NO TROLLS Should AFL players bend the knee before each match in 2021?

[Forward Press]

Formula 1 in my opinion did it right last season - some drivers chose to take a knee, some chose not to, but all of them had a moment's silence and displayed End Racism messages on their overalls before the start of the race. They also played a short promo during the coverage featuring all drivers saying anti-racism messages - tastefully done with no reference to politics. Whole thing was over in two minutes.

That probably achieves more than forced knees mandated by the AFL round after round after round but I am aware it's easier for 22 people to come to an agreement than 700+ in the AFL.

 

[dave10]

I think they should do it before every quarter and also every centre bounce, after a goal has been kicked. And when anyone's having a set shot everyone else but the guy on the mark should do it.

And even that wouldn’t be enough!

 

[dave10]

I'm sure they will, the AFL will love the publicity it will bring, they won't care what it means but it will "look good"

But achieve nothing.

 

[JackFlash]

Nelson Mandela was the leader of a Marxist terrorist organisation - they can be the good guys

Both King and Mandela have a distorted history, but neither were as disgraceful in their approach as the BLM protestors.

 

[RichLeMonde]

Both King and Mandela have a distorted history, but neither were as disgraceful in their approach as the BLM protestors.

Mandela was far more violent in his approach than BLM though. Seems the real issue is whether you consider his and King’s causes more just than that if BLM, rather than their differences between their approaches

 

[JackFlash]

Mandela was far more violent in his approach than BLM though. Seems the real issue is whether you consider his and King’s causes more just than that if BLM, rather than their differences between their approaches

The human brain doesn't handle complexity very well. You can see this most dramatically in how we read and understand history. We want everything to be a neat, simple narrative of good guys and bad guys, of clear beginnings and endings. BLM has no such thought process. In South Africa, Mandela held back the anger that wanted to bring the country to riots and chaos while Martin Luther King certainly did organize all of those nonviolent protests you know him for, he fully bought into the idea of "just in case" firepower. Remember, King was a man of the South, fighting against acts of terrorism against his person and his people. Make no mistake: King died knowing he was fighting for causes that were deeply unpopular to the mainstream. BLM destroyed and are lauded for it. The AFL should have nothing to do with it.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Would be happy for the opposition to perform a barefoot circle like the Australian cricket team and proceed to fold up in similar fashion.

Stick to footy.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

I don't see why, racism has been eradicated yeah?

 

[Demonic Ascent]

The human brain doesn't handle complexity very well. You can see this most dramatically in how we read and understand history. We want everything to be a neat, simple narrative of good guys and bad guys, of clear beginnings and endings. BLM has no such thought process. In South Africa, Mandela held back the anger that wanted to bring the country to riots and chaos while Martin Luther King certainly did organize all of those nonviolent protests you know him for, he fully bought into the idea of "just in case" firepower. Remember, King was a man of the South, fighting against acts of terrorism against his person and his people. Make no mistake: King died knowing he was fighting for causes that were deeply unpopular to the mainstream. BLM destroyed and are lauded for it. The AFL should have nothing to do with it.

They've been trying peaceful protest for decades, hasn't really worked. I can understand why they may want to start taking a more militaristic approach.

 

[JackFlash]

They've been trying peaceful protest for decades, hasn't really worked. I can understand why they may want to start taking a more militaristic approach.

Why perform a gesture that has now been hi-jacked by political extremists demanding the abolition of the police and destruction of “capitalism”? As a fan who like s a sporting competition, I'm more interested in who wins the toss!

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Why perform a gesture that has now been hi-jacked by political extremists demanding the abolition of the police and destruction of “capitalism”? As a fan who like s a sporting competition, I'm more interested in who wins the toss!

It's a gesture to show solidarity with victims of racism and to show support for the inclusiveness of people regardless of their ethnicity. In Australia it's also to raise awareness for issues such as incarceration rates of indigenous Australians. It has nothing to do with the downfall of western civilization, only people who spend too much time online think that.

 

[JackFlash]

It's a gesture to show solidarity with victims of racism and to show support for the inclusiveness of people regardless of their ethnicity. In Australia it's also to raise awareness for issues such as incarceration rates of indigenous Australians. It has nothing to do with the downfall of western civilization, only people who spend too much time online think that.

Good thing I'm not online very much. I'm all for inclusiveness, but i just want to watch a sporting event.

 

[Shannon M]

It's a gesture to show solidarity with victims of racism and to show support for the inclusiveness of people regardless of their ethnicity. In Australia it's also to raise awareness for issues such as incarceration rates of indigenous Australians. It has nothing to do with the downfall of western civilization, only people who spend too much time online think that.

You've had your whole lifetime to show support to victims of racism, it just seems that everyone took a sudden interest after being whipped into a frenzy mid last year.

