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Terry faces criminal racism charge

Terry (Getty Images)

A day after Liverpool's Luis Suarez was given an eight-game ban for saying racist remarks toward Patrice Evra, John Terry finds himself in hot water for a similar offense.

The Chelsea captain faces criminal charges after the Crown Prosecution Service found sufficient evidence to go ahead and take Terry to court on a charge of a racially aggrivated public order offense.

The incident stems from an October encounter between Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers, when Terry allegedly used a racial slur toward QPR's Anton Ferdinand. Video evidence was compelling enough for police to enter an investigation of the incident, which concluded with Wednesday's charge.

Terry, who will appear in court on Feb. 1, has aggressively denied racially abusing Ferdinand and released a statement following CPS' decision, saying, "I am disappointed with the decision to charge me and hope to be given the chance to clear my name as quickly as possible. I have never aimed a racist remark at anyone and count people from all races and creeds among my closest friends. I will fight tooth and nail to prove my innocence. I have campaigned against racism and believe there is no place for it in society."

What do you make of this development? Do you think a criminal charge is deserved in this situation as opposed to the suspension and fine that Suarez received?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. +1. He can be criminally charged because he is a global celebrity idolized on all continents. If he thinks he doesn’t get judged to a higher standard he must be an idiot.

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  2. I’m NOT saying it’s OK! What I’m saying is, when you try to control their speech, you do nothing but drive it underground, where it finds a home and festers and then erupts into physical violence. SUNSHINE is the BEST disinfectant!

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  3. Sorry KJ. Here in America, only the ‘RIGHT’ is racist, because as we all know, the LEFT CANNOT be racist, DESPITE their OBVIOUS racism and bigotry!

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  4. I’ll ‘expand’ it for him: You can denigrate me all you want. I’ll just laugh, BECAUSE I REFUSE to give you, or anyone else for that matter, POWER over me! A person can only be offended IF they give POWER to the offender. And I REFUSE to give away THAT power! Is that ‘EXPANDED’ enough?

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  5. Time for the ‘THOUGHT POLICE’. I’m sure shutting up racist comments will erase racism!!!! All political correctness is doing is driving racism underground, where it’s MUCH more lethal.

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  6. No, even in the US, there are definitely ways you can break the law by using racial slurs without actually physically perpetrating a violent act.

    From Wikipedia: Laws prohibiting hate speech are unconstitutional in the United States, outside of obscenity, defamation, incitement to riot, and fighting words.[48][49][50]

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  7. No, even in the US, there are definitely ways you can break the law by using racial slurs without actually physically perpetrating a violent act.

    From Wikipedia: Laws prohibiting hate speech are unconstitutional in the United States, outside of obscenity, defamation, incitement to riot, and fighting words.[48][49][50]

    Reply
  8. From Wikipedia: Laws prohibiting hate speech are unconstitutional in the United States, outside of obscenity, defamation, incitement to riot, and fighting words.[48][49][50]

    so even in the US, there are definitely ways you can break the law by using racial slurs without actually physically perpetrating a violent act.

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  9. no shock here. Terry’s always been a dirtbag. the only shock is how he remained on the England team, and is still Chelseas captain. Who looks up to this guy?

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  10. I also thought that you were not one of the type to complain about vocabulary, but I was wrong. Still, everyone does not understand no matter what you may think, please continue to live in your world of ignorant superiority. I put forth a simple phrase because I wanted “you” to get that everyone does not understand the laws present in our nation.

    Reply

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