Racist? "Out" Yourself on Twitter

I have just read an article (1) that considers the pitfalls of hugely popular social media websites when they become an invitation for abuse. The particular case in point is the continued existence of racism in football. Essentially, no sooner has an open discussion begun, than abusive, offensive and harmful comments have flooded various message boards, such as twitter.

It goes without saying that the enormous technological onslaught is not going to be compromised by mindless bigots and here is a suggestion as to why not.

First of all, let us consider the mentality of someone who engages in racist, abusive attacks. It stems from complete ignorance, it is absolutely nonsensical and irrational. The thoughtlessness of it is highlighted by the fact that those who make the remarks do so via their own registered account and on a public forum. Realistically, it is similar to making a signed confession, “I am a Racist. Here are my contact details.” A comparison that could also be made to emphasise the naivety is a school kid who decides to vandalise a desk. He does not just carve it up at random, but instead carefully etches, “Jack woz 'ere.”

Now that the irrationality has been established, we need to investigate how best to deal with the problem. Contemporary society likes to take a sympathetic approach, so may I suggest we view 'racism' as a sickness, in a similar way to 'alcoholism.' The perpetrator cannot help his actions, so basically he needs help. Alcoholics are urged to contacted Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). They are encouraged to admit to the condition, face up to it and to take the necessary steps to recovery. Perhaps, racists should do the same. Rather than lambast them for their vicious attacks, let us congratulate them for facing their inner demons. Remember they have not chosen to be so ignorant, it is simply a result of being subjected to generations and situations of insanely uneducated views. By 'outing' themselves via social media and admitting to their illness, they can be offered help and set proudly on the way to recovery. Step one could be to label every vicious posting with an “RR” tag (Recovering Racist). That way, we can at least see them coming.

On a serious note, racism is still, unbelievably an issue. Sport is an excellent means of educating and re educating people. Our support must keep going out to campaigns, such as “Show Racism the Red Card” (2). Racist comments posted online are pathetic. Keep the positive campaigns moving forward. This should not be a problem any more.

(1) http://www.itsroundanditswhite.co.uk/2011/10/25/football-racism-rears-its-ugly-head-on-social-media/
(2) www.srtrc.org