And Chief, we could do without the racist attack on the Irish. They've been victims of racists for centuries. To imply a whole race is racist because you met a few Irish racists is appalling.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Good thing I'm not online very much. I'm all for inclusiveness, but i just want to watch a sporting event.

Great so grab a beer or go to the toilet a couple of minutes before the bounce if a couple of dozen guys kneeling for a few seconds is such an affront to your worldview.

 

[Shannon M]

They've been trying peaceful protest for decades, hasn't really worked. I can understand why they may want to start taking a more militaristic approach.

The US is one of the least racist, most inclusive societies on the planet. Same with Australia.

The biggest issues for African Americans are high rates of black on black violence, high incarceration rate, 80% of black children born to single mothers. George Floyd dying because he resisted arrest while high on meth, fentanyl after trying to steal using counterfeit money pales into insignificance.

There is no agenda or conspiracy among white police to kill black people. It's utter lunacy, but that's what BLM are peddling. BLM want to defund police if anything there needs to be a bigger police presence in areas where black on black violence is high.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I am of course generalising far too much based on the three Irish people I have known personally and heard make racist comments - plus a bunch of others I haven’t known well and haven’t heard any racism from.

Apologies to any non-racist Irish people I have offended with my generalisation.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

You've had your whole lifetime to show support to victims of racism, it just seems that everyone took a sudden interest after being whipped into a frenzy mid last year.

Yeah unfortunately the previous tactics weren't having much of an impact which is why sportspeople around the world decided to undertake this extremely innocuous act to raise awareness of the issue. I don't think it's really that invasive a practice, unless of course you disagree with the premise that we should be trying to eliminate oppression.

 

[Shannon M]

Both King and Mandela have a distorted history, but neither were as disgraceful in their approach as the BLM protestors.

Mandela lived under a disgusting apartheid system.

The US is one of the the least racist, most inclusive societies in human history.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

The US is one of the least racist, most inclusive societies on the planet. Same with Australia.

The biggest issues for African Americans are high rates of black on black violence, high incarceration rate, 80% of black children born to single mothers. George Floyd dying because he resisted arrest while high on meth, fentanyl after trying to steal using counterfeit money pales into insignificance.

There is no agenda or conspiracy among white police to kill black people. It's utter lunacy, but that's what BLM are peddling. BLM want to defund police if anything there needs to be a bigger police presence in areas where black on black violence is high.

Haha yeah ok mate. George Floyd is the only African American to have been gunned down by a cop, wrongfully imprisoned, victimised based on the colour of their skin etc etc

Out of interest where did you get the stat "80% of black children born to single mothers"? That seems extremely high.

 

[Shannon M]

Yeah unfortunately the previous tactics weren't having much of an impact which is why sportspeople around the world decided to undertake this extremely innocuous act to raise awareness of the issue. I don't think it's really that invasive a practice, unless of course you disagree with the premise that we should be trying to eliminate oppression.

That's your view of the world I suppose where you see the US as an incredibly racist and oppressive society.

It's just not based in reality though. All triggered by a guy high on fentanyl and meth, in bad health, trying to steal using counterfeit money, panicking and inducing a heart attack.

 

[Scotland]

If you want to do it, do. If you don't, don't.

If the AFL want to tell players not do it or punish those who do, that is their prerogative. Zero chance they will do that.

If the AFL want to tell players they have to do it, then they can get ****ed.

IMO the whole protest angle is diminished if everyone is doing it because the establishment says so.

 

[Shannon M]

Haha yeah ok mate. George Floyd is the only African American to have been gunned down by a cop, wrongfully imprisoned, victimised based on the colour of their skin etc etc

Out of interest where did you get the stat "80% of black children born to single mothers"? That seems extremely high.

We can go through this is you like, but a higher proportion of white people are killed while under arrest than black people.

"In 2011, 83% of black babies were born to unmarried mothers"

African-American family structure - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Demonic Ascent]

We can go through this is you like, but a higher proportion of white people are killed while under arrest than black people.

"In 2011, 83% of black babies were born to unmarried mothers"

African-American family structure - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Hang on so you're equating "unmarried" to "single" mother's? That seems highly problematic, you may want to rethink that.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

That's your view of the world I suppose where you see the US as an incredibly racist and oppressive society.

It's just not based in reality though. All triggered by a guy high on fentanyl and meth, in bad health, trying to steal using counterfeit money, panicking and inducing a heart attack.

If you think that's what's going on you are completely disregarding decades/centuries of history.

 

[Shannon M]

Hang on so you're equating "unmarried" to "single" mother's? That seems highly problematic, you may want to rethink that.

I'm sure some of them are in defacto relationships but 83% of black babies born to unwed mothers is a disturbing number. It's only 30% for light skinned women.