Racist F1 Fans could Threaten Spanish Grands Prix
The FIA isn’t reacting lightly to the recent racially charged abuse towards Lewis Hamilton by Spanish fans, and is seeking a full report from race organizers as to how they intend to stop it from happening in the future.
Formula One’s governing body has asked the Real Federacion Espanola de Automovilismo (RFEA), Spain’s national motorsport association, to explain exactly what happened in Barcelona this past Saturday, and what measures they intend to take in response.
(Click through the jump to read more.)
Spain is set to be the host to two F1 events this season, the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, and the European Grand Prix in Valencia. But both those races could be in jeopardy if race officials can’t make it clear that the behavior displayed by bigoted fans won’t happen again.
The FIA hasn’t yet explicitly stated what action it will take if RFEA can’t provide an acceptable solution, but the F1 heads are said to be taking a very hard line on the issue.
Will the despicable actions of a few ignorant Spanish race fans cause the cancellation of two Grands Prix? Have your say in comments.
+ Autosport: Racism row threatens Spanish races
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Comments
Luis Bruna
I hate racists, xenophobes and Spaniards LOL
Now, seriously, it would be unfair to real F1 fans to be deprived of F1 races because of a bunch of idiots, but somehting has to be done, like identifying the racist frigtards and banning them from such events.
Cicero
Whatever happened to freedom of speech, even racism is covered under that. I do not like racism, but the fact is, these are just words, people need to learn to get over them and move on.
Russ Bellinis
Ok, I understand, formula one is extremely nationalistic, with people of various nations supporting their drivers if they have any in the field. Cry baby Alonso did everything he could to stir up sentiment that McClaren was giving better equipment and support to Lewis, and that was the only reason that he wasn't winning the World Championship. He got nowhere with McClaren or the FIA, but he convinced the Spanish fans that it was all Lewis' fault and had nothing to do with Lewis being the better driver.
#1 Lewis needs a thick skin, and he needs to expect verbal abuse from Spanish fans.
#2 The FIA needs to ignore it as long as the abuse is not allowed to be physical. Otherwise, what happens when the British fans do the same thing to Alonso at the British GP? If you think the British fans won't retailiate, just look at the British football wars. People cheering for favorite sports figures and booing hated sports figures is a part of sport probably dating back to the Olympics in ancient Greece. If the FIA starts taking away races based on fan reactions to drivers, the entire GP schedule has the potential to be held hostage by the unruly. They just need to make sure that security is such that no fans are able to get in physical contact with any drivers and that they can't get on the track or throw anything on the track.
Finally, I think Lewis needs to read about the interview Branch Ricky had with Jackie Robinson before he signed him to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Racism is unfortunate, but it is a fact of life in much of the world, and fans will use any verbal weapon against a hated rival.
Robert
Sounds like Spain may have a bright future with NASCAR.
Bob
Cicero, apparently an erudite sounding pseudonym does not impart actual knowledge.
There have always been limits on freedom of speech. The classic example of non-protected speech is yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater. There are also laws against defamation, sedition, and various other misdeeds by tongue or pen. So free speech not so simple and laws do differ from country to country. Also, as a private venue, the race track can set its own rules on what is acceptable behavior. I guarantee you that if you went to a play of Othello and started abusing the lead actor with racial epithets, you will be out on your derrière so quickly that you'd think you were hit by an F2008. And you would further find that no court would give you the time of day, not even Judge Judy.
Cicero
Bob, racism does not fall under unprotected speech, and I really do not think you have a leg to stand on. I am an Orthodox Jew who finds hate crime laws offensive and I also do not like Holocaust deniers being in prison for stating their opinions. There is a great difference between yelling fire in a crowded theatre and making a racist comment. Stuff that is your pseudo-intellectual head.
Cicero
http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ Here, why don't you read and maybe learn something about the stupidity of censoring free speech, because as I said, yelling fire in a movie theatre and making a racist comment are two very different things.
Bob
Cicero, perhaps you should read my comment again because you obviously didn't grok it. My point is not that racist speech is like yelling "fire", but that free speech is not all or nothing. There are boundaries and there's room to discuss what is and isn't acceptable, particularly when the venue in question is a private one. I do not think the racist fans should be prosecuted, but they can certainly be thrown out and banned. There are many responses that fall far short of criminalizing racist or hateful speech. They are not restrictions on free speech, but they are a way to let people know that the freedom of speech, like any other freedom, carries with it responsibilities and consequences.
I am as staunch a 1st Amendment defender as anyone, but I don't simply trot out "freedom of speech" like it's an absolute. One of the characteristics of Pseudo-intellectualism is using canned, dogmatic arguments based on "principles" without giving consideration for the specifics of the situation. I would suggest that you read fewer blogs and try a few books. They might allow you to think about thing for more than 2 seconds at a time.
Cicero
I probably read more book in a day then you have in your lifetime Bob, so stop being a troll
Cicero
Maybe your should join the Poltically Correct Thought Police, and by the way, it sounds like you believe in freedom of speech for only people who agree with you, everyone who disagrees you think is stupid and dismiss them, when I last checked, America was founded on the right to dissent. You have no right to call my intellect into question just because you disagree with me, it is quite rude and your just trolling.
