Liam Neeson: "I wanted to kill a black bastard"

[aRat]

Liam Neeson has revealed he once walked the streets with a cosh for days looking to kill a “black bastard” after someone close to him was raped many years ago.

“She handled the situation of the rape in the most extraordinary way,” Neeson said during the interview, which can be read in full here. “But my immediate reaction was ... did she know who it was? No. What colour were they? She said it was a black person

“I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I’d be approached by somebody. I’m ashamed to say that, and I did it for maybe a week – hoping some [Neeson gestures air quotes with his fingers] ‘black bastard’ would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could kill him.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...-a8760866.html

umm wtf?

[BehindBreakaway]

His follow up was even worse. He used growing up during the troubles in Northern Ireland as a way to excuse his behaviour.

I used to really like him. I don't get how anyone can defend what he's saying.

[Rihab]

Wow, the racists are really out in full force this year huh.

[DOSSOME]

He actually said that???? Ugh

[DnBLover]

I don't necessarily see what's so awful about it.
He was just wanting to kill the black dude who raped his friend, no? Or a random black dude?

[aRat]

I don't necessarily see what's so awful about it.
He was just wanting to kill the black dude who raped his friend, no?

Just? How was that not awful?
Anyway he is saying that he wanted a random black dude to provoke him so he could have killed him...

[MusicRecords]

So fkn messed up

[Wayne]

I don't necessarily see what's so awful about it.
He was just wanting to kill the black dude who raped his friend, no? Or a random black dude?

But why does it have to be the "black bastard" - why not just the "bastard" who raped her?

I bet he wouldn't have said "I wanted to kill a white bastard".

[menime123]

To contextualise - he’s saying this was his reaction 40 years ago. It doesn’t make his actions, thoughts or comments anymore palitable, but I’m not sure what he thought 40 years ago makes him racist today.

Why on earth he thought it was a good story to tell the press though is beyond me. Put it this way, everyone now knows he has a new movie out.

[DnBLover]

Just? How was that not awful?
Anyway he is saying that he wanted a random black dude to provoke him so he could have killed him...

Ok I didn't read in detail. Well killing anyone is mostly not ok but the urge is understandable in some occasions.

He is basically admitting he was racist at the time. Hopefully he is not anymore.

[Thriller]

To contextualise - he’s saying this was his reaction 40 years ago. It doesn’t make his actions, thoughts or comments anymore palitable, but I’m not sure what he thought 40 years ago makes him racist today.

Why on earth he thought it was a good story to tell the press though is beyond me. Put it this way, everyone now knows he has a new movie out.

Yes how did he think disclosing this was a good idea?! Silly man.

[Loveguru]

Ok I didn't read in detail. Well killing anyone is mostly not ok but the urge is understandable in some occasions.

He is basically admitting he was racist at the time. Hopefully he is not anymore.

The fact that he can say this story now and think that he won't face and probably wont face any backlash shows how much priviledge white cis man have

[Blondini]

[DnBLover]

Excellent analysis. I didn't know the whole speech and it makes to total sense now. The "leftist" crowd only gets hurt for blowing up this story. Liam was candid. Mad respect for him, actually. This is how you show progression.

[Serby]

@DnBLover Disagree. What has he done to fight the racism since? How outspoken was he and what did he do the actively fight the same system of beliefs that made it possible to 'rationalise' such racist behaviour, be it unconcious or not?

To praise him for this is to be saying that admitting there is a racism and that it's ingrained in our societies is enough. Admitting to the former and current state of our societies is setting a bar way too low. People affected and killed by such train of thoughts have known this for ages. We should be way past admitting the problem, what is needed is action and strong strance against racism. Knowingly doing anything else is to be complicit and to keep alive that same system that opresses others. It's saying that poc suffering can wait and that we should it take it slower to make it more digestable for same those that are causing the suffering - white people - be it unconcious or not. But that's easy to say when we/you're not the one the thick end.

My two 'leftist' cents. but happy to hear your take on this.

[Serby]

Also, it's not about leftist crowd being hurt, it's about poc in this case. Real humans who are getting killed and hurt by the system and being any softer about this does nothing for the opressed, only for the white people who are anyway not affected and who profit from the system of white supremacy we still live in.

[DnBLover]

Not sure I understand your point. He brought racism to the front and actually said "look even I was racist and I'm ashamed to admit it". He didn't brush it under the carpet and acted like racism doesn't exist.
Acknowledging and progressing is a way of fighting racism in my opinion.

But the one thing that commentator is absolutely right on is how by judging and condemning people for admitting and learning with mistakes of the past, we are preventing them from doing so and keeping their hatred and wrong beliefs inside without any progression.

One of the best videos I've seen this week was a reunion between a rape victim and her assaultant. She had been traumatized her whole life for it, he was one of her best friends at the time and no one believed her in the community, eventually destroying all her self image and becoming suicidal. She went into contact with him, after ten years, and he finally came forward, admitted it, cried and apologized to her - all of this which helped her move on with her life. This is a much different topic but the fact that we can show people how they should embrace their mistakes and learn from them will only bring positivity, in my opinion, and allow people to progress.

Both in the racist and the rapist case, it was at times in society where things were different. It doesn't excuse it but it provides an important context which needs to be taken into consideration.

[Loveguru]

I would have preferred him doing this via his action not a speech tbh