Liam Neeson
DeVlaeminck
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So Liam Neeson's career may, according to some, effectively be over because of his remarks about how he reacted to a friend being raped.
I'm taking it as read that none of us think his behaviour at the time was justified but is it right to condemn him now for admitting the faults of the person he was back then?
I'm white so maybe that influences my judgement on this but it seems to be a good thing if people can come out and say I used to think this but I now recognise it as wrong.
I'm taking it as read that none of us think his behaviour at the time was justified but is it right to condemn him now for admitting the faults of the person he was back then?
I'm white so maybe that influences my judgement on this but it seems to be a good thing if people can come out and say I used to think this but I now recognise it as wrong.
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At the same time, just reading his comments he would have been better just to shut up and not say anything. I have no idea what I would have done in his situation though, it's easy to judge
say your friend had been attacked by a man wearing glasses, would you have tooled up with the intention of sparking a violent confrontation with anybody wearing glasses?
I really don't know but whether he's changed or not it was a stupid thing to bring it up when it wasn't necessary. Personally I'm not fussed which way the truth lies. I find his films ok to pass time by but they're all too similar. If he doesn't make another film then it's no problem. He's made enough money to live off and there's enough of his films made to see his full talent. If he made another one or not it matters not.
Read the quote....
"I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I'd be approached by somebody - I'm ashamed to say that - and I did it for maybe a week, hoping some [uses air quotes with fingers] 'black censored ' would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could kill him"
his anger lasted a week - where he went around tooled up in the HOPE that someone of the same race as his friends attacker would have a go him - ie waiting for the other party to start it.
Is it a rational thought? No - and he says as much ...
Try controlling your anger when someone attacks your child - I'd say it'd be pretty impossible for most of us - extend that to an unknown attacker of your child where the only description you've got is their skin colour ...
No, but then I'd like to think I wouldn't roam around trying to murder black people either. The guy clearly had issues and I can't imagine being in his situation.
I'd like to think that's the case but maybe he is/was a massive racist. I can understand the need for revenge but the randomness of the target is hard to understand
Am I justifying his actions? Or just understanding that when a friend is violated, there's a strong possibility that you'll act irrationally. The actor was just using this story as an example of what he used to draw on for his film he was promoting - where a father pursues people he think killed his son. Perhaps he should've toned down his descriptions slightly ...
my point is that he obviously saw/sees black people as a homogenous group who can be punished collectively for a crime committed by one of them. I would be surprised if he saw white people, gingers, fat or people with glasses in a similar way.
Fixed that for you as there is no evidence he still sees it this way unless he is still carrying a weapon waiting for someone to start on him who happens to be black. I think he does now recognise that it was irrational or more bluntly bat censored crazy.
If he wanted to attacked the actual person who attacked his friend he could have also asked height, age, clothing etc etc to help him find him.
I can't help thinking he's living in a delusional world where he thinks one of the enforcer characters he plays, he definitely needs/needed help with his issues.
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If people get crucified for feeling and admitting how they felt then our world is messed up beyond redemption. Its what we do that counts and how we control ourselves. he did control himself. Hes is obviously not perfect show me someone who is. those that have expressed outrage are the ones to worry about.
The world is full of rascist people. He found that in himself and has acknowleged it. Many dont, they are the ones to worry about.
People sadly assume that someones views cannot change. they dont change instantly but can change over time. If we do hold the view that people cannot change we might as well all get together throw a big party and set of all our nukes and get it over with, because obviously we cant change.
Everyone bluntly is a little bit racist or harbours some predujice. That called being human. Most people fail to see it in themsleves, those are the people to worry about.
Revenge is a common thing. Some nations practice it as policy on a daily basis. We dont worry about them do we and still sell them weapons but we have a social media storm over someone who did not actually hurt someone, he just wished he had but later regreted having those thoughts and feelings.
I am outraged at the outrage. Where does it end. I am in favour of turning of the internet for good. Where are those russian hackers when you need them.
I couldn't have put it better.
And obviously, he should have told his therapist, not a journalist.
That's what is so weird about it.
The Daily Mail website dominates the online press in the UK.
That said, I do think he was foolish to raise the issue as he must have known the reaction it would get. He could have made the point by saying he went out with a weapon looking for revenge without mentioning colour.
Because it would make no sense to go out and randomly attack a white guy unless he saw all white guys as being culpable and as he is one he could have stayed at home and beat himself senseless
The fact that he saw attacking any member of an ethnic group as revenge tells you what he thinks about that ethnic group
You're applying logic to someone who probably wasn't thinking logically. Had the attacker been white he may have asked for more descriptors but the point is his friend had been attacked and he probably wasn't thinking straight. As I said, none of us know how we would have reacted and hopefully will never find ourselves in a similar position.
Of course I wonder whether this is just bluster on his part. Trying to make out he's partly like his film characters. I really do wonder if what he said really happened like he said it did. They don't call Hollywood LaLaLand for nothing!
Good response and about the only sensible one I have read yet.
I am not sure this incident really indicates racism. He would have "gone out" looking for someone of whatever race his friend had said. He didn't assume it was someone from a particular race, he asked the race/description, she said "black person". It's quite an extreme response, and certainly not one I would condone but many people are passing judgement without empathy of the situation he was in or the environment he grew up in.
Is this really so different, other than the sensitivities that historically come with race questions?
If someone had their elderly parents conned out of their wealth & home by a greedy posh banker and they went to some pubs where bankers drink hoping one of them would get into a fight with them.
Is this really so different, other than the sensitivities that historically come with race questions?
Its not just race - that is simply one of several social stereotypes that people can put together in a time of rage when they are not thinking rationally.
Whether he was predisposed against black people beforehand or just seized on that social group based on the limited description he had, we will likely never know.
Key to this for me is that he admits it was wrong and that he is ashamed of it, which suggests he has atoned and adjusted his attitude once he started thinking clearly and reflecting.
Whether he really has changed, again we will never know. But its obviously something which has stuck with him and that he reflects on.
Was it wrong, yes. He says as much himself so there is no doubt about that. Should we forgive him and move on? I have no idea.
Why on Earth he outed it in public I have no idea...
Yes more than possible. I mean given a week I think I could find somewhere in most cities where if I hung about in the right places (or wrong places depending on your point of view) I could pretty much guarantee someone black (or any other colour if you chose) would start some kind of argument. Maybe he armed himself and then spent the week at Ramsgate Conservative club or something.