Marus Rushford - AIBU?

[Pr1mr0se]

it's admirable that he feels he can raise the topic of school meals and poverty and the campaign seems to be growing wings with the food alliance HOWEVER AIBU to think that given that he is an extremely wealthy footballer with many footballer contacts in similar positions that they should be putting their money where their mouth is, so to speak too?

So what do you think now, given that other people have (mostly) said you're being very unreasonable?

Am also very interested that you seem to think that "Marus Rushford' isn't doing this:

I do think people who are priviledged have a responsibility to make the world a better place

@sst1342
Have you read any interviews he's given? He explained why he feels this is so important to him as he grew up relying on fsm and food banks. His Mum asked he started the youth academy a year early to ensure he had adequate food to help his body develop.
He is a fantastic role model for many, he has shown that he is using his public image for good. He's also managed by his 2 elder brothers..... not exactly a PR team.

Re: a pp about journalists putting out feelers on here. There would be no public support for the press turning on Marcus Rashford I'd imagine, except from absolute racist nutters.

The real nasty stuff will come from some of the government's more petty and self-centred ministers and advisors who don't like being told how to do their jobs properly.

I hope this thread shows how popular Rashford is, and why.

So I further hope the press won't touch any anti-Rashford stories 'from an unnamed source' with a bargepole.

Plenty of footballers do, they just keep it quiet. I can think of at least one Everton player who’s given a lot of money and time to charity over the years and two of the current squad have paid for care packages in their home countries. A lot of players grew up in poverty, Rashford included, and they want to help people in the same situation. If they did it publicly they’d get accused of virtue signalling. They can’t win.

Also, why do people hyper focus on footballers when other sportspeople earn loads of money? Or actors?

He is making the world a better place. He’s using his fame and privilege to highlight the inequalities, due to this, the government made a u-turn in school lunches.

Why try and turn a positive into a negative?

It’s not the responsibility of the “privileged” to make the world a better place, it’s the responsibility of everyone. He is however using his social status to improve the country for children that cannot defend themselves.

I imagine he pays a hell of a lot more tax than the rest of us, so he is contributing there. I’m sure I saw something about him donating to homeless shelters too - another place the government are failing.

Oh and don't forget OP, Marcus Rashford already contributes far, far more to government funding for free school meals than you or I do - because he pays his taxes. And the beauty of progressive taxation is that he pays a far, far higher proportion of his income as tax to the government than we do.

Just think about that. Maybe, as a top-level contributor, he should have more say in how the government spends his money than you or I do. What do you think? But no! He doesn't. We all have an equal say; one person one vote. He's had to put in time and effort and use his public profile, not his money, to create his campaign.

Think of the power you have OP, to direct the spending of Marcus Rashford's millions. Use it well.

He does put his money where his mouth is. He does a lot for the community he was raised in.

He is also intelligent and informed enough to realise that using his public profile in this way has the potential to help far more people to a far greater extent than his personal charity alone and should be commended.

Society shouldn't only work when there are benevolent benefactors who decide to help out causes they feel are worthy. There should be a fully functioning system which prevents children in our country from going hungry.

Marcus Rashford is pressing to make changes to the system and I think he's a great example to young men. And any human, actually.

Yabu I think it’s admirable and I’m impressed by him.

Great post @lottiegarbanzo

He's great she there are a number of young footballers who seem to be in the same vein as him who are looking to use their platform to address social issues.

I mean what a surprise it is that as soon as we reach a point where footballers themselves can have their voices heard through their own outlets and engage with fans directly rather than everything having to be filtered through the tabloids that we start to learn how many of them are actually very decent and/or ntelligent people.

I'm putting players like Rashford, TAA, sterling, henderson, mata in that bracket.

Some people just don't want to help out anybody, do they? The same people who say we shouldn't be sending foreign aid because we should be helping 'our own', or 'sending back' refugees because we have veterans on the street, they don't want to help 'our own' at all! They want some footballer to do that.

He's also managed by his 2 elder brothers..... not exactly a PR team.

Well he does have one of sorts:

www.rocnation.com/sports/marcus-rashford/

But that's good, with their support as well he can surely do more good and continue to try and make changes in areas he is passionate about (as long as he wants to, I don't feel he has a moral obligation more than anyone else who has a platform). Also doing any sort of work with Jay Z is probably a million miles away from what he could have ever imagined as a teen in Manchester, good for him.

