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Liam Neeson says he walked the streets hoping to 'kill' a black man after family member was raped

prometeus said:
Well said, but he said he was looking for, yes a black man, but one who would start something, so not simply innocent. Does that make a difference in your view?
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No, as he would still be taking out his frustration of another matter altogether on someone who had zero to do with it. It is completely irrational.
 
Bizarre comment because he actually admitted he had so much rage for the rapist he was going out hunting to kill based on a person's skin color.
BUT, like some others here, they did some research like I did, and got the entire picture.
He expressed an extreme regret for once contemplating racist revenge. Took a lot of courage for him in this day and age to come out with this.
Look what's happening already...he's being called all kinds of nasties and the usual weirdos are speculating on if his career is over.

At any rate, I love his acting and hopefully, Mr. Neeson has forgiven himself.
 
Nap said:
No, as he would still be taking out his frustration of another matter altogether on someone who had zero to do with it. It is completely irrational.
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Good point, thanks.
 
HenryChinaski said:
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainme...a-black-man-after-family-member-was-raped.amp I don’t know if I should commend him for acknowledging this or what. I assume that he’s pointing out how easy it is to be consumed by racism.
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I don't really see him as "consumed by racism" as desperate to avenge his relative, even if the victim is innocent. Yes, there is the implied racism in the special rage reserved for those offenders who were black. If his relative were attacked by a white guy, I doubt he'd go out looking for a white guy to kill. Rage is not a rational emotion and comes from a core of pain. To empathize with one's relative, who was violated in a horrible way, is to vicariously hate. In the moment, I don't hold it against him.

I remember when I was a small child in East Cleveland, Ohio. My mother had her purse snatched outside the building where she went to night school. The perpetrator hit her with brass knuckles and split her lit, broke her teeth, blackened her eyes and knocked her out. The perpetrator happened to be black. It wouldn't be racist, though, to assume that a strong-arm robber in that part of town, in that year, would be a black guy. Furthermore, when my normally gentle father got word of the incident, I heard him be more racial than he ever had or would again. In pain we don't act rationally. I'm not excusing him but I don't think this makes him a monster.
 
prometeus said:
He was not looking for a random person.
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Well a random black person

Neeson said he then "went up and down areas" with a baton "hoping I’d be approached by somebody." Neeson admitted he is "ashamed" by his actions.

"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," – he paused again – "kill him."
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Nap said:
While I agree that tribalism is a primitive instinct that requires constant attention to in order to keep it under control, I think in regards to race the answer isn't to fight against our inherent nature but to completely abolish the concept of race and view skin color the same way we view eye or hair color. Racism itself isn't a biological distinction but a learned one. If you throw a bunch of young children together they don't automatically seperate into racial groups as adults do, they will play together until told not to do so.
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Excellent post.
 
HenryChinaski said:
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainme...a-black-man-after-family-member-was-raped.amp I don’t know if I should commend him for acknowledging this or what. I assume that he’s pointing out how easy it is to be consumed by racism.
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Getting sick of this. The man feels shame for his behavior and IMO, shouldn't be forced into a closet or forced to lie outright or by omission.

His thoughts were disgusting. It's a dark side of himself. He acknowledges this. I don't think being punitive towards him is the way. Let's compare him to Gov Northam. One is upfront and honest about a dark side and the other lies repeatedly to cover it up. One should be encouraged to allow for growth the other should be completely discouraged.
 
joko104 said:
Curious how no one on the left is blasting him for this.

No, wait, I understand. He only wanted to murder a black person. He didn't smirk at any black people so he's ok.

I don't believe him. I rarely believe anything actors say when talking about themselves.
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I’m not really blasting him for it because he called himself out on it. (Unusual) It’s not like somebody uncovered it as a scandal.
 
Should allowing redemption always be out of the question, then we should all just sit down and eat a bullet. Casting the first stone and all...

There is room for allowing redemption and there is times where it is not. Northam is trying to skeeze his way out of responsibility therefore he really isn't seeking redemption in the slightest. He's just trying to avoid responsibility. Liam is being honest about his flaws.

Welcome it.
 
haymarket said:
Sad you would say this - very sad - but even sadder - it is true. Human beings seem to be hard wired to fear and then learn to hate THE OTHER. Perhaps this goes back to our earliest days on the planet in closed communities where any outsider was seen as a very real threat. And precious little that has happened in the way of societal advancements over history have changed this imperative.

Things like this demonstrate just how primitive so much of what makes us up actually is and the hold it still retains on us.

It also screams out why education is so important to get us beyond the primitive instincts that once ruled us completely.
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I think you overestimate the potential of education. Some of the worst crooks, racists and evil people in history were well educated. And I doubt that words will ever change the most racist among us; and that includes the racists in every race. Even if we were all the exact same race there will be some who find reasons to look down on others. Our challenge is to minimize their influence, as we will never eradicate discrimination.
 
poweRob said:
One should be encouraged to allow for growth
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That's why he told the story, whatever it costs him. He seeks growth to outweigh the baggage. He's got plenty of money. Why not improve oneself instead of one's mansion.
 
Is anyone concerned that he wanted to commit a homicide in general? Seems pretty unstable.
 
Smells like true contrition. Not my call though
 
I bet it never occurred to him that saying something so newsworthy would make his new movie so talked about!
 
I am constantly amazed how arrogant celebrities are.

Surely he knew that his confession (especially in 2019) would destroy his career.

I can only hope that his relative was able to get through such a horrific ordeal and to heal.

(Shame on that British online newspaper for publishing that "news." For the sake of domestic tranquility in our country, there are simply certain things that we should never say in public. Some secrets should go to the grave.)
 
Nap said:
I don't see how it is easy to be consumed by racism. There is no logical foundation for it.
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I suppose if Liam Neeson were Vulcan you might have a point. Alas, he's only human.
 
chuckiechan said:
Or a publicity stunt... After all, that is all the media is interested this week.

In other news "Is it racist for white people moonwalk?"
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......only if done badly!
 
prometeus said:
No, he was looking for a black man to start something. If he was looking for a random innocent person he would have found one.
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I do understand the distinction. I'll rephrase it.

A family member of his was tragically raped by a black man, so he spent a week wandering the streets hoping that some random black man looked at him cross eyed so he could kill him.

Still doesn't change my opinion.
 
poweRob said:
Should allowing redemption always be out of the question, then we should all just sit down and eat a bullet. Casting the first stone and all...

There is room for allowing redemption and there is times where it is not. Northam is trying to skeeze his way out of responsibility therefore he really isn't seeking redemption in the slightest. He's just trying to avoid responsibility. Liam is being honest about his flaws.

Welcome it.
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I'm honestly not concerned about the "racist" angle of this story. I'm more concerned about someone being so consumed with anger that he spends one full week obsessing about killing someone who isn't even the perp.

I still like Neeson and his movies, and I admire him for being honest here. But hopefully he's gotten some counseling for that, because it isn't healthy what he did and thought. JMO.
 
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