Keep it going. Your hole must be so deep by now that your feet must be burning.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

He has admitted he was wrong, and apologised, which has graciously been accepted. This is on another scale to a widespread cultural issue.

The teenager issue isn't racist, so far as we know, although very poor behaviour, if true. It is also hardly unusual, though that's no excuse, of course. What he says about it remains to be seen.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

And that’s fine IF the apology of Hales and others are graciously accepted.
But you’re right - it does appear to be a widespread cultural issue - like the rapes of teenage girls in Rochdale (that are not widely reported). You see once you open Pandora’s box you need to deal appropriately, equally, openly and in a balanced way with everything that comes out. As soon as some is brushed under the carpet and not widely reported on in a balanced, fair and even handed way then you create prejudices and mistrust that need not be created.
That is the problem if the minority (OR majority) are seemingly perceived to be treated in a different way. That seems to me what you, and others on here, are advocating. I just cannot see your balance, just finger pointing.
The alcohol thing is not racist but it is abuse and needs to be dealt with.

Edited by Helmet46 (22 Nov 2021 8.09pm)

As is very frequently the case, your over-powering prejudices results in you spectacularly missing the point.

Rafiq wants and expects to be treated the same way as everyone else. He doesn't excuse himself and knows full well he was part of the problem. He hasn't "accused" people individually. He has identified incidents as examples of the wider cultural problem that the Committee forced the cricket representatives to admit was institutional racism. The overwhelming impression from his testimony was not any allocation of individual blame, on people he regards as his friends, but of a shared responsibility for not speaking out sooner.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

I say to people watch what happens in a practical sense at the end of this process.

Once all the virtual signalling and feel good language is finished look at the end result, who benefited and who had their careers destroyed and upon what evidence and reliability base that relied upon.

Therein the real judgement rests and upon it what the real realities are and how reasonable they are.

It will reveal where the real power lies and what its ethics are.

Edited by Stirlingsays (22 Nov 2021 9.39pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Paedo? She was a 16 year old, who said she was 17. Very young and certainly not something to be encouraged, as they are still legally a child, but beyond the age of consent.

As he wasn't seeking any credibility over his own behaviour, there was nothing to lose. He identified a problem, which has been accepted exists and will now be dealt with.

He has succeeded in that, so whatever people think of him now is rather meaningless.

It seems to me that some people are desperately seeking to establish some kind of false equivalence, presumably so they can discredit Rafiq and along with that the problem he has highlighted.

Why would they do that? Perhaps because they don't like the cultural problem being highlighted like this, and the promises being made to fix it.

Why wouldn't they like this? Perhaps because they share the attitudes which lie at the base of the culture. Judging on some of the comments found in the tread, that's it only building site banter, etc etc, there is plenty of evidence that is probably true.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.