Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Albert Park, 2020

Hamilton says he was “overcome with rage” in reaction to Floyd killing

2020 F1 season

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Lewis Hamilton said he “failed to keep hold of my emotions” in his response to the killing of George Floyd last week.

The Formula 1 world champion challenged his fellow drivers to speak out against racial injustice on Sunday, a call which many of them responded to.

On Tuesday Hamilton told his social media followers: “This past week has been so dark. I have failed to keep hold of my emotions.

“I have felt so much anger, sadness and disbelief in what my eyes have seen. I am completely overcome with rage at the sight of such blatant disregard for the lives of our people. The injustice that we are seeing our brothers and sisters face all over the world time and time again is disgusting, and must stop.”

Several major US cities have been gripped by protests following Floyd’s death and growing numbers of athletes across sport have spoken out following Floyd’s death.

“So many people seem surprised, but to us unfortunately, it is not surprising,” said Hamilton. “Those of us who are black, brown or in between, see it everyday and should not have to feel as though we were born guilty, don’t belong, or fear for our lives based on the colour of our skin.

“Will Smith said it best, racism is not getting worse, it’s being filmed. Only now that the world is so well equipped with cameras has this issue been able to come to light in such a big way.”

Hamilton said it was only because of the anger prompted by Floyd’s killing that the authorities had charged officer Derek Chauvin with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

“It is only when there are riots and screams for justice that the powers that be cave in and do something, but by then it is far too late and not enough has been done. It took hundreds of thousands of peoples complaints and buildings to burn before officials reacted and decided to arrest Derek Chauvin for murder, and that is sad.

“Unfortunately, America is not the only place where racism lives and we continue to fail as humans when we cannot stand up for what is right. Please do not sit in silence, no matter the colour of your skin. Black Lives Matter.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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119 comments on “Hamilton says he was “overcome with rage” in reaction to Floyd killing”

  1. So well said and echoes what many have been saying. Sadly, living here in Canada we hear about this sort of thing happening in the US very very often, so I was not surprised at all. Shocked by the stark footage though, no question. But surprised? Sadly no.

    I don’t know how they are going to fix this horrible systemic problem in the US, and of course LH is right that it is worldwide, but I know that it starts with getting Trump out of there, and certainly if he somehow is re-elected, which is nearly impossible to imagine (except that it’s not unfortunately) then definitely they will not be solving this anytime soon and it’s going to be even greater mayhem that will make these recent days seem tame come November.

    This is so gut wrenching and so terrible. Maybe we can hope that this past week will serve as a catalyst to finally enact change like has never been done before.

    1. This is so gut wrenching and so terrible. Maybe we can hope that this past week will serve as a catalyst to finally enact change like has never been done before.

      Indeed @robbie

      I am glad Hamilton did speak up and thereby help others overcome their reluctance? / fear? of at least saying something too in F1 Since this can only be solved if all of us work towards that. Luckily where I live things are far from as extreme as the US, but I know that racism hurts many more or less everywhere.

  2. “It is only when there are riots and screams for justice that the powers that be cave in and do something,”
    So he’s calling for riots? Smooth move.

    1. geoffgroom44 (@)
      2nd June 2020, 20:18

      to observe a fact that such action occurs is not necessarily to condone it !

      1. kevin citron
        3rd June 2020, 1:32

        to observe a fact and ignore it when it flies in the face of the narrative is all too human

        1. geoffgroom44 (@)
          3rd June 2020, 9:30

          I guess that’s true,sir. we see what we want to see,huh?

      2. @geoffgroom44 As much as he keeps trying, Hamilton is not MLK. MLK cared about people and lived in the midst of the injustice he was trying to correct. He always stressed that protests have to be peaceful. He always stressed people should respect each other and not be lawless.
        While Hamilton is just talking from afar, amidst the comfort of his twitter account. And certainly it seems he isn’t bothered one bit by the looting and the destruction. Black mayors have spoken against it. George Floyd’s brother spoke against it. MLK would have spoken against it. But not Lewis Hamilton, because his understanding is shallow and his interests are entirely selfish.

        1. You are so right. Someone online said I was demonizing black people first quoting Dr. King. Young people today have lost touch with the peaceful resistance of Gandhi and MLK.

          1. Young people have not lost touch. The government is reacting more and more violently towards any protests. The police go in wearing full riot gear and are part of the violence. Youtube is full of videos of police using tear gas and pepper spray “just for fun”. When you couple this with biased media who reports only the bad side of these events you just end up thinking these people are like demons. They report on the looting and buildings burning but not the (mostly black) people who come in afterwards to clean up. In fact the media only starts to report on demonstrations when they turn violent. Not before.

            Then you have the young people who have grown up in this environment. They know the police and the system is dirty, racist and violent because they have seen it and experienced it. They live in it. It is no wonder when the situation arises these people start looting and burning down buildings. When you have part of the populace that is so totally disfranchised and demonized is it surprising they behave in this way when they get the opportunity? It is not right but it should be easy to understand why it happens. These people have no ownership of their environment so why should they care what happens to it? It is not right but the reasons are little more complex than “young people have lost touch”.

          2. There are many other difficult discussion and debates to be had around these sorts of issues, but instead of trying to tackle them, we get very surface level analysis, and worst of all, virtue signalling. I genuinely think Lewis’ frustrations and pronouncements on the issues of race relations in the US are sincere, which is definitely a good thing, and I generally agree with the premise that all the outrage may have influenced the authorities to increase punitive measures which is absolutely the right thing to do given this disgraceful act. However, he does not come across as someone has an in-depth understanding of some of the issues at hand or the power dynamics at play that even give rise to such a situations, and perhaps its unreasonable to assume that he should. But I must say that he does himself a disservice by constantly stressing how he’s different, and the calling out of his colleagues for not voicing their opinion on the subject.

