The N word in Irish sports

[jcdf]

Paul McGrath article in the Irish Mail on Sunday was quite informative and helped to further my understanding of the whole issue of the N****r word in Irish sports as I believe was covered in depth earlier on Politics.ie.
Paul McGrath is an emotionally mature adult who has clearly given a lot of thought to whole issue as can be seen from the following extracts from his article:

What does it feel like to say ************************************ to a black man? You are, perhaps without realising, referencing slavery, calling us lowlifes, saying we don’t matter, we are beneath you, we are worthless, we are scum. In many ways it is a disabling word, even, sadly, now.

one of the spectators sitting further back started shouting ‘nigger’ at one of the opposition players. I could hear it plainly, hear it ring. A brave man would have marched up the stands and asked his problem was.

That day, I was not that brave man. I did nothing. Kept my head down and kept watching.

And at that time things would be said to me, like ‘F*** you, you f***ing nigger’. At first, I would, I would get really angry and I got involved in a few scuffles. I was no saint. Would start punch-ups. I soon found that was no use.

I knew I’d be sent off anyway. That day I didn’t hurt anyone except my team… and the guy who got the kick, I suppose.

In a perfect world, every footballer would shrug his shoulders and walk away. But we are not perfect. Remember when Zinedine Zidane head-butted the chest of Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final? Materazzi had hurled abuse, rumoured to have been racist, and Zidane saw red. That was his last World Cup. It will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. I can’t condone his actions but I can understand them.

As footballers, we are told to hold our tempers, not react in the moment. Such is our training. We live in a world where our physiques and our minds are primed, stretched, taken to their limits. So when our concentration is punctured by a taunt , we can react quickly and, sometimes, unfortunately, without that all important second’s thought. Are we right? No. But we are human.

And know that in calling you a ************************************, they have only betrayed themselves as a person incapable of great thought.

So the next time you witness racism, on or off the pitch, the next time you preside over a situation you know to be wrong, do something. In doing nothing you condone the racist’s action.

Should we out law the use of the n****r word at football matches? Despite agreeing with most of Paul McGraths opinion, I believe freedom of expression should not be curtailed regardless of how hurtful it might be to some people. Further more it would only in some way justify the racists beliefs.
A fundamental truth about people is that what they say often reflects more about how they see or feel about themselves than about the people they talking about. That goes for people of African decent as well as the racists. If a person were to walk up to you and call you a worthless lowlife piece of scum who does not matter, how would you feel and respond to that? It would probably depend on one, how you feel about yourself and two, how you feel about the person saying it.

[joel]

Er, the word, in effect is banned, isn't it?

[zakalwe]

great article. great op.

take a stand and let the fecker know that that kind of language is unacceptable. don't be a twat and call the police though. you'll only increase the bigots standing among the other neaderthals.

[polito123]

You believe that freedom of speech should give you the right to refer to someone of African decent as a ************************************??!!

Surely if you read what Paul McGrath had to say on the issue, you would realise that it is offensive and hurtful.

BTW, can I just say that Paul McGrath is an absolute legend!! It's a pity we don't have a player of his calibre in the Irish squad at the minute..

[jcdf]

You believe that freedom of speech should give you the right to refer to someone of African decent as a ********* *********??!!

Surely if you read what Paul McGrath had to say on the issue, you would realise that it is offensive and hurtful.

BTW, can I just say that Paul McGrath is an absolute legend!! It's a pity we don't have a player of his calibre in the Irish squad at the minute..

Just because something is offensive and hurtful does not mean it should be out lawed. We do not need the PC brigade shoving their s**t into the sporting arena. Even worse is their attempt to remove alcholic drinks from advertising at the games.

[alonso]

On Irish racism, the late great Phil Lynott's quote will never be beaten:

interviewer: "What's it like to be black and Irish?"
Phil, in deadpan Dublinese: "Like a pint of Guinness"

[Clanrickard]

You believe that freedom of speech should give you the right to refer to someone of African decent as a ********* *********??!!

Surely if you read what Paul McGrath had to say on the issue, you would realise that it is offensive and hurtful.

BTW, can I just say that Paul McGrath is an absolute legend!! It's a pity we don't have a player of his calibre in the Irish squad at the minute..

Calling someone with buck teeth rabbit? Calling a traveller a pavee? Calling a chinese a chink? A homosexual faggot, queer? Calling aDub jackeen?Someone from the country a bogger? Where do you draw the line. The word ************************************ has been elevated to a pedestal where frankly it doesnt belong.

[Clanrickard]

You believe that freedom of speech should give you the right to refer to someone of African decent as a ********* *********??!!

Surely if you read what Paul McGrath had to say on the issue, you would realise that it is offensive and hurtful.

BTW, can I just say that Paul McGrath is an absolute legend!! It's a pity we don't have a player of his calibre in the Irish squad at the minute..

Calling someone with buck teeth rabbit? Calling a traveller a pavee? Calling a chinese a chink? A homosexual faggot, queer? Calling aDub jackeen?Someone from the country a bogger? Where do you draw the line. The word ********* ********* has been elevated to a pedestal where frankly it doesnt belong.

And to prove my point n-i-g-g-e-r has been asterisked but not any of the other words.

[jcdf]

You believe that freedom of speech should give you the right to refer to someone of African decent as a ********* *********??!!

Surely if you read what Paul McGrath had to say on the issue, you would realise that it is offensive and hurtful.

BTW, can I just say that Paul McGrath is an absolute legend!! It's a pity we don't have a player of his calibre in the Irish squad at the minute..

Calling someone with buck teeth rabbit? Calling a traveller a pavee? Calling a chinese a chink? A homosexual faggot, queer? Calling aDub jackeen?Someone from the country a bogger? Where do you draw the line. The word ********* ********* has been elevated to a pedestal where frankly it doesnt belong.

That is just it! It does not belong on a pedestal. I have a bad feeling some people plan to put it on one and do all within their power to keep it there. The only reason I asterisked the word is that I do not want to get a warning from one of the moderators.

[futurecouncillor]

A lot of needling goes on in sport between a man and his marker when the ball is at the other end of the field. If you're asking is it or should it be acceptable in such instances then the answer is yes. After all, the other fella will be doing his best to offend and rile you.....

On the otherhand it is completely unacceptable in my mind for spectators to engage in such abuse towards those on the playing field.