New Guy
Um, dumb question, but what does the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution have to do with a race in Spain?
Besides, I have always thought that the 1st Amendment had to do with public discourse, not discourse in a controlled environment.
For example, go to a movie you've seen before. Yell what is going to happen next the entire movie. How long do you think it will take before your free speech is infringed on by some zit covered teenager and you are asked to leave?
If a movie theater can kick you out for being an idiot, why can't a race track?
New Guy
Oh yeah, forgot to add this.
On the other hand, if a bunch of idiots want to walk around and show off their idoicy outside the entrance to the track, that is free speech. I've seen that at movie theaters by the way.
Of course, I'll respect any body's right to free speech. I would ask that they respect my right to disagree with them. I don't have to agree with them and they don't have to agree with me. As long as we both are heard, I'm cool with it.
dante
Funny seeing where the racism is coming from. How over-sensitive do you bet they'd be if someone started throwing out a few racial epithets at them? But it's not really confined to the Spanish - even though the US gets a lot of crap (and sometimes justified) about racial issues, I've never seen so much open and accepted racism as I did all over Europe.
Bob
New Guy, that was exactly my point. The Spanish race track owners can do what they want to protect the experience of their paying patrons. This is not political correctness; it's simply business. If the "fans" want to stage a rally outside the track, they can say whatever they want. But if they're in the track, they have to follow the rules of the track owners. It's the same private property rights that are guaranteed in every non-communist country. It's also the same property rights that prevent neo-Nazis from staging their marches in Cicero's living room. But I would guess that he'd be too busy reading all those books to notice.
Cicero
Bob, I am Jewish, so no Nazis are coing near me, and stop acting like you know more then everyone and being a troll. Just because I do not agree with you does not give you any right to insult me, call me a Nazi or anything. Your no progressive, your not forward thinking, you just want to punish people who do not agree with you, that is not freedom of speech, that is censorship.
Bob
Cicero, you really have a reading comprehension problem. I know you're Jewish from your previous post. The point is that you can stop neo-Nazis from marching in your home because you have private property rights. They cannot claim "freedom of speech" and come into your home because your property rights trump their right to free speech.
By the same token, you can't say that the race track is "punishing people who don't agree with them" because they want to kick the abusive fans out. They have the right to do it. Whether it's because the owners don't like racist speech or because they want to keep their non-racist customers happy or they just want to avoid controversy, it's up to them. So don't say "what about free speech" and "people should get over it." Unexamined, shoddy sloganeering like that gives free speech advocacy a bad name.
I have nothing against you. You're probably a nice guy and your heart seems to be in the right place. I'm sorry if I was too harsh on you. But I hope you will realize there's more to fighting for free speech than just using the words. It's important to remember that while the freedom of speech is one of our most important freedoms, it is not a right that trumps all other rights.
The Stig
Cicero you're welcome to your opinions. Just stuff them up your ...
Funny how you feel insulted by simple "words". Perhaps you should reread your first post and take your own advice: get over it and move on. You've made your point and shown your 'values'. Oh and don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Cicero
The Stig, how about you take your own advice, and stuff your opinions up your.....have a nice day while I stay here and keep posting
Cicero
And by the way, I do not feel insulted, I just wish people would consider who they are talking to before making such comments.
The Stig
LOL @ Cicero. All I said was words, just like everyone else's responses to you. It's obviously getting to you because you feel the need to keep coming back to this thread to post. If you really felt like you recommended everyone else feel in your first post - to get over it, they're just words - you've would've shut your doubletalking mouth a long time ago.
I would add too that maybe now you understand how bad someone could feel when their nationality, skin color, or religion is degraded with 'words', but judging from your posts you're probably too ignorant to get it.
Cicero
Once again my intellect is being called into question over the internet by someone who thinks they know me from what I type on a blog. By the way Stig, your a troll and your doing the exact same thing you claim I am doing, so as the old saying goes, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, maybe you will learn.
The Stig
So what if I did? I only used words. That's all they are. Just words. You need to learn to get over it. And the proper use of "your" and "you're". Some intellect.....
Cicero
Stig, if your reduced to insulting my grammar, you do not have a leg to stand on, but then your a troll, you will find something
The Stig
It wasn't meant as an insult. It was just an observation that I put into words - an observation from more than one of YOUR posts. Pointing out YOUR consistent grammatical errors wasn't what I was reduced to - I just found it funny. I'll quote YOUR words back to you again - all of this was "just words". You need to "learn to get over them and move on".
That's enough of my life wasted on you. YOU'RE a real piece of work. You've already proven YOUR intellect. YOU'RE like a broken record. So go ahead with YOUR next post and be sure to include "your", "leg to stand on" and "troll". I'm guessing those were the words you learned at kindergarten today given how many times you used them in most of YOUR posts.
Tony D
Cicero, you are a pompous dick.
Winding Road » Archive » Spanish Motorsport Federation Conde
[...] doubt wanting to quell the fears of the FIA and put to rest talk of canceling grands prix, the Spanish motorsport federation has expressed “repulsion
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