            In a sense, I sometimes feel sorry for Lewis’ fans who are constantly being reminded (often by him) that he’s so different, and he tends to highlight the difference in a negative light rather than the positive. The vast majority just love him for the peerless racer and Brit he is.

            The fact is that a huge number of people are suffering from ‘racism’ fatigue, which is just one part of a broader trend that is seeing politics seep into- and infecting absolutely everything, even the things we go to to escape the drudgery of daily existence such as sport, entertainment etc etc. I dare say a number of us have had conversations in private about this, but many do not feel comfortable voicing opinions in public (and what might that be a sign of?). In a free and democratic society, people have the right to do as they choose and say what they like, as long as it does not impinge on the physical safety of another individual. If others don’t like what is said or not said, then tough, no one has the right not to be offended. We must live and let live, that’s the deal and it’s an important one.

            Police brutality in the US is a huge issue against people of all colours and this very much reflects the countries violent past. So at the outset, it’s important to separate the race issue from the issue of police brutality per se, in my opinion. In relation to race, the question is one of degree. Are blacks in the US being killed at a disproportionate rate by law enforcement when also accounting for the fact that they commit a disproportionate amount of violent crime in the US? Even saying that will send shivers down most peoples spines but these phenomena need to be talked about openly and honestly without the need to become outraged or to be proven ‘right’, and also, without fear of being labelled a ‘racist’. Doing so will lay the foundation for setting things right, however long that path may be. What segment of the black population in terms of socioeconomic status are likely to die at the hands of the police and how does that compare to Whites, Asians and/or other groups of the same socioeconomic status? In other words, what is the correlation between the class of all groups and the rate at which they are killed in interactions with police? That actual difference would shed a lot of light on what degree such deaths can be attributed to racism. Further, is it because blacks are disproportionately poor in the US that they are more likely to be the target of police violence per capita? These factors provide nuance as to the degree to which they are disproportionately affected.

            Of course, the above says nothing about the reasons why blacks in the US tend to be disproportionately poor in the first place which is debate in itself, but here again, there is so much more to the conversation than just racism, racism, and more racism. We all acknowledge the impact of slavery, but the ‘legacy of slavery’ arguments of black suffering in the present day often pander to the emotions (political motives) rather than looking at the actual political, economic and social evidence. For example, what effect have government policies had on blacks and other groups and why? Who has suffered the most economically from unchecked immigration into the US and who has actually benefited? Have minimum wage laws been positive for the working class, black or otherwise, or has that tended to act as a barrier into low wage employment so essential for the learning of responsibility and the professional/social skills that eventually lead to higher wage employment. How have these policy trends interacted with the dismantling of the manufacturing base and the outsourcing of industry to other countries?

            Racism does play a role, of course, and to argue against its existence ‘is a nonsense’ as Eddie Jordan would say, but at the same time, this almost obsessive focus on race and the way in which thee  narratives are spun ends up doing more harm to all groups and individuals. All groups are damaged by the fact that, in wanting to overcome their guilt, whites will add their voices to the ‘anti-racism’ chorus, which is better than doing nothing, but this usually just ends up with the individual feeling better about themselves and basking in virtue (Instagram/twitter etc.), instead of having the difficult conversations about how to actually move forward. Also, Whites cannot win, as, if they speak about race issues the retort often is “you cannot speak to something you haven’t experienced” or “now is the time for you to be quiet and listen”. If they don’t speak up about it, it’s “white people don’t care about racism because they remain silent” or “they can’t see their own privilege.” This is totally unreasonable, totally unproductive, and damages everyone. Black people are harmed because people will continue to see them as victims, and this victimhood is internalised and seeps into the psyche to the point where it is used –often unwittingly– as an excuse for not getting ahead and/or making poor decisions, or worse still, it can be a source of self-sabotage. These are serious issues. There is nothing more toxic to the young mind than to be fed a narrative that society is against you and that all the hard work and good choices may come to nothing because of a mostly invisible force called ‘systemic racism’. Besides being total madness, its patently not true, particularly in a country such as the UK that is not only home to one of the most welcoming populations anywhere, but also provides opportunities to people of all backgrounds to get on and do well. It isn’t perfect no, but utopia is not for this world.

            Again, this isn’t denying that issues of race exist, they do, it is just pointing out that, part of the reason they feature so highly is because people are increasingly being conditioned to see difference even were none exists. Or, issues of race are conflated with issues of class, which is a much broader problem, particularly in the current period when the full scale of the Covid-fuelled recession is becoming clearer. Also, the African American vote in the US has a huge strategic importance in the outcome of elections and often tends to be ramped up in election years. Even so, this recent incident was hideous and people are rightly upset about it.

            Related to this is the fact that outrage is dictated by the media, who control the selection of issues, narratives, and how debates are bound. Do black lives only matter when killed by a person of white skin? For example, how many have held a vigil or demo or expressed regret over the killing of Dave Underwood, a black law enforcement officer, as he stood guard outside a federal courthouse in California only days ago? Do these catastrophes have any less effect on the lives of the wives and children expecting them home for dinner? Why has the media been silent on that and why does the media continue to be silent on the scores of nameless blacks who meet their deaths in street violence, gang/organised crime activity? Why is this narrative so one-sided and might there be a political motive behind it to ensure the narrative remains in tact? In the US, plenty of unarmed Whites, Hispanics, Native Americans are killed each year by the police. How is it that not even one of these stories ever reaches the mainstream, i.e is it just because no one was caught on camera or because it doesn’t fit the narrative? In the UK, why is it that so many are quick to condemn racism of whites against -insert group- but are mostly blind to forms of racism that go the other way? I myself have witnessed breathtaking racism directed at whites as well as racism directed from one minority group to another. A wise man once said, “racism isn’t a black white problem, it is a human problem, a problem of humanity.”

