Liam Neeson

This Liam Neeson thing is getting out of hand. Neeson admitted his feelings from 40 years ago, feelings which many would feel in the same circumstances, because that's part of the human condition and has been the cause of strife many times in the past; people do tend to paint an entire group of people with the attributes of a few, or even one.

The key thing, though, about Neeson's admission is that he recognised, within a week, that his actions were wrong and sought help. The feeling was racist (by definition), but could equally have been given some other label had the perpetrator been identifiably, say, ginger or a teenager.

Neeson and I are of a similar age group and 40 years ago I and all my contemporaries were both racist and homophobic. Most people were then - they were different times and we were shaped by our culture and our parents' attitudes. Neeson also grew up in Northern Ireland, where sectarian hatred was rife, and still is in many quarters. Many blokes I know who are only 10 years older than me are still racist and homophobic.

Some people today still equate the Germans of today with the Nazis, despite Germany and Austria having done more to combat Nazism than any other European nation. Someone, within the last couple of days during an argument about Brexit, said they were 'the same regime', and that's an attitude held today, not 40 years ago and which they now regret having felt. It's the basis of populist nationalism.

I'm with John Barnes on this matter and not the holier-than-thou knee-jerkers.