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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Lewis Hamilton and anti racism

155 replies

Changemyname901 · 17/09/2020 09:34

I don’t really understand Hamilton’s anti-racism stance. He is loudly campaigning against Black racism and that’s great, no complaints at all, good for him. But then he spends his free time hanging out with Philip Green, enjoying the spoils of Greens wealth, hanging out on his yacht, wearing his clothes. All of which Green has got from using slave labourers in places like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. He is well known for exploiting people in such countries from young ages.

This makes no sense to me? How can you talk about slavery, as Hamilton has, but then enjoy the spoils of and be good friends with a man who uses slave labour to create his clothes and his empire? I feel like it’s selective. If you’re fighting racism, shouldn’t you be anti all aspects? I’m not saying he should be campaigning about other aspects of racism or modern slavery, if his passion is Black racism then that’s not a problem, he doesn’t have to shout about all other issues in the world, but I feel very cross that he can overlook Greens behaviour and physically benefit from it when he is such an advocate of anti-racism? Green has also been accused of racism and a black worker reported that he said something which I won’t repeat. How can Hamilton overlook all this? Am I being unreasonable to think this? It’s pit me off him to be honest, and I have zero desire to listen to him because I feel like it’s so hypocritical?

Before anyone questions me, I try very hard to shop ethically for food (and clothes when I bother to buy them), so I feel as though I can comment. I wouldn’t support someone like Topshop. Hamilton May also shop ethically, but to hang out on holiday on his yacht and enjoy his wealth just seems such bullshit to me?

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Changemyname901 · 17/09/2020 14:51

@MrsTerryPratchett I get what you’re saying, and maybe I am being too harsh when I say that it has put me off him. Maybe I need to learn to separate the two.
I just struggle with supporting one form of activism when that activist is okay with damaging another. Take Ghandi for example. What he did one one hand was wonderful, but his racism and anti-Black campaigning was abhorrent and I couldn’t forgive him for that. It’s harsh for me to compare the two, but I just don’t get how you can say this form of racism and treatment is awful but I don’t mind this one and I will happily benefit from it. Same with people like Lena Dunham who bang on and on about women’s rights but then wear and promote clothes made by women working in slave labour who are regularly raped just so they can keep their jobs and she just doesn’t seem to care. No one is perfect, certainly not me and maybe Hamilton just hasn’t made the link in his head, but could I be friends with someone like Green? Hell no and whilst I speak up about issues, I am certainly not on the same level of campaigning as Hamilton is, if that makes sense.

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MrsTerryPratchett · 17/09/2020 14:52

You're not seriously putting Lewis wearing a tshirt on par with Schindler saving Jews from a concentration camp...are you?

it's an illustrative point. As Sharona says, he was a knobhead. Who did an amazing thing. We should aspire to the act, not perfection. Because if we aspire to perfection, we will fail.

SharonasCorona · 17/09/2020 15:01

Take Ghandi for example. What he did one one hand was wonderful, but his racism and anti-Black campaigning was abhorrent and I couldn’t forgive him for that.

Yes and Churchill fought for white supremacism and a concentration camp network of his own!

Gandhi did gain independence for India from Britain, do you forgive him for that?

Why not make a list of all knobheads.

Scottishlassie81 · 17/09/2020 15:04

[quote EverdeRose]**@SharonasCorona

People complained constantly when schumacher was winning all the time.[/quote]
@EverdeRoseYou took the words out of my mouth. I found F1 boring while Schumacher was winning all the time as well.

@SharonasCorona you know what they say about 'assume'. No more replies or fucks will be given to what you write back.

lioncitygirl · 17/09/2020 15:05

Hamilton is an idiotic hypocritical idiot sandwich.

Bloody talented and probably the best F1 driver tho.

EarthlyTent · 17/09/2020 15:08

I feel you could find similar for most famous people doing stuff for good cause

Yeah, cos most famous people (Hamilton included) are hypocrites who only care about their public image and making money!

SharonasCorona · 17/09/2020 15:09

What a nasty thread. Disadvantaged black kid from a working class family grafts his way to the top of his game against the odds through talent and hard work, and people like to have a go at him.

Well said Smile

Changemyname901 · 17/09/2020 15:10

@SharonasCorona Churchill did a lot worse than that and I don’t support him either, utterly horrid man. So Ghandi is to be forgiven for thinking Black people were low and dirty and for successfully campaigning for them to have to have their own queue because he gained independence for India? Is he to be forgiven for making his young niece sleep naked with him? Why can’t we hold hypocrisy to account?