            This is having a massive impact on how we direct our outrage and who it is directed towards, which should make all pause and think about how we subsequently respond to the people in our lives and what we think constitutes ‘doing something about it.’ Lewis hasn’t done this thinking in my view. Are those who tweet 140 characters and get their 2 squillion ‘retweets’ and ‘likes’ justified in feeling good about themselves and that they’ve some how ‘done their bit’. In his work with the many impoverished children in Brazil, our very own Ayrton Senna was a great exponent of the idea of ethics being what you do when no one is looking. Additionally, this same media is also currently in its death throes due to the rise of the youtubers, so what might be the implications be for journalistic integrity and sensationalism (and outright mendacity), particularly given how tech innovation has changed the landscape that is seeing all outlets competing for algos viability? In this click-bait culture, is there enough of an incentive left for responsible journalism when what counts is to be first and to be noticed (algorithmically speaking)? That same wise man said “The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” I am inclined to agree.

            This has very little to do with F1, I realise that, but Hamilton’s pronouncements are very much part of a trend where it’s almost a virtue to be a victim, he knows this and plays on this, which he is of course free to do. I still love the man regardless. But there are more sinister expressions of this where ones ‘victimhood’ and ‘marginalised status’ (even for millionaires) is actively used to score points or exert control over others, or even done for political and/or commercial gain. This is a negative no matter where it’s coming from. I believe that those invoking Dr. King are correct in that he is likely turning in his grave at present. He was smart enough to see that, in the long run, non-violence, colourblindness, an emphasis on humanism, and looking upon each other as fellow human beings is the only way to go.

        2. What the hell are you on about? What else is Lewis supposed to do in this situation? He is actively trying to help, and there is no selfishness involved. He is not endorsing violence but acknowledging the sad reality that modern racism protests only cause change when actions go to the extreme. No he is not MLK but he has personally been the target of racism, most notably in Spain. And he isn’t just an activist through social media. He stayed to volunteer in the slums of India after the inaugural GP. You criticize him promoting awareness, but what have you done to better this situation?

          1. @Wes It’s very unfortunate that he has been (allegedly) a victim of racism but this is not about him. At least he could have called for the looters to stop and for the protests to be peaceful and orderly, instead of lecturing everyone and telling his colleagues what they can or can’t be silent about. Who is he to tell them that? Who is he to decide which issues people have to be vocal about and which not? He says he is full of rage for the admittedly wrongful death of a suspect under arrest, but he is not full of rage about the looting, destruction and violence? Do you know how many people’s lives have been ruined? People of all races, including blacks. Black business owners, for example. People who have nothing to do with the case which supposedly started this. Entire communities are being devastated, and for a long time into the future. Hamilton wants to act like a leader, but he picks only the issues that interest him personally. And people completely unfamiliar with the issues and the situation base their opinion of the US off of what Hamilton said. That’s what the hell I’m on about.

          2. @Wes, you clearly have not understood a very intellegent and well written piece.
            @James M Thank you! I have been trying to say what you have said in several of these Racefans articles. I have the intelligence and uderstandig to see the bigger picture and the underlying issues as you have so elliquently detailed, I simply do not have the language skills to write or verbalise what you have. I wish I had, I would have written exactly what you just did.
            Please people, look at this holistically, it is so much more than this silly “It’s Racist” call. Acting out on incomplete understanding is frought with danger.
            I am 100% sure that the vast majority of people on this planet do not give a damn what skin tone you wear, frankly they would not care if you were blue. People care about and are influenced by behaviour (Mostly), the current behaviour is not good and is adding more bad to a very sad situation.
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USTyUqXIb0k

        3. geoffgroom44 (@)
          3rd June 2020, 23:17

          well,what are your credentials that rank your opinion and utterances any better than anyone else’s ? Also,I don’t think many people base their opinion of the US just on what Lewis,or Donald,or even you, say. The fact that entire communities are ‘being devastated’ appears to be the result of an endemic racial bias in the halls of justice and within certain elements of the police forces. As for your observation that Lewis has ‘allegedly’ suffered discrimination himself, there does seem to be sufficient evidence in his life of that.
          But I get it, it doesn’t really matter what he said or did not say, you would have found fault. I hope simply because he’s a 6 times world champ and not for any other reasons.

          1. @geoffgroom44 How does an “endemic racial bias” explain what is going on? Police brutality is a problem in the US, and yes, African Americans are probably more likely to suffer from it, but it can happen to anyone. I personally have been harassed by cops for doing absolutely nothing. Also referring to the Floyd case, which has been under investigation as “endemic racial bias” is just speculation and assumptions. Does anyone have the whole picture of what happened? Does anyone know for sure what the police officer’s motives were? No, people just make their conclusions as they see fit and don’t wait for the facts. In reality, only one of the four police officers involved was white. No, I’m not excusing what happened to Floyd, but people have to stop assuming and perpetuating destructive rage. And it certainly does not excuse what is going on. Looting and destroying everything in one’s path is not the result of “endemic racial bias”, they use that as an excuse to do their thing.
            It’s time to wake up and face the facts. Blacks judge themselves all the time based on their background (are you from the Caribbean, are you from Africa), or if one is “black enough” or not. This is the reality. Bias on all sides.
            At the same time, there are black police officers, there are black sheriffs, black mayors, black lawyers, black judges, etc. You can be anyone you want in the US, regardless of color.

