#theres a conversation about inherent racism and how to turn away from it here

[grumpyhedgehogs]

nobody asked me for my take on the liam neeson thing but i feel like tumblr is a temporary construct so fuck it imma say something;

i do not forgive him. what he said he was willing to do was 100% a racist act. it is correct for pocs to be angry and upset with him and it is important for white people like myself to not rush to excuse his behavior. 

however, i do not think that this one racist act makes him, as a whole, racist- the fact that he admits this act was shameful and expressed regret is important because it is indicative of the fact that neeson knew this type of thinking was unacceptable and he found his own actions reprehensible. terry crews said it best when he asserted on twitter that neesons interview displayed the fork in the road neeson faced; that he could either have completed the act of violence he wished on a black man and descend into white supremacy or he could have turned away. 

that neeson turned away, sought counseling and admitted that he was ashamed of himself for years is just as important to acknowledge as the fact that what he wanted to do was a racist act. by saying neeson is “canceled” and condemning him outright, i fear that we cut off the lesson that young white kids (especially males) can learn from this; that racism is something to be ashamed of, but that you can find the inner strength to turn away from it. that neeson admitted that he disliked that part of himself means that whites with the beginnings of a racist outlook (those standing “at the fork” of white supremacy or human decency, as crews put it) can look to this white man as an example for themselves; unfortunately, youths with racist leanings will probably be more inclined to listen to an older white man say racism is bad than any pocs. But they could still learn from neeson; the shame and guilt he felt were good things; things that stopped him from descending into the thinking that he could get away with such violence against pocs, things that stopped him and could stop anyone who learned from neeson that they SHOULD listen to those emotions of guilt and shame. trevor noah said something along the lines of neesons actions being better presented not as an interview but as a conversation; if he had been on a show like oprah, noah said, then he would be admitting to some past fault that then could be a conversation starter. i think that he’s right about that; neesons interview can be a conversation starter that is desperately needed for white youths with racist leanings. 

noah also addressed the fact that neeson is making things worse by asserting that he is not racist after the interview; i agree with this too. Noah was right when he said that neesons actions were racist and that neeson should stick to own that, as he did when he admitted his shame- if neeson had, instead of repeatedly defending himself against allegations of racism, agreed that the act itself was racist in nature and repeated that he was ashamed of it, he could have stimulated a conversation about how to turn from racism to counseling. by going out now and spouting that he’s ‘not racist’ neeson is invalidating any good he could do with his admission; he could call on other whites in hollywood, america, and the world as a whole to examine their own actions and especially their thinking for inherent racism. Racism is a learned trait; it can be unlearned with good counseling and leadership, which neeson had the chance to fulfill; his poor handling of the backlash stripped him of any potential good he could have done.

still, for any white youths out there who want to defend neesons actions, or take his ‘not racist’ defense as him saying his actions were actually okay- take the lesson from the actual interview to heart. be ashamed and guilty of those thoughts, as neeson was. get help, like neeson did. hell, admitting to your faults like neeson did can be a good thing- sometimes you have to admit your wrongs and take your lumps like neeson is (reluctantly and not at all gracefully) doing now. 

there’s a feeling among white ppl, especially the young or/and famous, that you cannot admit to any racist thought or action; that being pc is the most important thing and that you have to burn down any suggestion that you could have committed a racist act. thats what neeson is doing now- lashing out bc he knows racism is disgusting and hes afraid that he could be labelled as a racist because then HE would be disgusting. but that absolute, all-or-nothing, either youre completely innocent of racism or completely guilty of being a racist thinking then turns into white people not admitting to themselves or others when they experience racist thoughts or urges (inherent or otherwise) in fear of the social retribution that they could face. thus, they never face their own faults and so never become better people, only better at hiding from parts of themselves they dont like. by admitting to these racist thoughts/urges, white people can learn from them, deal with them, and avoid committing or thinking racist acts in the future.

but thats a hard process and when whites are taking those lumps in the form of social disgrace and feel themselves becoming defensive like neeson is now, its best to remember trevor noah’s advice for neeson; sometimes you gotta sit down and shut the fuck up.

Sources:

neeson interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nm8ibv9yJ4

terry crews article about his tweets on neeson interview: https://www.etonline.com/terry-crews-clarifies-his-comments-about-liam-neeson-i-was-not-defending-him-exclusive-119174

trevor noah’s take on neeson interview: https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/02/09/it-was-great-he-was-ashamed-trevor-noah-liam-neeson-missed-conversation-about-racism/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3081d3b076b4