If You’re Racist, You’re the Problem

I’ve never understood racist people. Or the people who make excuses for them.

“They’ve never travelled.”

“They didn’t grow up around people who were different.”

You don’t need a passport to learn respect.

I’m Spanish, and at my academy in Hong Kong, students have asked me: “Is Spain racist?”

I believe the vast majority of Spanish people aren’t.

But there are racists, and I’m not going to make excuses for them just because they’re from my country.

The other day,

while watching a Spanish league football match on television, I heard racist abuse directed at a player.

I’m not going to repeat the insults or describe the noises.

They don’t need another platform.

That’s not passion for football. It’s racism.

My view?

Identify those responsible, ban them from sporting events for life, and impose serious penalties in accordance with the law.

A footballer’s job is to play.

Not to put up with being humiliated because of their skin colour.

And no, “it was the heat of the moment” is not an excuse.

If you can’t watch a match without being racist, you’re the one who needs to stay outside.

At Spanish Super Tutor, we discuss these issues in our Spanish lessons in Hong Kong, too.

Because we can debate who deserved to win.

A person’s dignity is not up for debate.