          2. geoffgroom44 (@)
            4th June 2020, 8:09

            well, for a nation that has been so good at PR, it certainly has been doing a pretty bad job of it’s PR in relation to the ‘race problem’. There is no dispute with you that there are good and bad on both sides. There is equally no dispute that Lewis, had he been running for political office (I mean, he seems to have the money) could have said a lot more.
            As for ‘looting and destroying’, well isn’t that part of the good ole imperialist doctrine? Of course, no governments do things like that….Iraq? Afghanistan?
            And yes, I can think of cases where young white people have been brutalised,killed,by unbalanced ‘police officers’. That,however, is not the subject of this discussion.
            We are not born prejudiced….we are taught to be,huh?

        4. @geoffgroom44 Yes I believe prejudice, racism, etc are learned behavior. The police problem in America is to a large extent because of the way they are trained.
          Iraq and Afghanistan are complex subjects. let’s not forget the leader of the first one carried out the world’s deadliest chemical weapons attack, and against his own people (though a minority), and then systematically kept kicking out the UN inspectors, apart from other violations agreed in the treaty that ended the first Gulf War. The leadership of the second one came to power by force through a long and bloody civil war (The Taliban and the Mujahideen are not the same, they actually fought each other). It’s very easy to look back now and say we should have done so and so instead of doing so and so.
          The point is now is not the time to encourage rage. Rage, warranted or not, does not lead to good things.
          As for the state of things in the US, it’s funny how certain people of color can give a totally different point of view:
          https://twitter.com/LegendaryEnergy/status/1268062728054177793

    2. @jt1234 No. He’s calling for ‘the powers that be’ to act before the riots and screams for justice occur. Did you not get that?

      1. No, he said the only time they listen is after screaming and rioting.

        1. William Jones
          2nd June 2020, 23:55

          ” but by then it is far too late and not enough has been done”

          Any particular reason you cut the quote where you did, I mean aside from it proving you 100% wrong that is.

          1. But it is a sad and unfortunate fact that the Haight-Ashbury and LA riots did result in some positive reforms, that is history, a history that Lewis has reminded us of, a history lesson that Jack would rather ignore.

        2. It’s not calling for riots, it’s criticising the authorities for not acting to stop this before the riots occur. That’s blatantly obvious if you read what he said.

        3. That is not at all what he said in context. He said it is sad that protests seem to only cause change when they go to the extremes. Implying that he wishes change would come from peaceful protests only. Please learn reading comprehension before commenting.

    3. @jack
      What your mind calls a riot, I call a revolution. And revolutions create new societies.

  3. geoffgroom44 (@)
    2nd June 2020, 20:23

    Lewis is without doubt a global phenomena. His skills and social interraction have done much to make F1 more popular. I have the utmost respect for his statements on this issue as anyone who has seen the video of the death of George Floyd can only be repulsed by it. That revulsion is further amplified by the fact that no proceedings were to be initiated against the officers involved…until there were protests. We racefans are well represented in the world by such people as Lewis and the many others who have now joined in the chorus of disgust.

    1. Sounds like cut from a Communist party congress. We the people of racing!

      1. “We the People” is actually how the US Constitution starts.

        1. :o)
          Education, it’s a lifelong process.

        2. I seem to remember “We hold these truths to be self evident……………….” as part of the founding fathers philosophy.

          1. I believe you’re quoting from what is considered the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”.

          2. @drycrust, Thank you, I didn’t want to be imprecise in case the provocateurs used my imprecision to deflect attention from the obvious hypocrisy.
            PS. I myself once tried to spend a forged GBP.50 bill while visiting the UK, when I was told it was forged I went straight back to the bank I got it from and exchanged it, I wasn’t even questioned by police let alone arrested assaulted and killed.

          3. New rules in the Netherlands instead of calling the Police (and getting the customer arrested) we give the biljet back to replace it. It’s the customer case if he goes back from where he got it.

            No agression so we are glad.

      2. kevin citron
        3rd June 2020, 1:34

        we the people hold these truths to be self evident that the looting of rolex stores will bring back george floyd

        1. Maybe the looting of your home.

      3. geoffgroom44 (@)
        3rd June 2020, 9:32

        I wouldn’t know…I don’t follow th reds,I’m a Lewis fan, hehehehe

    2. @geoffgroom44 Simply not true. The officers were fired and the FBI started investigating. There were also two autopsies, one done by Floyd’s family. And we aren’t talking protests anymore, we are talking about riots and destroying, setting cities on fire, tearing up communities. But some seem to be perfectly OK with it. Perfect excuse to go loot and destroy. Want free stuff? Now’s the time. Want to destroy someone else’s business or property because it makes you feel good? Now’s the time.

      Those who actually know a thing about the US will understand that this all means gun regulation is not happening, not anytime soon. And a lot of other things.

      1. Bobec, you fail to mention that those officeres were only fired, and an investigation started, after thousands had started protesting when the video of this horrible offence came out.

        1. geoffgroom44 (@)
          3rd June 2020, 9:38

          Thanks for that BasCB. Clearly bobec is airing some other agenda that does not require evidence or facts. Interestingly he fails to mention the outcome of the two autopsies which I have read conclude that death was a criminal action.

