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submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by maniacalmanicmania@aussie.zone to c/australia@aussie.zone

The racial slur Matildas superstar Sam Kerr is alleged to have used against a British police officer was “stupid white bastard”, according to sources with knowledge of the case.

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[-] brisk@aussie.zone 37 points 8 months ago

Amazing how different it feels to hear "racially aggravated harassment" vs "called police officer 'stupid white bastard'".

[-] galoisghost@aussie.zone 25 points 8 months ago

I can think of two types of people who’d be offended by this: racists and someone who thought they could make a few quid because the person saying it was famous.

[-] BadlyDrawnRhino@aussie.zone 22 points 8 months ago

Is that a slur? It has a racial component, sure, but I hardly think it is actually a racist comment, and definitely not a slur. And to label it as "racially motivated harassment" is laughable.

If this is actually what Kerr said, it's pretty indicative of the systemic issues that have been popping up in the UK for awhile now. They've been travelling further and further down the fascist highway since Brexit.

[-] trk@aussie.zone 21 points 8 months ago

This is the stupidest nothing in the history of stupid nothings.

[-] Wandering@aussie.zone 10 points 8 months ago

Yeah. Except that she now needs some public support. I imagine the Daily Mail & the Murdoch media will be milking every drop out of this

[-] bastardsheep@aussie.zone 20 points 8 months ago

If the women were drunk enough one of them threw up in the cab, this being the worst thing they said shows a metric fuck-tonne of restraint and composure on their part.

Seriously, if a police officer cannot handle THIS being said to them, then why the fuck are they in the police force? You cannot be this fragile and sensitive about things said to you while performing police duties.

This coming out has just turned the ENTIRE British Police service in to an absolute joke.

[-] No1@aussie.zone 14 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I am so disappointed in Sam.

I expected so much more from one of the most creative players of this generation.

I haven't worked out a haiku yet, but 'slow snowflake' seems to convey a much richer message than 'stupid white bastard'. It also has a beautiful alliteration and assonance.

I guess that could be racist too because all the snowflakes are white. Allegedly.

[-] maniacalmanicmania@aussie.zone 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

You always make me laugh No1! Boo downvoters boo.

[-] No1@aussie.zone 3 points 8 months ago

I've realised that sometimes, you can take more pride in the downvotes than the upvotes 😉

[-] Wandering@aussie.zone 11 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

If true, then this is not really so terrible is it? Because nowhere in the history of a white person like this cop, do we find colonialism or racial discrimination.

I feel that yes, everyone should respect the position of a police officer, but he does not need to pretend that he was a victim of a racial offence. He, and white people in general, have no idea what it is like to be on the receiving end of racism. For a white person, white is just a word. To pretend it hurts is to be a cry baby.

[-] Zagorath@aussie.zone 17 points 8 months ago

I feel that yes, everyone should respect the position of a police officer

lol fuck that. Police should be treated with respect once they start acting with respect as a collective.

But yeah, everything else you said was spot on. Honestly I feel like the fact that it's all correct is just more good evidence of how wrong that quoted bit is. An individual worthy of respect would not have pushed this complaint forward, and an institution worthy of respect would not have let it get to the point of actual charges in court.

[-] unionagainstdhmo@aussie.zone 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I don't think it's unreasonable to charge someone for calling you a "stupid bastard" when you're just doing your job. However, I'd argue that before coming to any conclusions we would need to know what caused Sam to insult the officer. Claiming that it was racially motivated is a tough sell however and will strike a chord with the culture wars

[-] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 8 months ago

Nah get fucked. Like even when cops are doing sort of reasonable things like a welfare check they've gotta understand they're working in a charged environment. Like ambos will see blood and guts, fireies might get heat exhaustion, and cops are gonna have to expect to hear a few hurtful things and people resisting being confined.

It's just human to, it's especially something people generally disempowered do. Like if you're a billionaire with an army of lawyers it's easy to be composed, but the only justice a homeless guy getting moved on for the crime of existing might get is calling the jackbooted thug doing it a fucking cunt.

