Lately I have had the privilege of attending events in which a wide sector of the community was represented, At Holocaust memorial Day in particular, I noted a number of individuals who had come to my community as refugees but now have the opportunity to live safely among our happily very multi-cultural community and share their experiences. It stuck me then that we have to be be vigilant about any kind of discrimination and cannot take peace for granted. If you see any kind of injustice taking place, then perhaps you should take the risk and say something about it.
Such issues which lead to genocide and war begin gradually through lack of education and deliberate manipulation of the truth. Very soon it becomes acceptable to deprive certain individuals of human rights. For this reason I would challenge anyone claiming to tackle racism without truth as it foundation.
The search for truth involves humility. For very good reasons not everyone is trained as a lawyer. In these days of celebrity and social networking, it may be possible to overlook the many different ways in which a reputation may be established. Some are very good at kicking a football or noting an infringement. There may be hidden motives whilst those with the most followers may not necessarily have the most knowledge about every subject.
Access to the truth also relies upon evidence. For this reason we have a law by which anyone facing prosecution is considered innocent until it can be proved that they are guilty. This process needs to be undertaken in the right order. It is crucial that only those best qualified and with access to all the evidence should determine guilt or otherwise. Once sentence has been passed, it might well be appropriate for others such as employers to take action. Consequently, despite the severity of charges or the importance of his role in the community, the board of Tottenham Hotspur FC retained the services of a particularly capable manager, and are no doubt as delighted as I am by the outcome of that trial.
Lately there has been some talk of exceptions to this law. Holocaust begins by marking out individuals as being exempt, avoiding the main issues and so creating scapegoats. To me there is no compromise. There is no such thing as a valid target. Every human being matters and consequently has a right to protection through law. Frankly I do not care how much professional footballers are paid, whether I should like the guy or what John Terry's past indiscretions might be. It is up to the jury to determine guilt, not me.
In this case I cannot help noting an observation that we are dealing with an incident rather than a character reference. The captain of Chelsea FC would require his entire squad to feel motivated and involved so could not possibly be a racist. Any implication otherwise would suggest all this clubs trophies achieved through this leadership were gained solely by those of the same ethnicity as John Terry! Considering the likes of Chelsea players that even I can name, this would surely be rather a racist observation.
I am full of admiration those individuals who have made considerable sacrifices so that right (and with this a right society) might eventually prevail. Telling the truth and standing up for what you believe is not the best way of gaining popularity among those seeking merely white-wash solutions. At times it can be very hard maintaining your belief in other people although I would guess this is one difference between being a manager and a player.
For those wishing to challenge racism in football it may be helpful to hear the views of some students I was speaking to last week. This very mixed race group were insulted by strategies to portray them as being victims in need of some paternalistic support from bodies such as the FA. Most individuals are a great deal stronger than they seem. Racism is high on the political agenda right now although Football is also notorious for its views on homosexuality and the ways it can sometimes treat women. At times we need to be reminded of our strength and possibilities. The real victims in any kind of discriminatory situations are those who through lack of knowledge miss out on so much of the human race.
Ineffective shallow strategies grounded on lack of knowledge may result in simply switching targets. From attacking players on the basis of race, we are attacking a former England manager instead. To me this is not what representing England is about. I am proud of my identity, and resent seeing my national flag being used in so demeaning and derogatory way. Unlike any occupation I can think of, including that of Queen, there is an openly expressed view that the England manager now has to be English!
Through compromising the law and the truth, the English FA has made many individuals feel threatened, angry at an injustice, and unnerved by the lack of truth. I think it would be helpful for those with the English FA to re-appraise the situation, note where mistakes have been made, show humility and seek advice. Instead of reducing racism, by polarising both clubs and the communities they represent it does seem to me they have managed to increase it .