          1. @geoffgroom44 The investigations was already ongoing by May 28th and it was already a top priority by then

            https://kttc.com/2020/05/28/fbi-attorneys-office-say-investigation-into-death-of-george-floyd-top-priority/

            The autopsies concluded that asphyxiation was the cause of death, but also that fentanyl and methamphetamine were present in his blood.

            But stating the facts today is “some other agenda”.

            So the investigation was a top priority for the FBI before the police precinct was burned. Ok, burn it down, fine. But ravaging cities and communities across the country, destroying lives and property, beating innocent bystanders and police? No, that’s wrong. Sorry. No excuse.

          2. F1oSaurus (@)
            3rd June 2020, 17:35

            The outcome of this “prioritized investigation” was pretty much that he died of heart failure from prior conditions and drug use. It said nothing about asphyxiation. Which is exactly why people were so upset with this “investigation” and it also shows that you are hardly stating facts

      2. @f1osaurus Actually the investigation was ongoing. Investigations take time sometimes. Due process takes time. And people assume and jump to conclusions.

        1. geoffgroom44 (@)
          3rd June 2020, 23:20

          Yeah,well,bobec, you will see what you want to see and good luck to you. However, most of the rest of us have a different take on these facts and eveidences.

          1. @ Geoffgroom44…Question for you…Have you ever been to a sheep farm and watched a flock moving around?

          2. @geoffgroom44 Everyone seems to have their opinion these days and the facts don’t matter.

  4. Just a reminder, every DAY, arount the world around 25000 people die of hunger. Funny, there is no outrage.

    If you don’t believe me, google it.

    1. There is plenty of outrage regarding starvation. But why have you made your comment? Is the endless injustice towards black people in a country that holds itself as the model of freedom and democracy somehow a subject not worth being angry about?

      1. @broke84 There is a lot of injustice towards all kinds of people. There is a problem with police brutality and it can happen to anyone.
        But what is going on now is not injustice, it’s absolute devastation and destruction. Yet some seem to concentrate only on that one instance of injustice towards a black person.

        Is this racism?

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2RVUfUsR1I

        Just asking.

        What would happen of the roles were reversed?

        Just asking.

        All racism is wrong, not just some of it. All crimes are wrong, not just some of them.

        1. You miss the point. The protests are not over one incident but over continuing injustice towards black people and its not just in the States. Unfortunately peaceful protests have been hijacked and it was the same here with the Gilet Jaune but it needs to be remembered why the protests started and it doesn’t start because of George Floyd but because of ongoing injustices. Even the term African-American is insulting, if my children were born in America would they be called “Franco-american”? No, because they are white so why call a black person “African-American” like they are from another?
          You are correct that all racism is wrong and I would argue that the protests encompass that opinion.

          1. geoffgroom44 (@)
            3rd June 2020, 9:41

            totally agree

          2. @broke84 You are correct the protests have been hijacked. But you are not correct that what has been going on for days now encompasses the opinion that all racism is wrong. No, it encompasses the opinion that some people think they have the right to loot, destroy, beat up, burn everything and everyone in their path and they would use an incident of police brutality, where racism may have been a factor, and which is being investigated and which will be tried, as an excuse for lawlessness. That is simply wrong.

            And “African American” is not an offensive term. African Americans call themselves that all that time. It’s a widely accepted term in the US. What would you use instead? Seems like everyone is offended by everything these days. Soon referring to a lady as a “she” will be insulting, instead we will have to use gender neutral terms.

            Anyway, if people are so upset with racism, why does no one talk about South Africa and the state of things today? It is one of the most racist countries. But it is fine, because it is racism against whites. They deserve it.

          3. @bobec No, I am not wrong. As someone who actually has black American friends, the identifier is annoying for them. That after several generations they have to have an “identifier”. I also have several ethnicities of people in my family so I don’t need someone to try and educate me on ethnic intolerences and racism.

          4. @broke84 My response keeps getting rejected. So I’ll do with links only:

            “Van Jones: 40 million African Americans are heartbroken”

            https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/05/31/van-jones-reaction-george-floyd-protests-ip-vpx.cnn

            Find out who he is. I reckon he has done a lot more for the black community in America than you

            “From 1976 to 2005, 94 percent of black victims were killed by other African Americans”

            https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2019/12/22/the-need-to-discuss-black-on-black-crime/

            And I can provide a lot more facts. But people don’t like facts these days. So I hope I’m done with this pointless discussion. You’re not the only one who has African American friends.

        2. Hunter Rose
          3rd June 2020, 7:14

          This argument is what is called a “false equivalency” like many other such comments, it’s thrown out there when you don’t want to hear the other side – it’s been spewed for over 400+ years in different forms on this issue. The fact is equivalency does not equal equity of voice (i.e. that all things will be heard and given equal weight – that is what the protest and riots are partially about – people are tired of living as second class citizens, where their lives and voice are not given equal and equitable measure). Yes, there are tons of issues out there in the world but it’s not for YOU to decide for THOSE affected which is MORE important. Until you are willing to live life in their shoes everyday you can’t possibly understand.

          The fact is you can personally turn OFF your phone, shut off the internet, close your eyes and cover your ears and the issues stop for you because you don’t live it – but when you are a POC you can’t change who and what you are – its there everyday. -> Educate yourself a little further before speaking as you sound ignorant – I’m tired of letting bigots hide behind their bogus equivalency argument to just to try and shut someone up.

          Take a diversity class and educate yourself here’s litmus test for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yrg7vV4a5

          (FYI – it’s exactly why every major corporation on the face planet has diversity training – because racism exists, unconscious bias exists and false equivalency exists and it needs to be stamped out at the root).