Part of life everywhere is understanding that sometimes you see people at their worst and you're gonna have to be understanding, and that's without any of the privilege and power of the cops.

[-] unionagainstdhmo@aussie.zone 3 points 8 months ago

As I said it depends on the circumstances. I would like to know more about why Kerr employed such language with the officer and why there was a dispute over the taxi fare before jumping to a conclusion. Perhaps it was justified, perhaps not. It's not a one size fits all cases approach. A successful and well known athlete getting worked up over a taxi fare is very different from a homeless person being kicked out of wherever they were staying.

[-] abhibeckert@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Sam Kerr is one of the highest paid female athletes in all of Europe. The idea that she refused to pay for her taxi is ridiculous.

She was also very drunk - drunk people say stupid shit all the time. Police know that, they experience it every day. It's part of the job and what she said does not even remotely justify a month in jail and losing her job/being deported (she's facing all of those if found guilty).

[-] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 8 months ago

Ok so if cops can prosecute insults and whatever how do you see that playing out? When will a cop decide it's something to let slide vs press the issue? forsee any problem with cops winding people up to slap more charges on them?

It's just not a good approach, to protect what? What's the harm done? They're trained, prepared, backed up, and the instigators of confrontation. If their feelings are getting hurt then their training or psych profile is the issue,

[-] DavidDoesLemmy@aussie.zone 6 points 8 months ago

I don't think you can say white people haven't experienced racial discrimination. Most of us haven't, but I'm sure in the history of the world you'll find some examples.

[-] Custoslibera@lemmy.world 7 points 8 months ago

Ahhhh the Irish are some of historically the most discriminated whites.

Also Poles.

[-] DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe 2 points 8 months ago

The Nazis were planning to ethnically purge all Slavs.

Also, you know.

Jewish people.

[-] Wandering@aussie.zone 4 points 8 months ago

Perhaps but British white people have never. This police officer is being an absolute cry bully for doing this. She now has to go to a criminal trial! Unbelievable.

[-] Tau@aussie.zone 4 points 8 months ago

British white people have never

As long as you forget about the Irish, the Welsh, and (to a lesser extent IIRC) the Scots - all of whom are white and British.

[-] Marin_Rider@aussie.zone 2 points 8 months ago

the Norse...

[-] ziltoid101@lemmy.world 8 points 8 months ago

I get that it makes sense to have laws to protect people against racially aggravated harassment, but this feels like a stretch and a huge waste of time and resources. That said, Sam Kerr is a role model and this kinda behaviour shouldn't be seen as 'based' or anything imo.

[-] DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe 4 points 8 months ago

As long as we can all agree that "stupid bastard" would have been acceptable.

[-] Peddlephile@lemm.ee 6 points 8 months ago

Storm in a teacup. Move along, nothing to see here.

[-] abhibeckert@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Uh, no. Sam Kerr's career depends on the outcome of this court case. We absolutely shouldn't be moving on, she needs our support.

[-] 5714@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 8 months ago
[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 2 points 8 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


The racial slur Matildas superstar Sam Kerr is alleged to have used against a British police officer was “stupid white bastard”, according to sources with knowledge of the case.

The 30-year-old appeared by video link at Kingston crown court this week accused of using insulting, threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress to a police officer in January 2023.

The club has so far refused to make any direct comment but Hayes made her position clear when asked about it at a scheduled media conference on Wednesday.

Documents filed by the player’s legal team show they will argue an abuse of process by crown prosecutors, according to multiple media reports, with a hearing set for 26 April.

She has also won the Golden Boot twice, was runner-up to Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí at the Ballon d’Or awards last year, and finished second on the Guardian’s list of the top 100 female footballers in 2023 after being third in 2021 and 2022.

She tore her anterior cruciate ligament at a Chelsea training camp at the end of 2023 and the injury which will prevent her from playing for the Matildas at the Olympic football tournament in August.


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this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2024
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