Knowing when you’re being racist at the football can be difficult nowadays. I can understand how this can be a little tricky for some of you to get your head around, so to help out I decided to put together this guide. You’re welcome.
I am being racist when…
1) I continue to boo an indigenous footballer despite being aware that he believes my booing is racially motivated and finds it deeply offensive. I don’t believe this is enough reason to warrant stopping.
2) I justify my booing of an indigenous footballer by asserting that I’m doing so for various other reasons unrelated to his race. Therefore I believe I’m justified in continuing to engage in behaviour he finds deeply offensive.
3) I believe that being told to stop engaging in behaviour that an indigenous footballer finds deeply offensive is an authoritarian attempt to stifle my beliefs, so I will continue to engage in that behaviour because I have a high moral standards.
4) I believe that engaging in behaviour that an indigenous footballer finds racially offensive can be justified because he previously told officials that a person in the crowd racially abused him, and that person turned out to be a 13-year-old girl.
I will continue to engage in the behaviour he finds racially offensive to make a stand for all of the kids out there who are racially abusing people before reaching the age where it becomes wrong to racially abuse someone, whatever that age happens to be.
5) I am not booing an indigenous footballer for racist reasons; it is because I don’t like him for other reasons.
Yet I understand that other people are booing him for racist reasons that he finds offensive. However I shall continue to boo him for my own personal, non-racist reasons to make an important stand – because free speech, or something.
6) I am booing an indigenous footballer because I find an indigenous man performing an indigenous war dance during an indigenous round aimed at non-indigenous people that are booing him for being an indigenous person highly offensive and threatening.
7) I believe it is more important to vocally defend the people who are booing an indigenous footballer for non-racist reasons then it is to put a stop to the people who are racially abusing him.
8) I continue to boo Adam Goodes.
Steve Mcglashan
Roar Rookie
Look lets be honest people don't boo adam goodes because they're racist he turned it into a race thing like he continues to do. Tell me why other indigenous players aren't continually booed. What about when other non indigenous players are getting booed is that racist too? When I go to the footy I'll boo whoever I like and it'll have nothing to do with race
Bob
Roar Rookie
Agreed. And now we wait....
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Good stuff Bob. Whatever (non-racist) reason people may have had to boo Goodes before, the issue has grown way beyond that, and they simply need to understand that it isn't about them any more. Sometimes you just have to pull your head in and move on...
Bob
Roar Rookie
@pat malone. If it makes it easier to understand - yes.
AlanKC
Guest
Good read Bob, I'll admit I was a touch nervous regarding the headline though :)
Mitcher
Guest
Look friend, it's simple. We're on your side. We are all in no doubt your own personal free speech (or whatever etc etc) booing crusade is 100% innocent. We know that. You are a stand up guy. Obviously. BUT... Armed with the knowledge you are not racist. We are 100% confident you, for 1, 2, maybe 3 games - are willing to forego that ancient right to innocently boo, if for no other reason than to expose that small minority who are in fact racist. Those we KNOW you abhor. Because you told us. And we believe you. Let's do this together!!!
pat malone
Guest
so under number 5, if i don't like him like say i don't like Josh Dugan, i can boo Dugan but i cant boo Goodes because of other people and how it might be interpreted and becaue other people are booing him for the wrong reasons.
Bunratty c
Roar Rookie
Well said, Bob!