          1. @Hunter Rose So lawlessness and looting are not a issue for you? The law is the law. I don’t decide it, you don’t decide it and an angry mob does not decide it. This isn’t about issue, it’s about the law. Because anyone can find an excuse to break the law, for their own benefit or just to vandalzie.

            And please, don’t lecture me on “diversity training”. I know plenty of young professionals who are denied promotions because they are white males. Many such positions are handed out just on the basis of affirmative action, and guess how it ends up. I understand very well we live in a world where ones’s qualities, virtues and behavior is not as important as ideology, political correctness, or one’s race, gender, etc.

          2. So, anyone who disagrees with you is ‘ignorant’?
            Anyone who disagrees with you needs ‘education’?

            Presumably in a Gulag?

          3. @Hunter Rose…An excerpt straight from the pages of ‘ Identity politics 101.0

        3. @bobec. What’s your point? Obviously I said rioting is bad, and I said racism is bad. Frankly I will continue to speak out and the rest of you can go to hell.

          1. @broke84 The point is one of the most famous black activists in America refers to black as “African Americans” while you get all offended and all. Let’s hope at least you will not claim “African American” is an “offensive term” as you continue to perpetuate bogus claims, as the world goes to hell, not just “the rest of us”

        4. Just stop commenting for now, please. Read the history. Read all of it right up to today, then return and comment.

    2. William Jones
      2nd June 2020, 22:57

      We believe you, we just reject your flawed conclusion that just because a person speaks out about one problem means that they don’t care about others. I don’t speak out on problems that I don’t know enough about to be sure that I’m not vulnerable to spreading lies. Therefore while I care deeply about world hunger, I’ll keep my tongue on the matter because I fear that I’m being manipulated by conmen who will abuse my emotions otherwise.

    3. Matteo (@m-bagattini)
      3rd June 2020, 8:43

      You should Google what logical fallacies are.

      https://www.yourlogicalfallacyis.com/strawman

    4. Sure @svianna. And we can all support efforts to solve that.

      But what again did that have to do with feeling outraged by a man being killed by people who are supposed to be “upholding the law” and “protecting” once again. Just because he was black?

    5. ColdFly (@)
      3rd June 2020, 9:43

      Maybe you should google ‘whataboutism’, @svianna.

      1. Whataboutism is a left retort when challenged with their blatant hypocrisy.
        Shrug.

        1. William Jones
          3rd June 2020, 19:50

          Whatabout when the right (as if politics are as simple as left vs right lol) gerrymander to stop their policies getting through, thats why the right are stoopid dumbdums. (( I obviously do not believe this, though gerrymandering is wierd, just making my point ))

        2. ColdFly (@)
          3rd June 2020, 20:29

          Interestingly it was first used by ‘the west’ to define the typical responses from the Soviet Union during the cold war, lompy.

    6. geoffgroom44 (@)
      3rd June 2020, 11:24

      so, if I respectfully may, what do you do about it apart from post?

    7. greasemonkey
      3rd June 2020, 15:20

      Real change in the USA requires containing poor aspects of human nature (while not stifling the better aspects), in this case, this means dealing with USA’s horrible Qualified Immunity for police, and dealing with the police unions’ power to protect bad officers.

      Just yelling at people to change never worked directly, although indirectly inducing discourse happens (hence peaceful being the better method). But it needs to go somewhere, not just vent off as destructive steam. “People need to stop being racist!!” is a given. Yelling it louder without some direction is wasting opportunity. That direction, I assert, starts with addressing the Qualified Immunity policy and public union power. Other directional ideas welcome of course, but just yelling more of the same (justified) disgust doesn’t move the ball as well.

      1. greasemonkey
        3rd June 2020, 16:22

        From wikipedia, but cross checked, the most “right” and most “left” Supreme Court justices apparently see Qualified Immunity as a root issue, so maybe some real change has a chance:

        Even on the Supreme Court, both the right and left have objected. Clarence Thomas has expressed “growing concern with our qualified immunity jurisprudence”, stating that there is no apparent basis for it in the original intent of the law. Justice Sonia Sotomayor has noted a “disturbing trend” of siding with police officers using excessive force, with qualified immunity[34] describing it as “sanctioning a ‘shoot first, think later’ approach to policing”.[35]

        We have not hesitated to summarily reverse courts for wrongly denying officers the protection of qualified immunity in cases involving the use of force…But we rarely intervene where courts wrongly afford officers the benefit of qualified immunity in these same cases.[36]

    8. F1oSaurus (@)
      3rd June 2020, 17:28

      @svianna Lol, if only Ricky Gervais would read this. He likes it when he tries to do some good and some nincompoop shows up with a “Why not think about the …..”

  5. I agree entirely with Lewis (despite my white skin and blue eyes), It occurs to me that a case of “conspiracy to pervert justice” could, and should, be made against those who worded the results of the 1st post mortem exam to suggest “natural causes” as responsible for Mr. Floyd’s death.

    1. Thanks, you just reminded me the Floyd family had to get a second opinion, probably with the risk of being liable for the cost, because the first one said George died of natural causes. I hope the State of Minnesota pick up the tab for that.

    2. Anyone with half a brain could figure out a knee to the neck is not a natural cause. Incidentally the medical examiner for the 2nd autopsy – Dr Baden – is the same guy who found Jeffery Epstein was murdered.

  6. Freedom of expression is a democratic right within democracies. My problem is the way in which this issue has been manipulated into the F1 arena. F1 is about racing. IMO, perceived social injustices along with green politics have no part to play here.

