[top-posting left as-is; my response at the end]
At around 13/7/06 9:23 pm, Louis Kontos wrote:
> You forget that the Italian player put his arm around the French
> player -- the provocation was thorough. The referees should have
> called a penalty for that alone. And the Italian team should now have
> to account for the ugly racism among its ranks.
>
>
> On Jul 13, 2006, at 10:00 AM, ravi wrote:
>
>> At around 10/7/06 4:55 pm, Yoshie Furuhashi wrote:
>>>
>>> Jim, I don't think you really understand the kind of anger Zidane
>>> must
>>> have felt about being called "Dirty Terrorist." You have never
>>> experienced that, and you never will.
>>>
>>> While I also respect the choice that James Blake, Arthur Ash, etc.
>>> have made, I always LOVE Zidane and those like him more than them.
>>>
>>
>> Well, if we are going anecdotal, then: I have been called many racist
>> names, recently including "terrorist hindu" [!!?!] by a woman who felt
>> entitled to the very parking spot that I had just occupied (never mess
>> with a Jersey-an in a mall parking lot!).
>>
>> A few thoughts followed:
>>
>> Could this woman really be aware of the Hindu atrocities against
>> Muslims
>> in India? Should I express to her my lack of faith in order to correct
>> her impression about me? Or would she counter me with an argument that
>> Hinduism has room even for atheists?
>>
>> I jest, but none of these thoughts included:
>>
>> Should I attack her in a violent manner?
>>
>> The point:
>>
>> Some punk-arse violent (as it stands) jock millionaire (apparently)
>> does
>> not represent any racist angst or experience that I or others feel out
>> here in the real world (the others in the real world, me still in a
>> world of privilege).
>>
Thank you for your response. I have no intention to defend the actions
of the Italian player. I was responding to the idea that such a response
(as Zidane's) is natural and justified in response to racist comments.
I do not understand football behaviour and rules thoroughly, but in a
game like basketball one player holding another back is not uncommon. It
is (or should be) a foul, as you point out. It still fails IMHO at
justifying the violent response.
At first there was outrage about racist comments. Now it turns out even
Zidane says no such comment was made. Instead, there is now speculation
on his nipple being pinched!!
IMHO, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and I am not sure its good to
get all Ken Starr about it.
--ravi
--
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