Bernardo Silva charged with misconduct by FA

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No change of tone needed as I will call it a day, however if I’m not allowed to speak about race and how we are allowed or not allowed to discuss it in schools, on a bluemoon forum then don’t you think that’s a little sad.

I give my full backing of Bernardo by the way.

I just let people know the situation that school teachers are in and what our younger generation, younger supporters are feeling.

if this has put some of you in distress, and the MODS obviously included, then apologies.
You have worked out this isn’t a classroom I take it, I could explain what a classroom is if you don’t understand, it’s where younger people or people with less knowledge than yourself learn things, hope that helps, if you need anything else just ask ;-)
 
Sterling in particular was hung out to dry by that Sky interview. What could he do? Hammer his teammate or hammer KIO? Total no win position for him.

I agree that it should have been self educating. Bernardo will have seen the backlash and maybe thought it was crazy, but would have told him not to do it again. Maybe he could have tweeted something along the lines of “Sorry for any offence caused. I wasn’t, in fact, relating my good friend of many years with whom I have shared lots of banter which we find funny without malice, to a dated spear wielding cartoon logo to which you are taking umbrage to. I merely thought that my good friend as a youngster looked like the current logo of an international brand. Sorry for any offence caused.


Why do people keep saying spear wielding, the picture didn’t have a spear in it.
 
I can only assume because they are equating it to the “golliwog” and similar outdated caricatures that have died a death.

So just to confirm he didn’t post a pic of a cartoon African kid with a spear but those that are offended have now added a spear for further outrage.

“Kangaroo court”
 
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So just to confirm he didn’t post a pic of a cartoon African kid with a spear but those that are offended have now added a spear for further outrage.

“Kangaroo court”
It's a bit more complicated than that but the point is Bernardo probably had no idea about the origins but he will now that's for sure.
I think people giving a history lesson on Conguitos characters are missing the point that most of it is not even relevant to Portugal. Those old adverts videos being linked to aren't irrelevant to a Portuguese person who hasn't seen them.

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conguito-mascot.jpg
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The modern characters have been redesigned multiple times, the only racial stereotype in the version Bernardo used(which is the top image search result, the latter doesn't pop up often) is perhaps the lips but that could just as easily have been a decision to make the characters look "cute" as anything else. Yet some people are so sure of themselves, when they say it's still a character with racial stereotyping present.

Message well and truly received over something that has been blown up out of proportion and taken out of context in the main but I doubt the FA or those pushing for ban care about any of that. He will probably miss the Liverpool game and be branded a racist.
 
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As per usual with this kind of issue there's far too much midslinging and too little effort to think ahead by most parties involved.

For starters, it's totally easy to see why he did it. You can see the reason for Bernardo making the comparison and once upon a time (which I imagine many on here are from) it was perfectly acceptable behaviour. More importantly, it's still considered acceptable in some places, like Portugal. On top of that, he's living the sheltered life of a footballer, and if his black friends like, everyone else (in public) should too right?

On the other hand, it's easy to see why it's considered inappropriate and wrong. The character is based originally on a stereotype which has it's roots stemming back centuries relating to racial prejudice and persecution. The world's become wiser, people are more in tune with what's ok and what's not. Eddie Murphy's stand up from the 80s was incredibly homophobic but back then it was ok. Now it'd be considered extremely offensive; the fact that it used to be ok doesn't make it ok now. That's how it is here.

Besides, whether people get offended or not isn't the problem. In fact getting offended about it is being naive and truthfully unhelpful. The issue is whether it was wrong to make that tweet, and why. So calling out those offended people, ignoring why the tweet is inappropriate, posting some ironically hypocritical quote about being offended from the same Stephen Fry that closes his twitter account every time someone calls him a name, and referring to some token black guy that thinks it's ok, is also not in anyway helpful.


Things like this should serve as an opportunity to educate. Those who are condemning Bernardo should be educated on context, nuance, background, and understanding the difference between ignorance and hate. They can be taught on why Bernardo may have made the tweet, or more relevantly why he thought it was ok. They can learn that not every "bad" act happens because the person is bad, or at least when that is and isn't the case. And they can learn from it to pick out others who might make the same mistake Bernardo did and help prevent it from happening by teaching them, so that the world becomes closer to the more sensitive one they crave. And more.