    1. Unfortunately it is an F1 issue. There has been at least one instance I know of where Lewis was “booed” at when he won a race. I don’t know why the crowd objected to him winning, but it isn’t hard to work out one possible reason.

      1. synonymous
        3rd June 2020, 8:07

        Probably because he wins everything and everyone has had enough

        1. geoffgroom44 (@)
          3rd June 2020, 9:44

          respectfully, if you have had enough of excellence, be it the driver and/or the car, then you are missing the point of F1 :-)

          1. Like the entirety of F1 begging for an artificial competition because they can’t compete with excellence?

        2. American F1
          3rd June 2020, 14:45

          People booed Vettel over the 2012 and 2013 seasons when he and Red Bull were so dominant. I seriously doubt booing Hamilton had anything to do with skin color.

          1. F1oSaurus (@)
            3rd June 2020, 17:41

            Vettel getting booed was for the way he (and the team) mistreated Webber. Just like Rosberg got booed when he committed a string of fouls.

            Hamilton received racial slurs from Spanish hooligans. Even during testing!

          2. You are absolutely right. Everyone knows that F1 is the only place on earth where there are no racists. And his racial slur of a nickname within motor racing was just an unfortunate slip. No one within the motor racing industry had any idea it was such a common racial slur.

      2. ColdFly (@)
        3rd June 2020, 9:10

        @drycrust, whereas I agree that views of the outside world can and should be discussed by people involved in the sport*, I find it dangerous to imply that all people who boo at Lewis are automatically labelled as ‘racists’. There has been booing at ‘white’ race winners as well.
        We should not close our eyes for ingrained and institutionalised racism, but neither do I want the world to become so bland that people cannot express emotions to others merely because they risk being accused of discrimination (on race or otherwise).

        * interesting that kenji doesn’t see it as part of the sport but still reads, and comments on, this article.

        1. @coldfly I completely agree on this. There is little evidence to suggest that Lewis was booed just because he is black*, and calling it such just because he is black is unhelpful (it’s a form of racism in itself to suggest that all bad things happening to a minority are just because they are a minority).

          * the strength of feeling of some against him from the day he started, before he was in a dominant position or had a “controversial” life off track, does suggest there may be an element of racism, although that on its own is not conclusive.

        2. @Coldfly…How devastatingly observant you are!!! Yes i do comment here on this thread as i am vehemently opposed to the introduction of issues that are far removed from F1. I shall continue to do so in order to provide some alternative discourse on the fake narratives being promoted. The rush to apply a derogatory label to everyone who doesn’t prescribe to your viewpoint belies your lack of perspective. Thankfully racing will begin soon and we can get back to issues that conform to this sites very raison d’etre.

          1. ColdFly (@)
            3rd June 2020, 13:44

            Not sure what is devastating about me being an observant, kenji.
            I respectfully disagreed with your view, and pointed the inconsistency out in a sarcastic manner. Not sure why you think this is belittling. It’s part of a normal grown up discussion!

      3. proud_asturian
        3rd June 2020, 12:36

        So was Sebastian when he won in Monza in 2013 and Singapore the same year.

        You are delusional and making it about something this isn’t.

    2. Matteo (@m-bagattini)
      3rd June 2020, 8:46

      If you can’t see that Lewis went far and beyond F1 a while ago it’s your choice to be blind.

    3. Magnus Rubensson (@)
      3rd June 2020, 9:46

      Racing is secondary these days.
      Generating revenue for (large) shareholders is the main thing these days.

    4. Hamilton has experienced racist abuse during his time in F1 from fans. Therefore F1 is not solely about racing. The issue (along with many others) was brought into F1 long ago.

  7. I like this statement, it is his best. I don’t know if the riots jailed the officer but it is pretty evident nobody like that 9 min video, not just Lewis.

  8. Well said William Jones! I concor.

  9. People react differently to things. It’s great what lewis is doing pushing this issues even more into the agenda.
    Unfortunately I would also be happy that when a corrupt and dictatorial government pays millions of people money to wash their internationally appearance and hosts a F1 race Lewis would have at least 10% of this outrage instead of taking the check and smile.

    1. Perhaps we should all withdraw from the world until it is perfect, would that make you happy?

      1. No. But we have people risking their lives protesting and somehow we are glorifying a millionaire for an empty text.

        Lewis and other famous people could be very useful in this, I’m not saying he should be on the frontline of the protests. But he could do more than posting stuff. Boycotting US Grand Prix would have much more impact.

        “Staying at home until the world is perfect” is not an option, but “posting on Instagram until the world is perfect” is worst.

        I’m pretty sure that if he lived in that era, Hamilton would be all pro-Mandela but still running in South African GP

        1. So is it just Hamilton who should boycott the USA GP? Or all those who have spoken out. Which basically is F1.

          1. None of the others as used the “you’re not doing enough on this”-card.
            Lewis did accuse others of not acting. I’m just using the argument he did. He accused others of not acting, but he did not act at all.

            Also if Ocon or Russell boycott the US Gp it will be completely irrelevant. The only one who has a real chance of making the difference and taking the lead on the subject is Hamilton. I remember how important the boycott on international sports (And other events) was important in South Africa In the 80s. If Hamilton really cares more about the systemic racism in the US than he cares with his bank account he should do something more than posting on Instagram.

