John Terry: Blaming The White Working Class For Chelsea Captain’s Trials
JOHN Terry Race Row: Anorak’s at-glance look at the Chelsea captain in the news:
John Terry is in Fabio Capello’s provisional England squad for the internationals against Spain and Sweden this month.
Mark Norfolk writes in the London Evening Standard:
Racism is deep in football’s working-class roots
Blame the entire working class for racism? That sounds fair:
Whatever the outcome of the escalating furore over the alleged racist incident between John Terry and Anton Ferdinand, there are those who, at least in the far reaches of their minds, might be asking whether it is indeed racist to call someone a “black c***”.
This is Terry’s position. He says he meant to no racial intent.
Many people who have been the recipients of such slurs would, without hesitation, declare it to be so. But just as many who have uttered such statements will deny it to be much more than a slip of the tongue. Go to many a pub on a Friday night and you will find such parlance habitually used in normal “banter”, not just by white people but by Asians, Turks and Chinese too. Objectors to such language get labelled as Politically Correct or “over-sensitive”.
Anorak has never called a black friend a black c*** but can imagine that saying it to a stranger in a pub would not be well received.
So at what point does language as allegedly used by Terry become so offensive it becomes a police matter?
Well, the law is clear. On the Met’s website, it states:
MPS definition of a hate incident: “Any incident that is perceived by the victim, or any other person to be racist, homophobic, transphobic or due to a person’s religion, belief, gender identity or disability.”
Terry’s words have been reported to the police. They are investigating:
It’s not always easy to know if what has happened to you is a crime. If someone shouts abuse at you in the street or sends you hate mail because of your religion, sexual orientation or disability, is that a crime? Or do they have to hurt you before it counts as a crime? If you’re not sure, please ask us. It’s our job to identify what’s happened and make sure that appropriate action is taken.
Norfolk goes on:
Football is a sport primarily rooted in the working class: certainly many of the habits learned in the home as well as in working-class society at large are very close to the surface. The blame for social indiscretions cannot just be laid at football’s door.
He’s demonising the white working class. It’s them. It’s always them, the group even the liberals dismiss as “white trash”. Can you explain racism but defaming an entire group of people? You can try.
Matt Dickinson tells Times readers:
England hosting the best team in the world at Wembley should be a joyous occasion, but it cannot be as long as John Terry is in the squad next week. Unless the police investigations are resolved with uncommon speed, the Chelsea defender should be stood down.
No. That would be to presume guilt.
With no example to follow, the FA must judge each case on its merits, with fairness to the player balanced against the wider needs of the England team and the game. The Terry case, given its disputed versions, may never be resolved to anyone’s satisfaction. But until we know more, the FA can find plenty of other players capable of leading out the national side.
They’re guessing the verdict before the facts are in.
John Terry says he is innocent. That should count for something.
Posted: 3rd, November 2011 | In: Sports Comments (3) | TrackBack | Permalink
