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The thought was: "One of them hurt me; I'm going to hurt one of them in retaliation."
The direction of hatred at them is bigotry. The mindset of an inviolable us and them is bigotry. It's the same thing at its base, whether it's religious or racial, and, indeed, a man bigoted at heart can swing very easily between any kind of bigot.
That's why we don't trust right-wing Americans who try to pitch blacks against Latinos or "legal immigrants" against "illegal immigrants" because we recognize that at base their bigots, and swing from one kind of bigotry to another kind of bigotry as they walk from room to room.
So, yes, young Liam Neeson was the bigot that surrounded him, that he was raised with.
And apparently he repented of that and changed.
But in all this, the point he was actually trying to make has been overlooked. What he explicitly said was, "The way I was then is the same today, if you scratch the surface."
I think it's more a matter of a fantasy about symbolic retribution. If it had been a blonde Swede, would he be called a bigot toward blonde Swedes?
You've been the victim of a violent attack, but I think (but may be wrong) that the attacker was the same gender and race. If it had been a white guy, and you expressed the sentiment he did, I would completely get it, and not once think you were a bigot. I'd understand that you were looking for someone whose face was the face of the attacker and it was just symbolic in nature.
The problem with Liam Neeson is this. Historically very emotional white men would go out to defend a woman's honor if their women were harmed. Men of color and even ethnic white men were killed this way when someone was accused of harming a white woman. A good example of this is Emmitt Till in 1955, and Leo Frank a Jew from NYC who was lynched in Atlanta by a mob who accused him of killing Mary Phagan.
The problem with Liam Neeson is this. Historically very emotional white men would go out to defend a woman's honor if their women were harmed. Men of color and even ethnic white men were killed this way when someone was accused of harming a white woman. A good example of this is Emmitt Till in 1955, and Leo Frank a Jew from NYC who was lynched in Atlanta by a mob who accused him of killing Mary Phagan.
How Liam Neeson thought is even worse. When they lynched Emmitt, they thought he was guilty (whether he was or not is a different story).
Neeson wasn't looking for the guilty party - he was looking for ANY Black man. He wanted to revenge against the Black race for a crime of one of its own members. This is deeply and irrevocably a racist mindset and the same mindset that led Dylan Roof to commit his crimes.
Yes, Neeson didn't go through with his thoughts. Why? Did he have pangs of remorse? Did he not find a Black guy? Or was he scared of the consequences? No one knows this, probably not even Neeson. Some man will fantasize about crimes without ever committing them, others eventually will.
I want to say this is an example of White privilege going on in this thread. I hate to use that word, but that's what's going on here.
To be clear, I don't want Neeson to be tarred and feathered - that's equally wrong. But people trying to excuse his thoughts, by looking to the Troubles as a source, is just kind of a cop-out. Sorry.
Are you going to do the same gymnastics for Pakistanis or Afghanis who are caught doing sexual crimes in the UK? They grew up in a society that didn't equip them to deal with sexually liberated women. Not to mention a society far more chaotic and violent than anytime during the Troubles. If an Afghani murders his girlfriend (like he did in Germany) will you go yeah well he grew up in Afghanistan, he's a product of his environment. Or will you want to throw the book at him?
No. Liam Neeson is talking about what was in his head at that time and that place. He's not talking about what's in his head having been removed from that time and place.
So, no, it doesn't excuse someone who has left that time and place.
Back around the same time, maybe somewhat earlier, I had attitudes about women that I would not want to be held responsible for today.
How Liam Neeson thought is even worse. When they lynched Emmitt, they thought he was guilty (whether he was or not is a different story).
Neeson wasn't looking for the guilty party - he was looking for ANY Black man. He wanted to revenge against the Black race for a crime of one of its own members. This is deeply and irrevocably a racist mindset and the same mindset that led Dylan Roof to commit his crimes.
Yes, Neeson didn't go through with his thoughts. Why? Did he have pangs of remorse? Did he not find a Black guy? Or was he scared of the consequences? No one knows this, probably not even Neeson. Some man will fantasize about crimes without ever committing them, others eventually will.
no, your wrong, he wasn't looking for any blackman, you were not listening and built this into something it is not....
He went out into a black community and was waiting for someone to start something with him, rob him or worse....period.
But he didn't did he. and again, if it had been a white man, or any other nationality, he would have felt the very same way....if it had been a white man, we wouldn't be having this conversation would we.
Point being, he wanted to educate people on how badly hate can make a person, and that's what he was talking about.
For God's sake, this was what 40 years ago.....[people, move on....
if it had been someone close to me, that was raped, I'd have felt the very same way at the time....
How Liam Neeson thought is even worse. When they lynched Emmitt, they thought he was guilty (whether he was or not is a different story).
Neeson wasn't looking for the guilty party - he was looking for ANY Black man. He wanted to revenge against the Black race for a crime of one of its own members. This is deeply and irrevocably a racist mindset and the same mindset that led Dylan Roof to commit his crimes.
Yes, Neeson didn't go through with his thoughts. Why? Did he have pangs of remorse? Did he not find a Black guy? Or was he scared of the consequences? No one knows this, probably not even Neeson. Some man will fantasize about crimes without ever committing them, others eventually will.
no, your wrong, he wasn't looking for any blackman, you were not listening and built this into something it is not....
He went out into a black community and was waiting for someone to start something with him, rob him or worse....period.
But he didn't did he. and again, if it had been a white man, or any other nationality, he would have felt the very same way....if it had been a white man, we wouldn't be having this conversation would we.
Point being, he wanted to educate people on how badly hate can make a person, and that's what he was talking about.
For God's sake, this was what 40 years ago.....[people, move on....
it is amazing, how people miss the point of his talk, he was trying to explain to people what hate does to someone.....
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