Good post.
This incident has just enforced my belief that people are very easily manipulated. Throw an emotive issue like racism out there and people immediately turn into rabid animals incapable of critical thinking.
Being at the end of racist abuse is a terrible thing and i have enough experiences of that with me being of mixed race. I hold racists with the utmost disgust which is why i think if anyone is going to be labelled a racist there should be no if's or buts about it. Even if there is 95% evidence to suggest that they are racist, only 100% should do.
This Suarez case really depresses me and at the same it makes me furious thinking that three middle aged, white men who have no real life experiences on racism are holding themselves to be the judge, jury and executor of such a subject and on the balance of probabilities too. Having newspapers like the Daily Mail, Express, Telegraph, Times , newspapers that constantly display xenophobic tendencies, sitting on their high horses telling people like myself how i should feel about racism or what i should consider racist. And it just saddens me that there are people who no doubt are well intentioned, falling for such a scam.
Suarez a mixed race man was FA's scapegoat for their fight against racism and the scapegoat that will prevent real justice in the case of Terry, a pure white, England captain (not a dirty south american) being done. Because you see, everyone's appetite is now satisfied.
As for Liverpool, i can understand they were stuck in between a rock and a hard wall but they should have done the right thing. In the end they chose the easiest way out. Really feel let down with the club. Shankly would never have taken such a stance.
I believe the main problem is that many people fail to grasp just how serious an issue racism is. This whole saga in the media/among fans was about people like some of the posters you see on here rooting for Suarez to get punished because "it's obvious he did it" (with a such strong argument, how can you say no?) and the Suarez camp accusing Evra of making it all up. I saw very few people, if any, interested in finding out what actually happened.
I can't say I've been victim or racist abuse, but I have close friends who have and I know how much they suffered. A farcial process like this is of huge disrespect to all those who have actually at some point been on the end of racial abuse.
The mere suggestion that the case can be decided on the balance of probabilities should anger people, but it seems that it is alright as long as the player they don't like gets punished. This acceptance only indicates that (a) people become far too emotive when a subject like this comes up or (b) people don't care about racism, they just want player x to be punished. If people did take racism seriously, they would demand the truth to be found and revealed.
This case really gets on my nerves because it epitomizes racism being used as a weapon to get a fellow pro suspended. I just can't stomach something that makes so many people suffer daily throughout the world being used in such a way.
Also, what's this fight against racism you mention? This decision does nothing to fight against racism, it PROMOTES and ENCOURAGES it, it trivializes racism. How long until we see another player making a similar accusation and the accused player convicted with no evidence. The only way to fight against racism is by taking it seriously, not by making a mockery of it.
As for Terry, at least he's being charged by the CPS, we can rest much more assured that the truth will be revealed.
I can understand why Liverpool chose to back down, but it's a shame they did. I understand that you are disappointed, but at least the statements (from both club and player) are spot on, more than most would have done. And Suarez has always struck me as a pretty strong player mentally, I'm sure he'll get back to action to fully rested and start making headlines for his on-pitch exploits. You just need to keep supporting him, can't imagine it is easy for him to be convicted with no evidence at all, must make him feel at least a bit powerless.
