Liam Neeson: Rape, Revenge, and Race Relations

[EgoDeath]

Jesus, why do I even waste the energy? Goddam.

In fact, I'm quite suspect of YOU guys. I think you guys use this SJW dogma to hide the fact that you're actually racist. Since there's as much evidence here that you're racist as there is that I'm racist, I'm just going to assume you guys are racists from here on out. Prove me wrong. I see no reason why you guys should be above those type of baseless accusations, so I think YOU are the ones who are hiding your racism.

[bennyboy]

Neeson disagrees.  He doesn't know wtf you're talking about, why anyone would link his comments to -silent word-, or why anyone would think he was a -silent word-.  If you want to talk about "monsters inside of us" then that's a different discussion.

IDK, I've known people who didn't seem to have any such monsters at all.  Most people I know, really.  The idea that we're all monstrous or terrible in some vague way is popular, and fun to play with...plenty of good jokes to be had.  I don't think it's an accurate appraisal of what we are, personally. I'd lay most human misery on apathy and opportunity, rather any monstrous sub-current.  Even -silent word- largely expresses itself as apathy rather than antipathy.  All the shittiness, none of the effort, lol.

Yeah, and I've seen some of their movies, and they sucked.

If we took any. . . and I mean ANY other thought crime-- and that's what we're talking about, a confession of a thought crime-- and replaced it for racism, how would it play out?

"When I was a young man, I was confused and I thought seriously about raping a girl.  Thank god, I never did it, and I was ashamed by those feelings, and that was a dark time in my life." I don't think this would have gotten the same hysterical response.

"When I was a young man, my brother was raped by a priest, and I didn't even see who it was.  I was so filled with rage that all I could think about was finding a goddamned priest-- any priest-- and ending his life.  I never did it, and I was terrified by how dark my thoughts had become."  Is this man going to be condemned all his life as a murderer?

"When I was a young man, my brother was killed by a cop for carrying a squirt gun.  I was so filled with rage that all I could think about was finding a goddamned cop-- any cop-- and killing that pig bastard.  I never did it, and I was horrified by those dark feelings."  This guy's going to get a total pass for his thoughts and feelings, especially if he's black.

What has made the race issue so radioactive that walking within 10 miles of it will poison someone for life?  I think it was Yonadav who pointed it out, and I've never said it before-- but is it possible that almost all white "Me racist!? Nonono, you're racist. Don't look at me!" are just racist enough that they are overcompensating?  Is it possible that the loudest and squeakiest of the dissenters are the ones who are most in conflict with their own very real racism?  I'm starting to wonder if that might actually be it.

Gae, tell me straight up-- you're a southern boy, and in your entire life, you've never said anything violent or seriously derogatory about black people, right? Even when you were younger?

[GrandizerII]

"When I was a young man, I was confused and I thought seriously about raping a girl.  Thank god, I never did it, and I was ashamed by those feelings, and that was a dark time in my life."  I don't think this would have gotten the same hysterical response.

You don't think so?

"When I was a young man, my brother was raped by a priest, and I didn't even see who it was.  I was so filled with rage that all I could think about was finding a goddamned priest-- any priest-- and ending his life.  I never did it, and I was terrified by how dark my thoughts had become."  Is this man going to be condemned all his life as a murderer?

Of course not. He didn't murder anyone, and neither did Liam Neeson AFAIK. But just the same, the urge to murder a random person because of a perceived association with the actual offender would've been remarked as immoral and wrong by many.

"When I was a young man, my brother was killed by a cop for carrying a squirt gun.  I was so filled with rage that all I could think about was finding a goddamned cop-- any cop-- and killing that pig bastard.  I never did it, and I was horrified by those dark feelings."  This guy's going to get a total pass for his thoughts and feelings, especially if he's black.

Uh, hello? What world do you live in where a black guy gets a total pass for killing (or even publicly expressing the thought of killing) a random cop?

And let's be clear, we're not talking mere thought crimes here, dude. Liam Neeson actually went to the streets for a period of time waiting for a black guy to kill.

I also feel like people are again missing the point here. Liam Neeson isn't being harshly criticized for mere admission of wanting to kill black people (or at least it's not just simply that). Rather, it's how he said it in an absentminded manner with no empathy and no regard to the history of oppression that black people have faced from white people, where he made it clear he was being racist at one point without ever acknowledging that aspect and apologizing for it, and where he made it all about him and his struggles instead of acknowledging the hurt felt by others as they note another white man once again expressing how he looked down on them to the point of murder. And that he continues to not get it is what makes people continue to take issue with him.

---

Jesus, why do I even waste the energy? Goddam.

