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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Liam Neeson

296 replies

PatricksRum · 04/02/2019 13:12

www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/liam-neeson-rape-black-man-attack-cosh-cold-pursuit-sexual-assault-interview-a8760866.html

Why is The Independent acting so casual towards this blatant act of racism?

OP posts:
cuntymckuntface · 05/02/2019 10:35

Not rtft
Had it been a ginger guy who raped his friend, presumably he'd be on the hunt for a ginger

birdonawire1 · 05/02/2019 10:42

His reaction was understandable and a product of extreme mental distress. He is ashamed of feeling this rage and having those feelings. Typical taking out of context journalism.

Lizzie48 · 05/02/2019 10:52

His reaction was understandable and a product of extreme mental distress. He is ashamed of feeling this rage and having those feelings. Typical taking out of context journalism.

But it still begs the question, why did he bring it up in the interview? He presumably wasn't under 'extreme mental distress' 40 years after the event, but he nevertheless used racist language, which he must have known would be deeply offensive.

marvellousnightforamooncup · 05/02/2019 10:56

If a bloke called Bob raped his friend does that mean he'd hunt down random blokes called Bob? Of course he wouldn't. He's a racist and a thug.

LuYu · 05/02/2019 11:09

His reaction was understandable and a product of extreme mental distress.

This is exactly the kind of enabling I described.

His reaction was not understandable in the sense of being rational or acceptable. Wanting to find the actual perpetrator would be logical, and feeling great rage towards him would be entirely normal; I can understand physically hurting this person would at least give the impression of justice being done.

Choosing instead to randomly attack completely unconnected parties due to their skin colour is not understandable.

Acts of violence on blameless strangers are not a product of extreme mental distress. They're a choice, and people need to be held accountable for them, instead of pretending that it was a sponteneous uncontrollable respose.

BarbarianMum · 05/02/2019 11:18

Well said LuYu

And bullshit would he have been looking for a random white guy to attack if his friend/the person close to him had been raped by a white man.

But good on him for making her rape about his pain.

Helendee · 05/02/2019 11:51

Think what you like Consolidate, bro! You weren’t there so have no idea, you’re welcome to check with my son if you like though, I’m sure he will be happy to affirm. Smile

Bluestitch · 05/02/2019 12:03

Excellent posts LuYu.

Fabaunt · 05/02/2019 12:10

My car was robbed by those Irish gypsy people, and I have a problem with them ever since, I’m wary of them and nervous.

TwitToWoo · 05/02/2019 12:19

i think people who have behaved in a racist manner in the past should be able to own it and apologise publicly.

But I am not sure that’s what Neeson is doing here. His message seems to be more...”I wanted to exact a violent revenge which I now regret”....in which case, what does race have to do with it at all?

He’s telling the story as if it’s the violent reaction he really regrets rather than the violent reaction specifically aimed at a black person - a detail that seems almost incidental.

Does he know & fully accept that his behaviour was racist? It doesn’t seem like it to me. Seems more as if he’s acknowledging his past as a violent thug...not a racist, violent thug.

TwitToWoo · 05/02/2019 12:22

Yeah...just read the interview.

He tells his story and ends with the conclusion...

“I understand that need for revenge, but it just leads to more revenge, to more killing and more killing.”

So he regrets his feelings of violence...not racism.

FreshBoomBatImaTouchIt · 05/02/2019 12:38

It was a horrible and disgusting anecdote. The subject matter, the terminology used and no thought given to the person who has lived with the pain and anguish. I presume this lady is still alive and possibly horrified at this attack pretty much being used as promo material. I have no idea what on earth possessed him. I am no longer a fan. He has warped views.

ShatnersWig · 05/02/2019 12:47

Interesting to see what John Barnes is saying on the subject.

derxa · 05/02/2019 12:58

Interesting to see what John Barnes is saying on the subject. Yes I read that too. If people admit their unconscious racism then that can only be to the good. A film promo interview seems a strange forum to do this though. As he recounts the story LN seems to be in the character of a dangerous man in search of revenge. It's all very odd.

ShatnersWig · 05/02/2019 13:05

@derxa I'm assuming the reason it came up in the interview was that the interviewer asked Neeson (who is playing the role of a man who seeks revenge against the drug dealers who he THINKS killed his son) if he could in any way understand or relate to the character. And Neeson told what he did. Interestingly, the full transcript of the interview does reveal that he relates this back to the Troubles as previous posters surmised (although that bit was left out of most of the reporting):

"I eventually thought, 'What the f**k are you doing?' Y'know?

"And I come from a society - I grew up in Northern Ireland in the Troubles - and that, y'know, I, I knew a couple of guys that died on hunger strike and I had acquaintances who were very caught up in the Troubles, and I understand that need for revenge. But it just leads to more revenge and more killing, and more killing, y'know?

"Northern Ireland's proof of that, y'know? All this stuff that's happening in the world, the violence, is proof of that, y'know?"

Limensoda · 05/02/2019 13:21

Have you got a source for that, or are you just making it up to suit your own narrative?Bollocks he would

I should have said probably, however, you are sure he would not despite not knowing what he would do.

Bombardier25966 · 05/02/2019 13:31

Here is the full John Barnes interview, not Sky's edited highlights.

www.facebook.com/227142050955914/posts/811459942524119/

He makes a valid point, we are all unconsciously racist to some level, and much of that is influenced by biased media reporting. We stereotype groups (Muslims in particular) due to the actions of a tiny minority of their population, yet we don't apply the same standards to others (mainly white people).

Anyone that claims to have absolutely no racist thoughts or stereotypes - bollocks.

LilQuim · 05/02/2019 13:46

Haven't read all the replies, but tbh pretty shocked by those saying there's nothing racist about it!

He was actively looking for some surrogate for the man who attacked his friend. He specifically asked "what colour was he?" Then went out with a weapon, looking for anyone black who he felt aggrieved by.

What's not racist about all that?

The fact that he didn't stumble across anyone who was arsey with him doesn't make it all ok.

God, I fucking despair of people.

PatricksRum · 05/02/2019 14:07

If a white man had raped his friend he would have looked for a white man

@Limensoda you cannot honestly believe that.

OP posts:
GunpowderGelatine · 05/02/2019 14:10

Like I say OP it's insulting to our intelligence to claim that people would hunt down white men, any white man, if a white man committed a crime.

GunpowderGelatine · 05/02/2019 14:12

Well Piers Morgan of all people has come out to blast Liam Neeson for his racism! I've a bit taken aback that he didn't say people were being snowflakes about it

PatricksRum · 05/02/2019 14:12

Does he know & fully accept that his behaviour was racist?

Unfortunately not, he doesn't think he's racist at all.

OP posts:
PatricksRum · 05/02/2019 14:14

My car was robbed by those Irish gypsy people, and I have a problem with them ever since, I’m wary of them and nervous.

Are you for real?

OP posts:
GunpowderGelatine · 05/02/2019 14:16

Well I was happy slapped by white teenage boys when happy slapping was all the rage, they whacked me with a rolled up Argos catalogue and I had a cut next to my eye big enough to need stitches and a lovely scar to show for it.

It's funny, I don't have an inept fear of white teenage boys nor am I wary of them. Should I be?

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