Current Affairs

[Onelife]

I personally don’t think there is any political motives David, I just think they are taking ambiguity out of the equation.

[Gill W]

Wearing a mask remains one of the easiest ways the we can can protect those around us, and wearing a mask doesn’t even adversely affect the economy.

As the government has chosen to remove the obligation in law to wear a mask and make it a personal choice, everyone, individuals, services, employers and shops will have to make this choice.

Therefore can expect lots of announcement in the next few days when decisions are made. Will every decision made by shops, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, hotels, theatres be political?

I tend to think not. It’s a public health choice, and I will personally exercise my health choice by not going to places that say that masks are not required.

Waterstones have announced that masks will still be required in their shops. What’s their motive? Protecting their staff or political statement?

[Manoverboard]

If I do decide to go into a shop it will be in a small town in Dorset, I will be the one wearing a mask regardless of who says what.

[Onelife]

As will I Mob.

The next thing we’ll hear being reported is fights breaking out on public transport due to none compliance of 'expected' mask wearing.

[barney]

Wearing a mask remains one of the easiest ways the we can can protect those around us, and wearing a mask doesn’t even adversely affect the economy.

As the government has chosen to remove the obligation in law to wear a mask and make it a personal choice, everyone, individuals, services, employers and shops will have to make this choice.

Therefore can expect lots of announcement in the next few days when decisions are made. Will every decision made by shops, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, hotels, theatres be political?

I tend to think not. It’s a public health choice, and I will personally exercise my health choice by not going to places that say that masks are not required.

Waterstones have announced that masks will still be required in their shops. What’s their motive? Protecting their staff or political statement?

Our Chamber of Trade have unanimously voted for retaining the status quo with regards to covid precautions.
So, in a nutshell, no mask and hand sanitiser equals no entry.
All are independent traders with the exception of RHS Rosemoor, so as independents, we’ll do what we want, irrespective of government advice.

[Gill W]

Just had an email from my hairdresser. Staff and customers will still be required to wear masks from the 19th.

Hoorah, I will still be able to get my hair cut

[Manoverboard]

Hoorah, I will still be able to get my hair cut

I'll not bother ... I'll be the one with a mask AND long straggly hair

[Onelife]

Hoorah, I will still be able to get my hair cut

I'll not bother ... I'll be the one with a mask AND long straggly hair

No change from when we last met up then Mob

[Manoverboard]

I'll not bother ... I'll be the one with a mask AND long straggly hair

No change from when we last met up then Mob

Good grief no, it's far worse now

[Stephen]

Hoorah, I will still be able to get my hair cut

I'll not bother ... I'll be the one with a mask AND long straggly hair

No change from when we last met up then Mob

I thought he looked dishevelled then, god knows what he looks like now.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Hoorah, I will still be able to get my hair cut

I'll not bother ... I'll be the one with a mask AND long straggly hair

I'm just impressed you still have hair.

[Mervyn and Trish]

So Sir Hindsight is annoyed because Boris didn't condemn fans who booed the England team for taking the knee.

To be clear racism is abhorent. And personally although I disagree with the gesture I wouldn't boo anyone who took the knee.

I do, however, believe it is a political gesture and is associated with a political organisation opposed to elements of democracy. I also believe it is divisive. It creates a flashpoint exploited by the racists. It will have no impact whatsoever on diehard racists. And it angers me when I am told that by not agreeing with it makes me a racist. As it does when we're told that saying all lives matter, or white lives matter too, is racist. Because that is nonsense.

Politics of any sort has no place in sport. The superb black sportsmen and women we have would do more to counter racism by being excellent role models and encouraging others to follow them than they will by trying to tell us though this flawed gesture how to think.

[Onelife]

I’m unsure if I’ve commented on this topic before but I’m inclined to agree with your view and that of Foxy on what NOW appears to be a protracted display of political grandstanding

[Mervyn and Trish]

I think you've hit the nail on the head though I didn't recognise it until you said it. Protracted.

When a Muslim terrorist slaughtered innocent people at the Ariana Grande concert we had a minutes silence. Similarly for other terrorist atrocities and for Grenfell Tower. When a policeman murdered a black man, a criminal at that, in Anerica it's gone on and on. That's what winds me up.