          2. But he addresses racism in the USA right across the USA, from guest speaker at various black forums right through to being a major supporter/donator to the Harlem Children’s Zone. He addresses racial issues outside of the USA through Renaissance and other foundations etc. He has regularly called out his own team and his sport on these matters in the past.
            He has been speaking on these issues for years, putting his money where his mouth is and clearly making enough of a difference that multiple charities and foundations use him in one capacity or other. So I’m not sure what you want from him other than breaking his contract because you think that somehow is going to make a difference.

          3. “He addresses”

            I think it’s short for the kind of praise he has on this, and for the kind of praise he seems to want on this subject.
            I tend not to trust millionaires that want to be part of something but are unable to put something on the line for the issue. He is not a freedom fighter or anti-racism hero, he is just a millionaire that from the top of his stack of bills is steering for people risking their lives without being able to risk something by himself.

            “Breaking is contract” boycotting the US GP for him with pose very little risk, probably Mercedes wouldn’t pay him that GP, but they wouldn’t risk firing him (would be a PR nightmare and they wouldn’t find a similar driver), F1 wouldn’t risk penalizing him, nothing real important would happen to him. In fact, the US GP in 2020 probably won’t happen due to Covid, so the risk for him is low, but he still is unable to take it.

            A sportsman like Lewis Hamilton boycotting a US race would open a big precedent in terms of big sports name not wanting to be associated with the current state of affairs in US, I’m pretty sure some other would follow, and again, that kind of pressure was very important in the South African regime change in the 80s/90s.

            But since he was always ok shaking hands with some corrupt leaders in the podium while protestors were being hit by police a few Km from the circuit, I don’t trust he has the motivation to risk anything to match his words.

  10. Sonny Crockett
    3rd June 2020, 8:51

    I agree with Lewis’s comments and have to say that over the last year or so he has matured into a shining example off-track as well as on it.

    One thought though: Doesn’t he live in Colorado at least some of the time? I wonder if the Trump-led USA will become too ‘toxic’ a home for him?

    1. That’s his winter home. Most of his other property in the USA and around the world are investments.

  11. Will we hear about social injustice next time Lewis wins a race in China, Singapore, Russia, Bahrain, Dubai, Baku or Vietnam?

    Or just when it is convenient to do so?

    He is such a hypocrite.

    1. I agree, I think the same.
      I respect L. Hamilton’s position and speech, but his attitude is too biased.

      “The death of one person is a tragedy; that of millions, a statistic.”

  12. I understand his anger that an unarmed black man was killed by a white cop using excessive force but to make it solely a raging race issue – where he basically threatens his colleagues who are not vocally following his line – does not help deal with the basic problem of police violence against unarmed and peaceful protestors. Situations where black cops have attacked white protesters, white cops white protesters and black cops attacking black protesters.

    The police culture in many parts of the US is the real problem and turning it into a primarily racist issue alone is not helpful in dealing with that culture as it dictates action which is predicated on racism being the main problem rather than a symptom of a larger one.

    1. Witan, what has happened over the last week is not the issue. The skin colors and heritages of an abusive cop and a protester in the last week are not the point. Yes, stupid arrests and violence against protesters is horrible and should be addressed, but that is not the point. Everything prior to this week is the point.

      Yes, cops of all colors have been abusive to citizens of all colors. However, at least in the US, police target and stop people of color (POC) more often, arrest POC more often, abuse POC more often, and kill POC more often. The system convicts POC more often, and sentences POC to harsher/longer sentences more often. This was over $20. They couldn’t have given him a ticket / citation and left it at that?

      There are many other issues with the police in the US, militarization, resorting to lethal weapons first and unnecessarily, poor training, recruiting people who just want to wield power, etc., etc. Those issues need to be addressed too. But we need to stop senseless killing first. And if there is some way to get police to see all people as worthy of respect, then that solves most of the issues (racism and otherwise) all at once.

  13. @ Witan…A measured response. I wonder how many people here witnessed black police being active in the front line of many of the police groups battling the rioters?

  14. Please be careful to differentiate between riots and protests. Most gatherings here in the US have been peaceful protests. News cameras and editors and re-tweeters will always prefer clips of conflict and damage and militaristic cops, so it’s hard to get a real perspective.
    But I hope the protests and outrage spark some real change.

  15. That death was utterly terrible, and I’d support the death penalty for that pyscho cop, but where is this society outrage over the thousands of black people who kill each other every year in the US??

  16. Again, the tiniest silver lining of these very dark days is that you get to see where people stand, who is open to discussion even if they disagree with you, and who to avoid.

  17. Is Hamilton also going to fly to USA and prevent this? https://youtu.be/KyiPefY9GBQ
    Let’s ask him for a response, I am so angry inside, why is Mercedes driver not speaking up!

    1. William Jones
      3rd June 2020, 19:25

      He’s speaking out on things that make… him angry. I don’t know why you think he should speak out on things that make others angry. Perhaps you should speak out on things that make you angry. I would suggest you look at how Lewis has spoken out and try to replicate the way he’s done so, because this passive aggressive approach isn’t working for you.

      1. geoffgroom44 (@)
        3rd June 2020, 23:23

        right on,WJ

      2. @William Jones…I’m curious to know what Hamilton would say about the ‘OJ Simpson’ case?

        1. William Jones
          4th June 2020, 12:52

          He was about 9, so probably:

          “Cars are cool”

      3. He expects people (other F1 drivers) to speak up about things that make him angry. So why can’t we expect the same of him?

    2. @maxv It’s just stuff. Not people being hurt. Cars are replaceable. People are not.

  18. Maybe the suporters of this racism should listen to this farly smart fells https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzr4LnDwYsI

  19. And then he shouted…”THIS IS WAR!

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