What do you think about Liam Neeson admitting he once wanted to kill a black man?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is 100% racist. I can’t believe everyone doesn’t agree to that. If she said she was raped by a white guy, no way he would have gone out looking for any white guy to kill. And most likely, she wouldn’t have just said a white guy. She would have said a blonde with an accent from Manchester or something like that, and he would have gone out to a pub after a Manchester game and looked for a blonde guy to pick a fight. The fact is that he saw only the race. That is racist.

He’s said or done other icky things before, I think. At the beginning off his career, I really liked him but I feel like as the years go on, he’s less impressive.

This confession would have been much more sincere if he’d expressed it as “growing up in Northern Ireland, I didn’t meet many black people. And I know I have prejudices I need to overcome ....”

Thank goodness. The past pages of rationalizations and normalization are a nice explanation of how racism has lasted this long.

I agree 100%. I posted the Guardian opinion piece. I can't see how Neeson's "confession" was anything but racist. He still doesn't get that he was wrong for wanting to target a random black man. At all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is 100% racist. I can’t believe everyone doesn’t agree to that. If she said she was raped by a white guy, no way he would have gone out looking for any white guy to kill. And most likely, she wouldn’t have just said a white guy. She would have said a blonde with an accent from Manchester or something like that, and he would have gone out to a pub after a Manchester game and looked for a blonde guy to pick a fight. The fact is that he saw only the race. That is racist.

He’s said or done other icky things before, I think. At the beginning off his career, I really liked him but I feel like as the years go on, he’s less impressive.

This confession would have been much more sincere if he’d expressed it as “growing up in Northern Ireland, I didn’t meet many black people. And I know I have prejudices I need to overcome ....”

Thank goodness. The past pages of rationalizations and normalization are a nice explanation of how racism has lasted this long.

I agree 100%. I posted the Guardian opinion piece. I can't see how Neeson's "confession" was anything but racist. He still doesn't get that he was wrong for wanting to target a random black man. At all.

This. +1,000,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a problem with that. I think if she had said it was a tall man with blond hair he would’ve done the same thing. Love and learn.

I don't agree with this at all. Even knowing it was a black person, he could have decided to go after a person with dark hair, or dark eyes, or tall/short, thin/stocky. Instead he picked the man's race rather than any of the other characteristics.

I don't find it at all surprising, then again I'm a black person. It's the same way that people who seem perfectly nice might spout off a racial slur when drunk or very angry.

But how is it racist, if he's describing a physical characteristic (the most obvious one)? Are you offended if people describe you as black? Completely curious here.

[Anonymous]

I didn't see his "confession" but if he didn't admit that this was due to feelings of racism in tandem with the desire for revenge, then has he really changed?
I posted more forgivingly earlier on a faulty assumption that he addressed the racism in his actions- maybe he thought he addressed it, but didn't because he doesn't want to believe that this was anything other than vengeance-- he either doesn't see his racism, or doesn't want to face it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The feeling is perhaps natural, as long as it's very temporary. I hope he's not surprised at the backlash, because those are the things you don't express publicly.

If you are white. It’s only socially acceptable for minorities to vent their general hatred towards whites based on past negative experiences with other whites.

[Anonymous]

Say, for example, a white female crackhead killed a family member of yours (smashed a bottle on their head in a random act of violence, say). You couldn't see projecting violent reactions onto white female crackheads in the immediate aftermath? I sure could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is 100% racist. I can’t believe everyone doesn’t agree to that. If she said she was raped by a white guy, no way he would have gone out looking for any white guy to kill. And most likely, she wouldn’t have just said a white guy. She would have said a blonde with an accent from Manchester or something like that, and he would have gone out to a pub after a Manchester game and looked for a blonde guy to pick a fight. The fact is that he saw only the race. That is racist.

He’s said or done other icky things before, I think. At the beginning off his career, I really liked him but I feel like as the years go on, he’s less impressive.

This confession would have been much more sincere if he’d expressed it as “growing up in Northern Ireland, I didn’t meet many black people. And I know I have prejudices I need to overcome ....”

Thank goodness. The past pages of rationalizations and normalization are a nice explanation of how racism has lasted this long.

I agree 100%. I posted the Guardian opinion piece. I can't see how Neeson's "confession" was anything but racist. He still doesn't get that he was wrong for wanting to target a random black man. At all.

