And many people are quick to cancel and demand punishment regardless of context. Nobody, literally nobody, is saying anything positive about the tweets and the fact that he was being racist or trying to defend them. You say it needs cracking down on as hard as possible but in this instance what are you cracking down on? You're cracking down on something that a down and out teenager tweeted when he was at the lowest point of his life, when on the verge of drinking his career away, and basically not being a nice human being. Because Ollie isn't a racist - supported by many character testimonials from teammates and coaches. He's obviously progressed and grown as a person, both in his dedication to his profession and his impact on society. Isn't that what we want to happen to people that might have behaved that way? If we could get 25% of the people behaving today like Ollie did nearly a decade ago, how much of an improvement on society would that be? But no, we're talking about bans, punishment, cracking down, and suggesting racism is being waved away. It isn't and it hasn't.
[/QUOTE] Yet we have this PM running the country. He’d get life for all he’s done and said in the past. And folk say he was just having a larf. Bit of a lad. The country in nudgers world, is fooked. The list is endless, copied and pasted, below. Boris Johnson called gay men 'tank-topped bumboys' and black people 'piccaninnies' with 'watermelon smiles'
Yet we have this PM running the country. He’d get life for all he’s done and said in the past. And folk say he was just having a larf. Bit of a lad. The country in nudgers world, is fooked. The list is endless, copied and pasted, below. Boris Johnson called gay men 'tank-topped bumboys' and black people 'piccaninnies' with 'watermelon smiles' [/QUOTE] I totally agree with you.
Should he have been brought to account for the post years ago - yes Is a ban appropriate - well that depends, has he repeatedly posted such things, does he still show signs of holding the same views- if so then yes. If the answer is no then what lethytyke put about having him discussing seems most appropriate to me. ECB could also say something along lines of, making checks in future etc.
We can influence people though and using this as an educational aspect is more likely to influence people’s mind set
I totally agree with you.[/QUOTE] I knew you would Helen. It’s in your make-up. ( not the cosmetic type lol) was probably more of a response to red vesp. My posts on this thread are about ( in context on the timeline ) does the punishment fit the crime. Not that a crime wasn’t committed.
I was going to post something similar. maybe Robinson should have gone into politics no one in the Tory party would bat an eyelid as a few racist tweets at 18 - in fact they would probably be seen as a plus. My big issue with this is pretty much what @Loko the Tyke already posted. He is now clearly a reformed character. Banning him now serves no useful purpose other than to appeal to the string em up brigade. Im pleased there was no social media when I was a teenager I held some views then that I have changed significantly now. Not so much on racism but definitely on LBGT and Womens rights etc
Definitely a teachable moment. I'm curious as to what punishment ECB are going to give themselves, for not detecting any of this either prior to selection, or during his County career. I also wonder if he recalls making any of these tweets, or if he had genuinely forgotten about them (the statement I read didn't comment either way). Only he will know that, but if he was aware of them, then I question if he has personally done enough. Could he have made ECB and his County Clubs aware before now - or was he just hoping they would never surface? If he knew about them and didn't come forward, then for me he could have done more, and he's always opening himself up to 'you're more sorry for getting caught'. I personally think the suspension is reasonable. It's 'pending investigation', and it feels untenable to continue playing him while all that is going on.
The ECB have a zero approach to racism (which is refreshing bearing in mind some of their deplorable actions in the past) so they had little option but to call him out - Fine by me. Should what he said when he was younger end his career? Not in my book - if he's truly remorseful. And it's for others to make that judgement based on the evidence they have - or collect. Fine - let them get on with it. This incident does highlight one of the issues picked up in a recent thread. We really should make more effort to try to stop seeing people as as either 'good' or 'evil'. Most of us can't fit into one of those categories. It's just various shades of grey; and that means there have to be opportunities for us to change our ways/views or we're all in the ****
The ECB is itself under investigation following the recent claim that 2 umpires had their careers affected by Institutional Racism..........so far the ECB has acknowledged the need to 'make sure everyone feels welcome.' The ECB is right to address the Ollie Robinson issue but they shouldn't use that as a smoke screen for the racism in their organisation. Similarly the FA rightly condemn the recent booing but are they addressing the issue of why some groups are under-represented at football management level and under-represented in the Football Club boardrooms? Is focusing on the booing deflecting scrutiny of the Institutional Racism in the FA ?
Regarding this matter, and I'm not sure where I stand on it fully yet, if I had posted something similar when I was 18 and my employers had just found out about it, I would be suspended pending an investigation I would imagine? Isn't this what has happened to Robinson? He's been suspended pending an investigation. He hasn't been "cancelled".
Should action be taken against all the Liverpool players who wore a Luis Suarez t-shirt during a warm up when Suarez had made racial remarks to Patrice Evra? Where does it end? Even the Leisure momister and the PM have both commented on the Ollie Robinson matter and feel the punishment is harsh.
Google <racism and the ECB> - this organisation is racist. As recently as last March 8 MP's raised the issue in Parliament saying that there was 'Institutional Racism' at all levels of the game. With their track record should they be addressing the Ollie Robinson issue? Before they address that the ECB should put their own house in order.
it seems a bit perverse that the organisation addressing the Robinson issue re racism is itself a racist organisation.
Looking back to my 18-19 year old self and cringing at the **** ups I made, am I a bad man? I really don't think I am, it seems there are some that post on here that just haven't transgressed in any way through their entire life, for those people I genuinely feel sorry because its the mistakes that make us as humans evolve, Robinson WAS a young, naive, ignorant berk, he's grown up, learnt a lesson, will that be an end to his mistakes? Not on your Nellie.