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SchrodingersImmigrant · 17/09/2020 15:11

So. If he was white, would you guys have an issue with thread like this?😐 Because it sounds like issue is that people are talking about a black person in a negative way, not that people are talking about a person in a negative way.

EarthlyTent · 17/09/2020 15:12

What a nasty thread. Disadvantaged black kid from a working class family grafts his way to the top of his game against the odds through talent and hard work, and people like to have a go at him

So should he be immune to criticism then?

SharonasCorona · 17/09/2020 15:13

@Changemyname901

Do you enjoy putting words in people’s mouth?

Changemyname901 · 17/09/2020 15:17

@SharonasCorona that’s what you are doing to me! Earlier you seemed to suggest this was because he was Black or Muslim. I asked you why you said that and what your evidence was and you ignored me. You appear to be trying to suggest that I have issues with other races. You didn’t pick up on my comment about Lena Dunham for example and then threw a white man at me. It’s clear what your agenda is.

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Inpensity · 17/09/2020 15:17

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This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

SharonasCorona · 17/09/2020 15:20

@Changemyname901

You’re doing it again. I made a general comment that people hold black people and Muslims to higher account.

Let people make of that what they wish. I stand by it.

Inpensity · 17/09/2020 15:21

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babasaclover · 17/09/2020 15:22

I'm with you OP. the guy is an absolute twat. It's a case of do as I say not as I do. Just like Harry and Meghan telling ua to save the planet and cut carbon footprint whilst travelling around on private jets!

Thepilotlightsgoneout · 17/09/2020 15:22

@EarthlyTent

What a nasty thread. Disadvantaged black kid from a working class family grafts his way to the top of his game against the odds through talent and hard work, and people like to have a go at him

So should he be immune to criticism then?

Of course not. The OP was a balanced argument, thought-provoking and making valid points for discussion. That’s criticism.

Wanker...idiot sandwich....entitled prick....smug wee shit...that’s not criticism, it’s abuse and hatred.

Inpensity · 17/09/2020 15:23

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Plmoknijb123 · 17/09/2020 15:25

I think what he’s doing is great! And takes great courage. Even if it’s just lip service (which I don’t think it is), he has made race a topic of conversation and has put pressure on people to change things. That’s a lot when really he could do nothing and just live a life of luxury.

EarthlyTent · 17/09/2020 15:26

Wanker...idiot sandwich....entitled prick....smug wee shit...that’s not criticism, it’s abuse and hatred

Haha, ok fair enough!

skippy67 · 17/09/2020 15:28

Someone will be along to call him "uppity" in a minute...Hmm

Averyyounggrandmaofsix · 17/09/2020 15:30

Anyone who hangs out with Philip Green shows a lack of judgement in my opinion.

MrsTerryPratchett · 17/09/2020 15:31

Part of my issue with all this is that some people pretend to not like BLM because of rioting, violent protests and damage to property. "Protest peacefully" they say. Then someone does a dance on TV and someone wears a t-shirt and there are complaints. Massive amounts of complaints.

It does tend to look like it's neither the hypocrisy nor the form of the protest. It's the cause that people object to.

Truest · 17/09/2020 15:32

@Scottishlassie81

I have never liked him. I just got the smug wee shit vibe from him since the start of his F1 career. Granted he's a good driver but he just wins all the time (again good for him) and I don't watch F1 anymore.

His behaviour recently has confirmed my opinion of him in my eyes.

I always got the impression his dad was a controlling pr:ck as well. Lewis has since fired him.

All of the above is just my opinion and he is one of my pet peeves.

Could you expatriate on this please? You’ve never liked him since the start of his career? and he’s got the “smug, wee, shit vibe”?

Why have you never liked him, what is this vibe you speak of ? you also say he’s a good driver BUT he wins all the time (granted that must be painful for you seeing as you don’t like him Confused.

Really interested to read your explanation if there is one.

Changemyname901 · 17/09/2020 15:32

@Inpensity I also called out Lena Dunham for wearing/posing in clothes made in the same situations when she is an advocate for women’s rights. So no, nothing to do with him being Black at all. It’s not about his race or religion or anything else, it’s about what he stands for. If Ricky Gervais put a fur hat on I would hold him to the same account.

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