He didn't say he wanted to target a random black man. He wanted to target the specific black man, although he didn't know who he was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would he say something like this? Hint, he is a major drinker, has been since early 90s. Drunk like a skunk in Prague night clubs even then.

Uh, he's Irish. But it's racist to say that, btw.

[Anonymous]

I think it's completely racist. I can also imagine that if the woman was raped by a Protestant, he might have gone out looking for a Protestant to beat as well, given where he grew up. I hope that admitting to it means he understands what is wrong with it and has changed his thinking.. but lots of people are like this. I am Jewish and grew up in Europe and am completely used to what I think of as "mild" antisemitism from completely nice and ordinary-seeming people. Being prejudiced is common. So - yes, it makes me think less of him but I guess I'm not that surprised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The feeling is perhaps natural, as long as it's very temporary. I hope he's not surprised at the backlash, because those are the things you don't express publicly.

If you are white. It’s only socially acceptable for minorities to vent their general hatred towards whites based on past negative experiences with other whites.

White crackhead women maybe but not ALL WHITE WOMEN. Which is what Liam said. And did. But you know that, you are being purposely obtuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is 100% racist. I can’t believe everyone doesn’t agree to that. If she said she was raped by a white guy, no way he would have gone out looking for any white guy to kill. And most likely, she wouldn’t have just said a white guy. She would have said a blonde with an accent from Manchester or something like that, and he would have gone out to a pub after a Manchester game and looked for a blonde guy to pick a fight. The fact is that he saw only the race. That is racist.

He’s said or done other icky things before, I think. At the beginning off his career, I really liked him but I feel like as the years go on, he’s less impressive.

This confession would have been much more sincere if he’d expressed it as “growing up in Northern Ireland, I didn’t meet many black people. And I know I have prejudices I need to overcome ....”

Thank goodness. The past pages of rationalizations and normalization are a nice explanation of how racism has lasted this long.

I agree 100%. I posted the Guardian opinion piece. I can't see how Neeson's "confession" was anything but racist. He still doesn't get that he was wrong for wanting to target a random black man. At all.

He didn't say he wanted to target a random black man. He wanted to target the specific black man, although he didn't know who he was.

No he said he wanted to attack a black man not THE black man. Read it again.

[Anonymous]

I think he’s a racist f*ck. Had the friend been raped by a white person he absolutely would not have been looking for ANY white person to kill.

Yes, he grew up in a different time but it still shows who he was as a person. He could not distinguish the individual from the group. This is what is still happening today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is 100% racist. I can’t believe everyone doesn’t agree to that. If she said she was raped by a white guy, no way he would have gone out looking for any white guy to kill. And most likely, she wouldn’t have just said a white guy. She would have said a blonde with an accent from Manchester or something like that, and he would have gone out to a pub after a Manchester game and looked for a blonde guy to pick a fight. The fact is that he saw only the race. That is racist.

He’s said or done other icky things before, I think. At the beginning off his career, I really liked him but I feel like as the years go on, he’s less impressive.

This confession would have been much more sincere if he’d expressed it as “growing up in Northern Ireland, I didn’t meet many black people. And I know I have prejudices I need to overcome ....”

Thank goodness. The past pages of rationalizations and normalization are a nice explanation of how racism has lasted this long.

I agree 100%. I posted the Guardian opinion piece. I can't see how Neeson's "confession" was anything but racist. He still doesn't get that he was wrong for wanting to target a random black man. At all.

He didn't say he wanted to target a random black man. He wanted to target the specific black man, although he didn't know who he was.

No he said he wanted to attack a black man not THE black man. Read it again.

+1 and he said it again verbally yesterday when on Good Morning America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think he’s a racist f*ck. Had the friend been raped by a white person he absolutely would not have been looking for ANY white person to kill.

Yes, he grew up in a different time but it still shows who he was as a person. He could not distinguish the individual from the group. This is what is still happening today.

Uh, that's not at all what's going on here. Calm down. Of course he didn't rationally think all black men are rapists, any more than the crackhead example cited above. Not PC maybe but I think this is incredibly blown out of proportion (and have no idea why he brought it up at all).

[Anonymous]

This is what I heard, and based on this I do not consider what he did to be racist. Rather a reaction to something horrible happening to a family member:

-a family member was raped.
-said family member said it was a "black man"
-Neeson was so angry that he set out to find that specific "black man" to confront him and kick the shit out of him.
-he soon realized he was being irrational and did not act on his initial instincts - and instead publicly admitted to having those thoughts.

the end.