[oldbluefox]

No matter what Southgate and the team say no teams took the knee until the death of George Floyd in America. The protests in London and Bristol were pretty deplorable with police men and women getting injured, statues being pulled down or desecrated and the Cenotaph being vandalised all in the name of Black Lives Matter. Following on from that we had Premier League teams taking the knee, the wearing of BLM T-shirts and occasionally the raised fist linked with Black Power. If I were able to get a ticket I would boo the practice which is clearly linked in its time scale to the unnecessary death of an American criminal. Not proud of that but it shows how strongly I feel.
I would happily applaud Kick Racism out of Football or any other anti-racist initiative and abhor racism. I take people as I find them irrespective of colour or culture. England is not racist but England has racists and sadly, in that respect we are no different to any other country.
Listening to Ian Blackford in the Commons today I couldn't help thinking about the anti-English sentiment coming from some quarters north of the border. What a hypocrite that man is!!!!

[Gill W]

Taking a knee originated in 2016, when an American footballer did this.

It has since become associated with BLM, but the England squad made it clear before the tournament that they were doing it to highlight racial inequality and discrimination, not to support any organisation, political or otherwise.

The team have shown themselves to be a group of sincere, intelligent and articulate young men, who are excellent role models. Their manager, Gareth Southgate is an honest, empathetic and generous man. It is refreshing to see such good leadership.

Therefore on balance, I accept that their reasons for taking the knee are genuine, and feel it is disappointing that some are allowing their issues with BLM detract from the team’s good intentions.

[Manoverboard]

Gareth and the team as a whole had no choice but to take the knee, to do otherwise would have resulted in mock outrage from the media and social platforms that would have impacted on performances. Some of the England players will believe, like Mings, but others undoubtedly will not.

Hopefully by the World Cup this empty gesture will have been dropped, I personally will be happy to see it dropped for the upcoming season.

[towny44]

I dislike the knee taking mainly because of its BLM association, which clearly stemmed from the George Floyd killing and was directed at US police racial discrimination. But there is no doubt that it's controversy is now highlighting the more general racial discrimination issue far better than anything else probably would, so it seems likely to be around for some time yet.

[Onelife]

No campaign has been won without taking the people with you…this taking of the knee is starting to make people question their support.

[david63]

Without doubt racialism exists, to a lesser or greater extent, in all countries throughout the world and as much as we would all like to convince ourselves otherwise everyone has some racialist tendencies in them. The problem comes when those racialist tendencies become extreme and the manner in which they are expressed.

The "taking of the knee" has become associated with the BLM movement which in itself is racialist, and questionably political.

Personally I do not believe that any of the England football team should have taken the knee (oh how I hate that term) but should have found some other symbolic gesture to highlight the problem of racialism in sport - which is widespread in all sprts, not just football, and has been around for many. many years.

The taking of the knee debate is having the opposite effect in that it is distracting from the problem rather than highlighting it.

[Gill W]

And yet…….

Support for taking the knee appears to have grown

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/s ... king-knee

[oldbluefox]

The taking of the knee by football teams only started following the death of George Floyd so any taking the knee associated to Colin Kaepernick is tenuous. In the protests which followed it was also associated with Derek Chauvin's knee on Floyd's neck as exemplified by placards saying "I can't breathe".
Much as I acknowledge the sincerity of Southgate's motives taking the knee is inextricably linked to BLM as a movement and continuing the practice is now having the opposite effect of what it is trying to achieve and is actually creating division. Time for it to be dropped and a more appropriate expression of unity against racism adopted which all fans could support.
I admire those, like Zaha, who have taken a stand (no pun intended) against it. It was courageous of him to go against the flow and all credit to him.

[oldbluefox]

And yet…….

Support for taking the knee appears to have grown

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/s ... king-knee

Hmmmm................I wouldn't take too much notice of that. No bias there then.
" According to its present self-description, it has a liberal and progressive political position. Jason Cowley, the magazine's editor, has described the New Statesman as a publication "of the left, for the left"

[oldbluefox]

And for the record I would be critical of Rashford not on account of his colour but for that ridiculous run up to the penalty exacerbated by missing it. The other two were just poor penalties for which Southgate should take some of the blame.
Unfortunately the issues have been blown out of all proportion by the media on account of the actions of a few racists who probably are not football supporters or necessarily live in the country but have sought to promote their own sick agenda via social media and the attack on the Rashford mural.

[Manoverboard]

Yes, very well done Zaha

He may be of colour and a diving cheat but he's definitely not a hypocrite.

ps ... 4 arrests have been reported regarding the racist abuse on England players