THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Gordon Taylor, has expressed reservations about Liverpool’s defence of Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez.
According to the Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, Taylor’s primary objection stems from the oft-touted suggestion that alleged cultural differences should excuse the striker from punishment.
“A lot has been made about different cultures and what is deemed to be racist abuse there… But the point is, if it isn’t wrong to make reference to somebody’s skin colour [in another country] in this way, it should be.”
That position, of course, only becomes pertinent if the linguistic differences in question are proven to be valid; a point on which the chief executive has yet to be convinced.
“I’ve travelled the world a lot and this defence that it is OK to make reference to the colour of somebody’s skin in South America in a jovial manner, well I’ve not heard that before. In the past we’ve been told that spitting [at someone] is common in South America and I’ve not seen that either.”
Suarez, who was handed an eight-week suspension and £40,000 fine by the FA for abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, is currently debating whether or not to appeal the judgement.
While not condoning the word that Suarez used, I think the whole matter has been blown out proportion! Evra originally abused Suarez about his race (being south American) which is admitted in his statement, things Were said between the two players and now Suarez has been used as an example for the FA’s anti racism campaign, why would a man from a black heritage be racist? I think its just an opportunity for the fa to come down on someone hard after Blatter’s recent comments and before John Terry’s case’
By saying that ‘cultural difference are no excuse’ surely this is showing racial insensitivity and verging on racism in itself on the part of Mr Taylor. They insist there is only one way to do things or interpret things, meaning they think their way is better and right and that their British way of understanding the world must be right and that all others are inferior or wrong (Cultural Hegemony in action). One can make the argument that it is their country and that the way they do things there but surely they are being just as racist by discounting Mr Suarez’s point of view as he may have been in causing any offence to Mr Evra.
Throw out the generalization about spitting south Americans why don’t ya.