And those getting angry about the fact this is an issue can also be educated. They can be taught as to why black caricatures based on racial prejudice are wrong. They can be educated about the history of it, the feelings about it from the black communities and develop empathy as to their historic struggles and why we should be considerate and understand it doesn't relate to the white life. We should learn to translate these lessons for more than racism. It should be taught to understand that many people don't choose to be offended and that emotions are difficult to control; just look at the matchday threads, it's all around us! It should be taught why using the term snowflake is not addressing the problems at hand. And more!


Bernardo did something that was wrong. You can spend 500 pages arguing it was ok for whatever reason but it's not 1995 anymore and it won't be again, so it's not ok. That doesn't mean Bernardo is a racist. In fact every account has him as a great and caring guy and it's difficult to dispute that. He made a mistake. An innocent mistake even. We all make mistakes. He's just unlucky his was in the public eye and on a sensitive issue with an unsympathetic media circling, but that's just how it is.

Should he be punished? No. Not because what he did was ok, but because it was a naive mistake. Any punishment, whether it be a suspension, fine, or just a reprimand would be completely nonconstructive, ESPECIALLY for something that it such an outlier in Bernardo's story. Making an example out of Bernardo would not stop racism. It would just piss a few people off and render everyone else frightened to do anything. Imagine how stupid it would be for Pep to drop Aguero because he missed a penalty. Think of how much that'd annoy the players, upset Aguero, be harmful to the team in general by not playing him and scare everyone from penalty duty. That's what punishing Bernardo does.
Again, this should be used as an opportunity to educate all those involved and all of those around us; you can never beat hate with more hate. Unfortunately, the FA and Kick it Out seem more concerned with looking like they care than actually caring, so a punishment is likely. Let's hope not.
 
The FA are not fit to fight racism if they put a joke about a man's round face on par with racist abuse.

Where Bernardo made a mistake is in putting this out on twitter where some people might misinterpret it. Presumably, that is why he deleted it and subsequently apologised. Sad that people can't accept it. As if a player would very publically racially abuse his teammate. The whole thing is farcical and it reduces anti-racism into the realms of the truly trivial. "You must not caricature a black man's face." Apologies for repeating points that have been made 100 times already yet some apparently intelligent people are offended?!

Were they offended when Sterling was abused for 2-3 years?

I'm not really happy with some journalists like the BBC's Simon Stone who asked some questions in the press conference, and then after the player is charged he stresses City's side. No good subsequently trying to be balanced. It's opinion like this that forces the FA to act. They are weak. They do what the court of public opinion tells them to do.
 
Was Bernardo directly racist? No
Could someone perceive it as racist if they take it out of context (I’m assuming less than 1% of people had heard of this brand before this whole escapade)? Yes
Was there any malice? No
Do people have the right to be offended? Yes
Do I think these people have overreacted? Yes

This whole episode has been about “edgy banter”. Sure it should have been kept private, but the amount of bollocks that has been spouted as a result of this has been mental. I just wish I’d have known as I’d have bought shares in that company.
Mate you are absolutely bang on it. I was once a Recruiting Sergeant in the Army, we were under pressure to push the ethnic recruiting figures. A story just happened to appear in The Sun regarding the 'bullying' of a Black Soldier in my own Regiment. The story was 'somewhat' true but the picture of the Black individual shown in the tabloid was incorrect. The soldier in question was Black 'but' he was also a serial minger who wouldn't shower/bathe, his kit was filthy, he was very very poor etc etc. Anyway, the upshot was I recruited 3 non whites that week. Conclusion, no such thing has bad publicity!! This is more about City than Bernardo's comments to HIS mate!!
 
It's a bit more complicated than that but the point is Bernardo probably had no idea about the origins but he will now that's for sure.


Message well and truly received over something that has been blown up out of proportion and taken out of context in the main but I doubt the FA or those pushing for ban care about any of that. He will probably miss the Liverpool game and be branded a racist.

I appreciate the explanation I had no idea about other images but I do know why I don’t have Twatter, Instoh it saves me offending.
 
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