Former England footballer John Barnes has launched an impassioned defence of Liam Neeson, in light of the actor's comments that he once wandered the streets 'looking for a black b****** to kill' in a misguided rage.
Barnes appeared on Sky News to defend Neeson and said the actor deserves a medal for honesty and for tackling his own unconscious racism 30 years ago.
Neeson, 66, made global headlines yesterday when he admitted he spent a week walking the streets carrying a cosh looking to kill a black man after a close friend of his was raped by one.
Scroll down for video
John Barnes appeared on Sky News to defend Neeson and said the actor deserves a medal for honesty and for tackling his own unconscious racism 30 years ago in light of the actor's comments that he once wandered the streets carrying a cosh 'looking for a black b****** to kill'
Barnes, an outspoken black rights activist who was himself the victim of horrifying racism during his playing career, said any witch-hunt or attempt to boycott Neeson's films only suppressed necessary conversations about race.
'I think Liam Neeson deserves a medal. I've listened to the whole interview transcript and he was talking about his film "Cold Pursuit" and how, having been brought up in Northern Ireland, he understands how destructive revenge can be,' the footballer said.
'You can't blame (him) for thinking what he feels - and this was a while ago - because society and the media had shown him this is what black people do.
'So he said, in that moment, for a week, he was looking around to 'kill a black person'.
'He went on to say was that he was ashamed and horrified by the way he felt.'
Barnes, 55, who moved from Kingston, Jamaica, to London aged 12, was capped for England 79 times in a glittering career that saw him collect seven major trophies.
Liam Neeson, 66, made global headlines yesterday when he admitted he spent a week walking the streets looking to kill a black man. He told The Independent in a recorded interview that he had wandered around looking for a 'black b***ard to kill' in a misguided attempt at rage after learning that a loved one had been raped
He has long been an outspoken voice of authority on issues facing black footballers and was awarded an MBE for his services to the game.
However, when Sky News' anchor Colin Brazier pushed back and asked whether there was some justification for the boycotting of Neeson's films, Barnes launched a scathing attack on Sir Winston Churchill.
Barnes accused Churchill of being a 'white supremacist' who considered the lives of white people more valuable than others, and that had the war time leader still been alive he would still hold those same views.
The football legend said: 'Let's take down the statue of Winston Churchill, a white supremacist and mass murderer.
Barnes, an outspoken black rights activist who was himself the victim of horrifying racism during his playing career, said any witch-hunt or attempt to boycott Neeson's films only suppressed necessary conversations about race
'Churchill held the view of his age, Neeson held the view of his age. When Liam Neeson comes out and admits he was wrong, and Churchill never did, we're now pillorying him - and not Churchill.
'You can't judge Neeson on 30 years ago, he said after a week he was horrified and ashamed of what he felt.'
Barnes went on to say that you cannot blame Neeson for thinking those thoughts because society had forced those views into him.
'You cannot blame him from thinking that. You cannot blame him for thinking those thoughts when the media portray people in a negative light.
Barnes, 55, who moved from Kingston, Jamaica to London aged 12, was capped for England 79 times in a glittering career that saw him collect seven major trophies and manage Celtic, Jamaica and Tranmere Rovers
'He's admitting that's how he viewed it. As much as people are jumping on the bandwagon it is him that has come out and spoken the truth.
'The narrative around black people made him for a week want to kill black people.
'We now want him to be pilloried, never to work again, people are now going to be afraid to tell the truth.
'We're all unconscious racists, he's saying out loud for a week he felt it. Now as this witch hunt will stop change happening.'
Meanwhile a prominent police officer did express disappointment at the comments.
Barnes has long been an outspoken voice of authority on issues facing black footballers having suffered repugnant racist slurs as a footballer including opposition fans throwing bananas at him and chanting monkey noises
Detective Sergeant Janet Hills, chairman of the Metropolitan Black Police Association, said the remarks highlighted the need for intelligence-led policing instead of profiling a whole community.
Asked about Mr Neeson's comments, Ms Hills told the BBC: 'I think it's disappointing that he has said what he's said and elaborated on that.
'People will take a different view as to whether he is right or wrong.
'But, when I align that with policing, that is why it is so key that we use intelligence-led policing to identify individuals and not profile a whole community in regard to criminal activities.
'Because there are specifics in his case. There was a specific person that committed that.
'It wasn't just any black man on the street. And that is why it's really key that we use, and continue to use, intelligence-led policing to solve crime and to build reassurance with our communities.'
Earlier in the day Neeson's comments elicited a significantly different response from Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan.
Piers, 53, however, argued that Neeson could not blame stupidity or ignorance for his choice of wording about black people and asserted that the offence he caused was 'deliberate.'
The daytime TV host said: 'I've met him a few times, he's a very good guy to interview, very intelligent, so you can't blame stupidity for this.
Andi Peterssaid: 'For his instinct to be 'what colour?' that's what I find really offensive. 'It's completely unacceptable'
'When you hear it coming from his own mouth, it's one of the most extraordinary interviews I've think I've ever heard in my entire life. There seems to be no self awareness in Neeson about how offensive what he's saying is.'
He continued: 'He knows what he's saying, it's not an accident, he's deliberately putting it out there. It's the indiscriminate nature of what he's saying.'
Piers was staggered by Liam's choice of words, saying: 'I think if you're a black person in Britain, America, anywhere in the world, it's as offensive as it gets, isn't it?
'This is a major, major movie star wanting to know immediately the colour of someone who raped his friend.
Piers continued: 'He knows what he's saying, it's not an accident, he's deliberately putting it out there. It's the indiscriminate nature of what he's saying'
Piers added: 'If I was a black man, I would just find that unspeakable. Just the purest personification of racism, right there.
'Because a black person might have done a bad thing to my friend, I'm going to kill any black person I can find. That is racism! That is Ku Klux Klan stuff, sorry it is!
'Once he found out the person was black, going out for one week - not just a moment of madness - for a whole week, armed with a cosh, looking for any black person that could anger him in his words 'to kill them'.
'Think about that for a moment.'
photo linkhttps://textbacklinkexchanges.com/john-barnes-launches-furious-defence-of-liam-neeson/
News Photo John Barnes launches furious defence of Liam Neeson
Advertising
You don’t have to pack away your dress just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/02/05/12/9415420-6669269-Barnes_appeared_on_Sky_News_to_defend_Neeson_and_said_the_actor_-m-6_1549368872316.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий