“Luke warm acceptance is more bewildering than outright rejection”
Dr Martin Luther King Jnr
In light of recent media coverage and the long over-due guilty verdicts in the Steven Lawrence case, I feel I have to raise some questions with regards to racism in Britain. Yes racism exists, no one with half a mind can deny that, but what really irks me is the way it is so often accepted and trivialised by the masses.
In yester-years racist attitudes were overt, discriminations were made obvious and widespread throughout many communities, though they were not always condoned they were generally accepted as the norm. But now in the 21st Century it seems racism has gone under-cover, openly racist abuse has been exchanged for covert, sneaky and widely accepted forms of racism.
Take for example the recent football fiasco, with England Captain John Terry being accused of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers’ Aton Ferdinand, calling him a “f**king black b**stard.” Terry is facing criminal charges because of this, and rightly so, but what seems to me to be incredibly unjust is the fact that John Terry is permitted to continue playing football and being England Captain while awaiting trial.
Terry holds a very public position as a popular sporting personality, and by all accounts represents England while he is on the field. How then can he continue to play football with this hanging over him? A successful person in a different occupation, accused of this crime, would undoubtedly be forced to take gardening leave while the issue was investigated and resolved. Why then have the rules been bent for Terry, wouldn’t a suspension until the trial is concluded be the correct and fairest way forward?
And as if Terry’s continued presence on the pitch wasn’t enough, officials add insult to injury by postponing his trial date until 9th July, which just happens to be exactly one week after the conclusion of the European Football Championships, even though the District Judge claimed Terry would receive ‘no special treatment’ during the course of proceedings.
Recent events have seen the Steven Lawrence trial being a prominent feature in the media. With coverage showing two of his five killers finally being brought to justice after EIGHTEEN long and heartbreaking years, as well as publicizing the findings of the Macpherson inquiry, which concluded that, the police investigation was sabotaged by “institutional racism.” With all of this racial intolerance among Britons’ being made so obvious, I have to question why the presiding authorities haven’t taken this opportunity to take a firm stand against racism, and make some attempt to right earlier wrongs by promoting racial equality. It seems that they have instead adopted a simply dismissive manner, and have deferred taking any stance until it best suits them. If John Terry, a spokesman for our highest grossing national sport, has his racial bigotry over-looked and minimized what kind of message does this send to his immense number of impressionable supporters?
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