KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum How can one remove racism from the game?

On Talksport John Barnes suggests that racism will only disappear once the mindset of people changes to not view race as important. He's quite clear that genetically people of different race are no different, and that race is therefore a mental delineation. Without that definition, racism has no power or meaning.

But how does one achieve that? He disagreed that heavy-handed bans and fines was the way forward, and I think we can all agree with that given what has happened to Suarez and Terry in the wake of their racial abuse charges - a complete balls up, rather than calm.

But what are other possible solutions?

I believe that the mental shift needs to start with the people who believe they are being abused. If a man discovers he gains some power over another by using racist words, there is very little to cause him to stop. He feels good about it - why stop what feels good? If he gets a jail term for it, he will likely only become more racist, blaming the other guy for his incarceration - now he has a reason to actually hate the black guy.

[ASIDE: Obviously I'm not talking about acts of "true" racism (actual forced segregation or slavery) - that's not the same as calling a black man black.]

But if you take away the power that racist words have by not reacting, by not feeling oppressed, by understanding the low level of the intellect that creates the words, then after the first few attempts the racist loses the reason to abuse, loses that "good" feeling. He no longer gets the feeling of power that makes him feel superior or good about himself or stronger in the eyes of his peers or whatever. The reason to abuse for personal gain vanishes.

Why do people smoke when under-age? Because it's cool. Because you look like a rebel or a grown-up. Doesn't matter that society doesn't like it, or that your father will thrash the daylights out of you when he finds out. It gives you a feeling of power or importance. If smoking make you retch until your spleen came out, you wouldn't do it tho, no matter how cool your friends thought it was.

I'm not saying it's easy. But I am saying that people need to let go of the idea that there can be revenge for the sins visited on their people in the past, that clinging onto the words of hate from that era gives meaning to their identity as an oppressed people.

I hope people understand that I do not condone racism, nor that I believe it should go unpunished, but simply bringing out larger and larger whips is not going to make the problem go away. Only when those who feel oppressed now can be strong enough to no longer be oppressed will racism lose its power to hurt, and then the whips won't be necessary.

But try telling that to Patrice Evra... So what's the way forward?

You can't, thats the cold truth. Where there are humans, there will be hate. Nothing can change that.

good post.

i have met people from different races who dont even think about their race or nationality, and i have met other people who can think of nothing else, and a lot of times it was down to an insecurity that had nothing to do with their race. they just used it as a vehicle.

Stephen fry:
It's now very common to hear people say 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights; it's actually nothing more...it's simply a whine. 'I find that offensive,' it has no meaning, it has no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I'm offended by that,' well so [oops] what?

Only when we get rid of it from society first..........I wont hold my breath.

The only way racism will go is when everyone is treated the same. Quotas, the race industry, jumping on comments made by white people, ignoring the same comments by black people (step forward Diane A) are all leading to a hidden racism. Its false and cruel but it goes on and seems to be getting worse. John Barnes is correct I have a lot of respect for that guy. But you know what such is the mad word we live in only he (as a black person) can say things like that. If a white person said it they would be destroyed.

For me it's simple, just don't give rise to it!. The more the people keep banging on about it the more stubborn people are in refusing to accept it!!. It all comes down to double standards, JB makes a good point about racism and it going back as far the days of slavery. The white man was portryaed as the white supremacist the The Devil incarnate as far as the racism issue goes, but what many fail to educate people with, is the equlity bit that's missing. When our White forefathers were bringing in the Black slaves, Who was supplying them for sale?? History tells us, It was the Black Gang Masters were going out far and wide Hunting them down like animals, herding them like sheep, Keeping them in pens that were not even fit for a dog. In some cases slaves were treated better under their white "employer" than the gang masters that were selling them. This is the equlity that has being missing for centuries and is still missing now. It is the White man who has been beaten with racism stick for long enough, constantly being accused of everything that is wrong with racism. When was the last time you heard of a Black person being prosecuted by another Black person for racial abuse???

The problem is that he's saying as a black person and he's being ignored. Everyone just sees him as an angry Red, and lumps him in with the deluded fans from the stockade at the end of the M62.

He makes a significant number of valid points, but somehow no one seems to be listening, except us, and we don't count.

You will never get rid of racism because many people earn their living from it. Do you really think Tevor Phillips who earns £115k for a 3.5 day week as head of the equalities commission would jump for joy if the government accounced there was no longer any racism in the UK?


http://kevsoft.co.uk/mp/highearnerquango.php

Great thread.

As long as the elite's at the top want racism around, it will always be here. It serves the purpose of dividing people in society, keep people bickering while they go about their business.

I believe the majority of people areen't racist, but a lot of people realise the race relations industry is sending things backwards most of the time - probably why they get so much attention. People like the BNP wouldn't be around much longer if people were left to decide for themselves if it matters what colour skin you have and the older generation of racism would die out.

As mentioned, if someone says something wind you up, you smile and ignore it, they won't mention it again. Let's face it, most of street level racism is stupidity and anger. They don't know why they're racist, they're probably not even racist, just angry. It's the same when I hear people talk about Polish immigrants, anything to give them a group to focus their anger on, to bring unity to 'their people' and let them think for a second they're not to blame for the meaningless lives they live.

I fully agree people need to let go of the past to move forward to. You'd get destroyed for saying that, but it's another thing to use to cling onto anger. A lot of people have been oppressed, black people's oppression is more prevelant here but if people realised people can be treated as equally as they wish to be, we can move forward together. The media, as always, have a hell of a lot to feel responsible for.

Society seems to be going backwards recently and as the world becomes a less equal place, racism will only go one way.
Haters gonna hate.

Your probaly right, but if the equlity was more evident then it may not be as bad as some make out!