In fact, I'm quite suspect of YOU guys. I think you guys use this SJW dogma to hide the fact that you're actually racist. Since there's as much evidence here that you're racist as there is that I'm racist, I'm just going to assume you guys are racists from here on out. Prove me wrong. I see no reason why you guys should be above those type of baseless accusations, so I think YOU are the ones who are hiding your racism.

I'm not going to be triggered if you say I have privilege or that I may struggle with subconscious biases that may affect the way I look at and treat others based on factors they have no control over. As long as you're being real and not bullshitting me, I'm fine with that. I do care for the truth after all, even if it's not exactly comforting or flattering.

[fredd bear]

It rather seems that Liam tried to say that he was struggling with racism like someone who struggles with alcoholism.

 As a sober drunk (16 years sober), I wouldn't go that far.

I grew up in a country of systemic  racism with The White Australia Policy. This was not  abolished until 1975, when I was 28. Suddenly, the racist attitudes I had ben taught were no longer [officially }acceptable .

I have struggled with racist feelings for a very long time. This is not a major imperative, it's just something of which I need to be aware. We can't  control our feelings, which are morally neutral. We CAN control what we say and do. Those things have consequences 

I empathise with Liam Neeson and think he has been crucified by the humbug or the politically correct.

That'll learn him to be honest in such a public way.

[GrandizerII]

It rather seems that Liam tried to say that he was struggling with racism like someone who struggles with alcoholism.

 As a sober drunk (16 years sober), I wouldn't go that far.

I grew up in a country of systemic  racism with The White Australia Policy. This was not  abolished until 1975, when I was 28. Suddenly, the racist attitudes I had ben taught were no longer [officially }acceptable .

I have struggled with racist feelings for a very long time. This is not a major imperative, it's just something of which I need to be aware. We can't  control our feelings, which are morally neutral. We CAN control what we say and do. Those things have consequences 

I empathise with Liam Neeson and think he has been crucified by the humbug or the politically correct.

That'll learn him to be honest in such a public way.

The problem is Liam has yet to be honest about his racist attitudes.

[bennyboy]

Uh, hello? What world do you live in where a black guy gets a total pass for killing (or even publicly expressing the thought of killing) a random cop?

Nobody's talking about cop-killing. We're talking about confessing that due to mistreatment by one cop, someone might generalize their rage toward cops in general-- 40 years ago.

Nobody-- absolutely nobody, is going to get upset by someone who said that.

[Athene]

---

Neeson disagrees.  He doesn't know wtf you're talking about, why anyone would link his comments to -silent word-, or why anyone would think he was a -silent word-.  If you want to talk about "monsters inside of us" then that's a different discussion.

IDK, I've known people who didn't seem to have any such monsters at all.  Most people I know, really.  The idea that we're all monstrous or terrible in some vague way is popular, and fun to play with...plenty of good jokes to be had.  I don't think it's an accurate appraisal of what we are, personally. I'd lay most human misery on apathy and opportunity, rather any monstrous sub-current.  Even -silent word- largely expresses itself as apathy rather than antipathy.  All the shittiness, none of the effort, lol.

---

If we took any. . . and I mean ANY other thought crime-- and that's what we're talking about, a confession of a thought crime-- and replaced it for racism, how would it play out?

"When I was a young man, I was confused and I thought seriously about raping a girl.  Thank god, I never did it, and I was ashamed by those feelings, and that was a dark time in my life."  I don't think this would have gotten the same hysterical response.

LOL...I'd say "Wow. I'm really glad for you", and then politely decline to go on that nice walk through woods he offered later. 
I'm unconvinced that people simply "outgrow" the urge to rape. 

When I was a young man, my brother was raped by a priest, and I didn't even see who it was.  I was so filled with rage that all I could think about was finding a goddamned priest-- any priest-- and ending his life.  I never did it, and I was terrified by how dark my thoughts had become."  Is this man going to be condemned all his life as a murderer?

Er, no...Not if he didn't commit murder. Don't think I'd be too out of line to surmise that guy probably harbored a pretty healthy mistrust and resentment for priests though. 
I'd probably wonder if he was one of the angrier anti-theists here at AF...

FYI: No one's condemning Neeson as a murderer.

"When I was a young man, my brother was killed by a cop for carrying a squirt gun.  I was so filled with rage that all I could think about was finding a goddamned cop-- any cop-- and killing that pig bastard.  I never did it, and I was horrified by those dark feelings."  This guy's going to get a total pass for his thoughts and feelings, especially if he's black.

Pass or not, I would think "Man....I bet that dude fuckin' HATES cops!"

