you see it because That is exactly what we should be doing. Even on this micro level we try and move things forward.
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