My my... 14 pages already. I've skimmed through the thread and many of the same arguments from the previous thread on taking the knee have resurfaced. Since then, we have seen many more instances of players being racially abused on social media. Presumably, this was always a thing but is now much more widely reported. For me, it feel though racism is being targetted a lot more in football than it was before; even getting to the point where matches are being abandoned on the grounds of racism. However, it's also much harder to punish given all the abuse now happens online.
To address some of the discussion about taking the knee, yes, there should be a sensible discussion about when it's time to stop, but is that time now? Given we are seeing some high profile cases of abuse? Surely not. But will we ever see a reduction in this abuse? The realist in me thinks no. It's a hard conversation to have, and it should certainly not be driven by voices on the internet. The decision should rest on the players and staff. I strongly believe that as long as those who have to face these comments feel this movement gives them the power to oppose racism, we should back them.
Does more need to be done systemically to drive equality? Yes, of course. Football doesn't happen in a vacuum and to a great extent it represents a wider culture. The need for equality based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, social class etc cuts deeper than a few dozen sportspeople making a gesture for a few seconds. This gesture may seem meaningless and pointless in the face of such huge changes that need to be made, but look; it has driven this discussion and many more like it. Maybe it has resulted in a few people taking up a cause close to them they wouldn't otherwise have done. Maybe more people are becoming more political when before they would otherwise have passively sat by watching on the sidelines.
The taking the knee gesture makes a lot of people angry. I think this is a good thing. We should be angry. We should be angry that these people we look up to feel unsafe online - despite their riches and talent. We should feel angry that thousands of kids go hungry in the UK and the government does the bare minimum to support them. We should be angry that a small percentage of people control the vast majority of wealth and resources. We should feel angry that because of a person's background - something they cannot change - they are treated differently (and by 'differently' I mean worse) by the system. Maybe we are angry because we feel we can't change these things. Maybe we feel angry because we see how any of these things affect us, but may you feel as if you get no recognition - 'Who's taking the knee for me!?'
What we can't do is allow this gesture to divide us and set us apart from each other. We all have our problems and football is what has brought us together. I have my own struggles with how society treats me and people like me (not racism, but won't go into that here as it's not the place). It doesn't matter that I've not had to deal with racism towards myself, I will stand in solidarity with those who have to face it - like any who need people to stand with them. Ultimately, whatever issues you have to deal with, there's a clear benefit to some if we are divided and fighting between ourselves. How often do we see the seeds of distrust sown towards those who have the temerity who ask for equal rights?