Indeed. We also have the right to protest peacefully, which is what taking the knee is?

People who are threatening to withdraw support from the club if the team does it, are you not trying to take away their choice to do so?



I’ve seen so many people defend Folau (an unsavoury character in the first place) for choosing not to take the knee, yet are threatening to stop watching if other players continue to do so.

The inequality comes from the assumption of who you are from the colour of your skin.

I'm a middle aged white guy. Everybody trusts that I'm ok on first meeting.



I have a friend who works in technology, more senior than me, comes from a wealthy family but is black. I was shocked to hear that when she started work with me someone told her that the toilets were blocked. They didn't ask what she did, they just assumed she was a cleaner.

Same as the friend who drives a really nice car because his parents can afford it, but gets stopped by the police constantly.



These things don't happen to me. The extreme is in the US with the cases we have seen but it happens here too. The rugby players on Sky yesterday explained similar experiences.

This whole taking the knee thing is just a way of highlighting it as many people don't even know it goes on or are doing it themselves.



Some people take it too far. I don't think I should be ashamed of my white privilege but as I purport to be a kind person I feel I should use my white privilege to highlight the issue.

It's similar to other issues like sex inequality and the pay gap...... Apart from the fact that in the BLM example people die because of the inequality so has suddenly had a ground swell of attention.

I agree. I find that ludicrous.



I really don't like Folou's beliefs but the no kneeling thing is of no harm to anyone and he has every right. I kind of applaud him for making his own decision even though its different to mine.

If I was you I’d get over it before it eats away at you and makes you poorly

A very quick and simple example case in the UK is that of Philip Lawrence and Steven Lawrence.



1 a white head teacher who was tragically murdered outside his school doing his job.



The other a teenager who was stabbed to death in a race related attack despite being initially vilified at the time as a member of a gang etc by some sections of the press, accusations made because of his skin colour.



1 of these cases was investigated, solved and the murder sent to prison within a year.



The other case, the names of the perpetrators was handed to the police the day after the murder......19 years it took to get a conviction, institutional racism in the police force was blamed.



Stephen Lawrence’s life quite simply put did not matter as much in the eyes of those who are payed to protect society as Philip Lawrence and that was down to the colour of his skin.



That’s obviously a high profile case but there are plenty of others out there.



Like I said I’m not coming on here and preaching I respect your right to hold your opinion as much as I respect the players and others right to kneel before the game if they so wish I can’t walk a mile in your shoes just like I can’t walk a mile in theirs I can only go off what I see to form my beliefs on the subject.



The radical Black Lives Matter Group is a dangerous group and so is the Neo Nazi White Lives Matter Group. I don’t think in general many taking the knee or using white lives matter slogans are directly supporting either.

Am I white privileged, I get up at 3 in the morning and drive a truck 12 hours a day or was my grandad and cousins who worked down the pit and died in their 50s or does it make you white privileged if you’ve got a nicer car or house than a black person. You say inequality comes from an assumption from the colour of someone’s skin but everyone as an opportunity to do well and make something of themselves. What your basically saying is most white people look at a black person and judge them on appearance and first impressions which I find quite bizarre. Il put this to you the you along with BLM have no idea what people want, unless you want the police abolished and agree with people marching in paramilitary uniform and balaclavas in London.

The last line is a stupid comment. I'm going to ignore that bit.



The knowing what's in people's mind bit I agree I don't. However there are many many examples that show unconscious bias against black people.

I don't think anyone should get a free ride, just the same opportunities.



There is a difference between being privileged and having white privilege. Most white people including me wouldn't even know you had it, unless you see the black guy being treated differently to you.

I'm sick of all this BLM nonsense.

It makes me laugh.

I have first hand experience of racism from society as someone of mixed race.

It was here in the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and now all the way to 2020.

Taking a knee, going on a march will not make a jot of difference.

No one was interested in "BLM" until the episode in the USA.

Racism - of all types - will always be with us no matter what happens.

And you honestly believe that all these players taking the knee are doing so out of their own beliefs and understanding or through immense social/pier pressure?

No wow from me, as ever you take a typically perverse and naive stance with just a hint of virtue signalling, twisting the narrative to suit your agenda.



The issue is not with the term BLM but the way it’s been hijacked and has now become a racist statement in its own right. The correctness of the phrase is self evident in the same way that the gospel is. Both sadly have now been corroded to such an extent as to be meaningless.



Taking the knee however is totally insidious in every respect and was from the start. It is woke bullying at the highest level. How can any player especially a young one make an informed decision and then act upon it. The players are in a team and as such are far more governed by pier pressure. If said players acted on their own beliefs and didn’t take the knee they would face being ostracised, where the hell is the freedom and justice in that. Who’s going to risk the roth of his teammates and that fascist liberal mob on the terraces. Get real. This isn’t a show of support it’s extreme coercion and it’s wrong on every level.



Brave men and brave chairman need to speak out, if you want to take a knee then fine but it’s a choice and anyone who doesn’t must be totally protected.



We are on the edge of an abyss here, we are sleep walking into 1984.

Michael Lawrence said before the game that he felt he had to work harder than everyone else to get pick purely because of the colour of his skin.