Questions for white people: what is the problem with "taking the knee"

[Flayn]

1. What is the problem with taking the knee
2. How would you prefer athletes protest racism

I am a regular poster, under a changed name and speak 2nd language English - I know the passive aggressiveness some posters adopt for this topic.

The whole of the left.

Wow.

@Flayn

1. What is the problem with taking the knee

1. How would you prefer athletes protest racism

I am a regular poster, under a changed name and speak 2nd language English - I know the passive aggressiveness some posters adopt for this topic.

1. BLM has evolved into a violent extremist political organisation. Bending the knee has become associated with it. People who do not want to bend the knee risk their character being cancelled on social media so feel coerced to do something they don't feel comfortable with.

1. Athletes of all colours can show support for each other on and off the pitch and be an example to fans.

Some of MLK's wise quotes ""I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

There is also a distinction between not having a problem with it, and just not giving a shit what some athletes do.

1. What is the problem with taking the knee
None at all.
2. How would you prefer athletes protest racism
In whatever way they feel is appropriate.

I support someone wanting to take the knee as a form of protest, just as I would any other peaceful form of protest. Equally if someone chooses not to take the knee then that is their choice and nothing else needs reading into it, eg if somone abstains from taking the knee, nobody should claim they a racist.

www.politifact.com/article/2020/jul/21/black-lives-matter-marxist-movement/

Not quite marxist.

Also, what it means to "defund the police"

www.cbsnews.com/news/defund-the-police-meaning/

I don't think the op is seeing white people as a homogeneous mass. They're asking white people to answer their questions as a white person, not assuming that there is one answer for all white people. They said that English is their second language so I think that the subtlety might be slightly lost in translation.

@wordsareveryunnecessary Nobody's asking YOU to kneel to show that you respect people of all races.You can show that respect in the way you treat people and stand up against prejudice in the day to day, as I'm sure you do. The England team do it because they have a huge public profile and their actions (including symbolic gestures) might influence the attitudes of their fans.

@Bollindger

I won't do it because it does nothing. It is for effect, to make some feel better and they then DO NOTHING else. I taught my children skin colour means nothing. Laying the blame for past hurts will not change things it stirs up bad feelings. It also is causing a noticeable divide as per this thread.

The hurts are not past. Racism is happening now - as the horrible comments about our penalty- takers on social media today prove.

I am fully in support of taking the knee. It won't make a difference all on its own - but it's something at least that says 'I reject racism and acknowledge it is still a problem'

I don't have an issue with it. In my life I haven't got down on one knee for all kinds of reasons:

1. to genuflect in church
2. to speak to a small child
3. to stretch my leg muscles
4. to give a blow job
5. to play a game of catch where you have to get down on one knee if you fail to catch the ball

The reasons people do have an issue with it are:

1. they are overtly racist (and based on the last 24 hours I'd say this covered a bigger chunk of people than I realised)
2. people who are uncomfortable with it because they are beneficiaries of white supremacy and don't want to lose the benefits their skin colour affords them (this group seems to lead to a lot of what aboutery) - this may be conscious or unconscious
3. people who are uncomfortable with it for other reasons - I think there's a chunk of homophobia and misogyny in the mix as well (see reason 4 above)
4. people who don't agree with the symbol for religious reasons - although I haven't found much evidence to support this

1. BLM has evolved into a violent extremist political organisation. Bending the knee has become associated with it. People who do not want to bend the knee risk their character being cancelled on social media so feel coerced to do something they don't feel comfortable with.

In what way is the BLM Movement a violent extremist political organisation because despite paying attention that shit seems to have passed me by. Or, you know, not be true at all.

I’m white. Not only do I know not have a problem with athletes (or anyone else) taking the knee, I applaud it and have the utmost respect for those who do. Black Lives Matter.

I'm white and have absolutely no problem with it whatsoever.

@Bollindger

I won't do it because it does nothing. It is for effect, to make some feel better and they then DO NOTHING else. I taught my children skin colour means nothing. Laying the blame for past hurts will not change things it stirs up bad feelings. It also is causing a noticeable divide as per this thread.

But skin colour does mean something. It does not mean that any person should be marginalised, treated poorly, abused or ignored. But to say it doesn’t matter is to deny people of colour the experience of people of colour?! POC do experience abuse and marginalisation, as we know, every day - literally because of the colour of their skin. When we deny colour matters we deny their experience and their voice. Surely a better tack is to explain that people come in many different forms and that no we are not all the same but we should all be treated the same - ie well.

I am white. I have no issue with it.
I see it as an expression of solidarity and also a moment of stillness in memory of the black people who have been unlawfully killed by police.
Presumably all those who say it's subservient would be happier with a black power salute instead?
And it's no more 'virtue signalling' than clapping for the NHS....

I did support it but don't now because it's gone on so long it's pointless

As a white person I have no problem with it. I support athletes doing it and would question somebody not participating. I'm sure this is the opinion of the vast majority of white people in this country, but maybe I am living in a 'bubble' where I simply don't know anyone who would be racist/object(except one elderly aunt possibly).

Also white and think it should happen more

I admire the footballers for doing it and for sticking with it. To me, it just displays a strong dislike of racism and a willingness to be humble. There is a certain section of the British public which sneers at gestures which they don’t agree with, instead of live and let live. That same section also gets highly offended if people don’t want to wear poppies or sing the national anthem and would consider it the height of rudeness if someone started booing.

@ufucoffee

I did support it but don't now because it's gone on so long it's pointless

You supported it until you felt it had gone on too long and became '' pointless ''?! (pointless to you, maybe) Sounds like they didn't really have your support in the first place. This demonstrates how much racism needs to keep on being called out.

[quote Flayn]@Kanaloa - There was(is?) a "No to racism" campaign running for years - did it assist given what happened at the finals?[/quote]
There still is a campaign. Its called "Kick It Out" (kick racism out of football). Latterly, they also support bending the knee.

@Subbaxeo

I admire the footballers for doing it and for sticking with it. To me, it just displays a strong dislike of racism and a willingness to be humble. There is a certain section of the British public which sneers at gestures which they don’t agree with, instead of live and let live. That same section also gets highly offended if people don’t want to wear poppies or sing the national anthem and would consider it the height of rudeness if someone started booing.

There's definitely a lot of hypocrisy about "virtue signalling" and gestures.

I support athletes doing it and would question somebody not participating. I'm sure this is the opinion of the vast majority of white people in this country

I wouldn’t question someone not participating

I don't have a problem with refusing racism. But, outside of the UK's major cities, the population is largely white... and across the UK's whole recorded population, the BAME element accounts for roughly 13% according to recent census data, so in a lot of the country it does feel awkward to be celebrating diversity. Especially when rural areas get only about 65-70% per capita spend on education and services of the spend in inner cities. There is real abject poverty within two miles of where I live. I cannot simply reduce the argument to skin colour.