Football in general I don't think it's up to players to feel obliged to donate (although of course many do), but the wages are ludicrous when they are in part funded by football fans saving and scrimping in some cases to buy an overpriced replica kit, sub to BT sport etc to be able to watch it, pay for an expensive season ticket etc. Of course no one has to do that, but of course many are passionate. If that was more accessible to people and wages slightly lower they would still be extremely wealthy.

Who is this 'the privileged' op? Let me guess, anyone who has more than you? You're just below the cut off right?
Everybody has a responsibility to contribute to society.

Yes great idea OP. Let's have wealthy footballers solely fund hungry children in this country. I can forsee no problem relying financially on someone whose career can be ended in a moment from a bad tackle. Yes they earn a lot of money but they also retire extremely early. It is well documented how difficult it is for footballers to transition to 'normal life' after reaching the levels that MR has.

YABVVVU.

His name os Marcus Rashford. and maybe you need to learn more about him and why he is doing this, and indeed what it is that he is doing!

He s 22 years old, from a very poor background and has spent a lot of time, his football fame and his own money, raising awareness of and changing government response to food poverty in school holidays, made worse by COVID!

What have you done?

I bloody hate it when posters take ignorant aim at people who are doing so much good with their sporting fame, any fame! Fucking idiots!

I do think people who are priviledged have a responsibility to make the world a better place

He did.

It doesn't always require putting your money where you mouth is, sometimes your mouth is enough.

I do think people who are priviledged have a responsibility to make the world a better place and when they do you can take pot shots at them!

@Pr1mr0se

BIWI I don't feel the need to 'defend' it as you put it, I posted a genuine idea that I wanted other people's opinion on. I do think people who are priviledged have a responsibility to make the world a better place and that is why i asked the question I am certainly not suggesting he's not raising this issue for the right reasons.

Well like I said,and it's easily found on Google, he also donated money on top of everything he has done.

Does that change your "opinion" at all?

I'm sure he has already donated a lot of money and time to this.

However, families that live in poverty in the UK cannot rely on one person's goodwill forever.

The new vouchers that have come in will have a long lasting impact.

Following on from the Joe Wicks thread the other day, there seems to be a real resentment to successful, good looking young men who have achieved well despite their difficult starts in life. Whenever they want to give something back to their community, it's never enough.

Where does this bad feeling come from, jealousy?

Marcus Rashford seems a wonderful young man. Leave him alone!

As others have pointed out, Marcus Rashford has done a huge amount in terms of donating his time and money. Fareshare first got in touch with him as one of their existing donors because they hoped he would agree to do something more high profile. One of his team mates, Juan Mata, has set up something called Common Goal whereby players donate 1% of their salary to help local communities. Sadio Mané has built a hospital and a school in his village. I could go on and on. That's excluding anything they do with their clubs - like phoning up supporters who were shielding during lockdown when they could not visit children's wards in hospital etc. Actually, footballers are probably among the most generous donors as a group.

They also need PR companies like Roc Nation because fees from clothing, boots, football games make up a large proportion of their earnings, not just their club contracts. Of course there is a positive for them in terms of publicity but many do these activities willingly and carry on with them even when they are no longer playing professionally.

I respect him for raising the issue. He has personal experience of the problems and issues he raises, and chooses now to speak out. Perhaps he donates behind the scenes, that’s a personal thing for him.

I think it probably takes more effort, time and emotional input to set up or support a political campaign than it does to just throw a few thousand pounds at something and think you're doing your bit. Good for him if he is prepared to speak out for what he believes is right.

Famous people can get more attention on an issue and encourage policy change, which is likely to make more practical difference than if MR gave his entire salary to supporting hungry kids.

People are responsible for themselves and their children. A benefut system needs to be in place that is workable. Its tough but its not meant to be easy whilst we'd all go on benefits.

The benefit system should be a safety net to help those who are struggling. It should not be the state and the tax payer having to supplement inadequate wages paid by cheapskate companies who want to keep people on part time work so they can duck the expenses of pensions etc that follow proper jobs.