The state isn't punishing Neeson for thought crime and no one is calling him a murderer. Ordinary citizens are simply making determinations about his character based on his vocalization of his thoughts, feelings, and actions, both past and present. And yes, some of them are determining that Neeson probably didn't POWER-WALK his racial predjudice away, that he is likely still racist, and that they no longer wish to see his crap movies. 

What has made the race issue so radioactive that walking within 10 miles of it will poison someone for life?  I think it was Yonadav who pointed it out, and I've never said it before-- but is it possible that almost all white "Me racist!?  Nonono, you're racist.  Don't look at me!" are just racist enough that they are overcompensating?  Is it possible that the loudest and squeakiest of the dissenters are the ones who are most in conflict with their own very real racism?  I'm starting to wonder if that might actually be it.

Could be.
But now I'M started to wonder if you're just pissed and flummoxed and want to put not-racist's on the defensive just for tit-for-tat and kicks.

Gae, tell me straight up-- you're a southern boy, and in your entire life, you've never said anything violent or seriously derogatory about black people, right?  Even when you were younger?

People can and do change....if they put in work as far as self-examination goes. Thing of it is, most people are simply not in the habit of challenging their precepts to any meaningful degree, because they really don't who they are or what the fuck they stand for outside of whatever boxes they check off. Overcoming deep-seated bigotry requires extremely sharp intellect, brutal self-examination, and a notable capacity for empathy. Few people possess all three of those things in spades. In my unbiased observation,  Khem, Gae or whatever he goes by certainly SEEMS like one of those types of people. I'm not even a particular fan of the guy, but it's quite obvious that he's not afraid of asking hard questions of himself and is quite capable of putting himself in other's people shoes.

Not speaking for Khem of course, but I would expect that his views on race are probably drastically different then what they were coming up, because despite whether I agree with some of the stuff he posts or not, he HAS demonstrated a clear capacity for evolved thinking.

IF he was racist at one point, I doubt he is today. Seems highly unlikely to me.

In contrast, all Neeson's essentially said is that he doesn't wanna kill black bastards anymore because it sucks FOR HIM to be that angry...Despite multiple opportunities to expound on his personal growth and how racist broadbrushing and the concept of "collective guilt" FUCKS UP people's lives in so many ways AND to have likely gained the respect of a hell of a lot more folks (including plenty of black people) in the process.

But he won't.

So fuck him.

[The Grand Nudger]

Asking me if I've ever said anything racist or violent is comical.  OFC I have.  Still do.  I found a better use for the otherness that I was raised to believe in, is all.  One of the benefits of that is that I never saw racism as something that a person needed to hide or be coy about.  I wasn't raised in the "it's true, but you can't say that out loud" camps. ..more the "is there anyone around with ears?  Then say it so they can hear it" faction. I've never been shy when it comes to telling people that I was brought up by and to be a committed white supremacist, not one of these bitch mouthed Not-A-Racists™. Committed racism regards those people as cuckish race traitors, themselves..barely better than black, and only by accident.

I continue to think something very, very similar about them to this day. Wheedling racists are barely better than animals, and only by accident. Whatever I was and whatever I am today, I'll never be that. They disgust me, lol.

Now, with all of that above in mind, asks yourself....how you managed to ask this question..

What has made the race issue so radioactive that walking within 10 miles of it will poison someone for life?

....and imagine my gut reaction, my instinct...even, to use Liams funwords... to so much as hearing such a ridiculous thing uttered. Gee, whatever could it be, lol? I guess it's another one of those mysteries in life. Even as a committed racist I knew the answer to that, and that knowledge is something I've had in common with people who find themselves on the other end of it. Neither I nor they could fathom why a person would be unclear as to exactly how that happened. For better or for worse, I'm forced to wonder whether I'm dealing with an idiot or a liar - and lay aside for a moment whether or which of these is true...could be neither, it's just the way I see it. That's how prejudice works.

[The Grand Nudger]

Now, hopefully, even before the above, a person is capable of realizing why "maybe they're all just self loathing crypotbigots" isn't exactly a stunning rebuttal to the suggestion that a person is intentionally or unwittingly spreading the rhetoric of white supremacy.  

Assume it's true, just completely true.  Who would recognize white supremacist rhetoric more easily? If someone is or was a white supremacist by birth or by choice, open or closeted, and they're telling you that you're pretty far down that rabbit hole, maybe you should prick your ears up? You may have come across shit like scientific racism and sjw hyseria later in life, online. Some of us knew that script by the time we were five. The only thing that's changed are the words used to sell it, and who it's intended recipient has become.

[downbeatplumb]

In the new narrative, people opposed to racist ideology, and not racists, are "bullying".  Left is right and up is down..and it works.

Yes there are videos on youtube explaining how fascism is left wing, which is the opposite of the truth.