CUK supports BLM

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robing
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CUK supports BLM

Post by robing »

So Cycling UK have just done a statement on Black Lives Matter.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/news/black-li ... cycling-uk

They also posted this on Facebook which caused a storm, but I thought I would open it up here as many aren't on Facebook.

Why did they need to make a statement on the death of George Floyd? It has nothing to do with cycling in the UK.

Now I'm all for encouraging all minorities to get in to cycling, and fully support CUK in this. But in declaring support for BLM they have crossed a line and made it political, particularly in view of the violence against police last weekend and damage and defacing of war memorials. Clearly CUK under its new leadership has a political agenda. I am cancelling my membership forthwith and urge others to do so too if you feel the same way. This could do CUK a lot of damage.
Oldjohnw
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by Oldjohnw »

Good for CUK.
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Freddie
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by Freddie »

Without wanting to get into a long running back and forth (as per other threads), I just want to bring attention to the fact the Black Lives Matter is not just a slogan, but also a pressure/activist group that has some rather radical points of view.

Here is there website:

https://blacklivesmatter.com

Here is one of their views:

https://blacklivesmatter.com/defundthepolice/

It is rather vague, but do they really want to defund the police. Do they really want a country (or world, seeing as this is spreading beyond the USA) where there are no police? Isn't this something of a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Anyway, I think people should investigate the kind of things they believe and are calling for as a pressure group, before they assume that Black Lives Matter is nothing more than a sensible enough sounding slogan.

It is a shame Cycling UK have, completely unnecessarily, thrown their hat into the arena (I assumed they were not partisan in these matters, being a cycling advocacy group and nothing else), and have written a post that sounds somewhat (through so called positive discrimination) that they want to sideline the interests and opinions most of their membership (white men).

Will voting at the AGM be done away with, as most of the votes come from white men, and their vote may count for less than those of other groups.
Marcus Aurelius
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by Marcus Aurelius »

They seem to have allied themselves with a bunch of vandals and criminals then. Every single one of the ‘protestors’ broke the law, by gathering in a group of more than 6, contrary to the new Covid-19 related laws. As for the ones that defaced the war memorials and statues, well words fail me.
Ben@Forest
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by Ben@Forest »

robing wrote: Clearly CUK under its new leadership has a political agenda. I am cancelling my membership forthwith and urge others to do so too if you feel the same way. This could do CUK a lot of damage.


I agree they've taken an odd line, they don't need to say they support BLM to push their message of greater diversity in cycling. And if BLM or just demonstrators/hangers-on who associate themselves with BLM get involved in greater civil disobedience, vandalism or violence then they'll have some tricky backtracking to do.

I've visited various pages on their website from your link. It's ironic that their management team comprises 4 white middle-aged men and a white woman. Or maybe it isn't and they should acknowledge their core base more. Though l wasn't involved l know local cyclists were disappointed by the CTC (when it was CTC) response and action to road development and cycle provision here. They need to ensure they don't lose existing members.
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by Vorpal »

I think that having more BAME in the cycling community will only benefit the cycling community.

I also think that it's a shame after all that has happened in recent years that *this* issue would be the one that gets anyone to quit.
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al_yrpal
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by al_yrpal »

It was pretty obvious from the inception of CUK and the attempted disbandment of the CTC the way things were headed. Thats why I and many other CTC members jacked it in and withdrew our support. Politicisation like this vividly illustrate the way things are going. ie anywhere but actually supporting the cycle touring community.
Never mind, we know who we are and BAME folk are welcome to join us out on the road as individuals and always have been.

Al
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Freddie
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by Freddie »

al_yrpal wrote:Never mind, we know who we are and BAME folk are welcome to join us out on the road as individuals and always have been.
Quite. BAME people and Black Lives Matter are not one and the same. Presumably there are BAME people who do not align themselves with BLM's viewpoints or activities, so where do they fit into all this.
Ben@Forest
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by Ben@Forest »

Freddie wrote:Quite. BAME people and Black Lives Matter are not one and the same. Presumably there are BAME people who do not align themselves with BLM's viewpoints or activities, so where do they fit into all this.


They're not going to recruit Priti Patel anytime soon anyway!
pwa
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by pwa »

robing wrote:So Cycling UK have just done a statement on Black Lives Matter.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/news/black-li ... cycling-uk

They also posted this on Facebook which caused a storm, but I thought I would open it up here as many aren't on Facebook.

Why did they need to make a statement on the death of George Floyd? It has nothing to do with cycling in the UK.

Now I'm all for encouraging all minorities to get in to cycling, and fully support CUK in this. But in declaring support for BLM they have crossed a line and made it political, particularly in view of the violence against police last weekend and damage and defacing of war memorials. Clearly CUK under its new leadership has a political agenda. I am cancelling my membership forthwith and urge others to do so too if you feel the same way. This could do CUK a lot of damage.

I am not a CUK member, and I am not allied to any campaign group, but I feel your reaction is too hasty and you might be better taking a deep breath and giving it a while.

Perhaps the people at CUK are aware that cycling, as a leisure activity, has an "all white" image, which though not quite correct is not too far from the truth. And perhaps they want to make it clear they are on the side racial equality for that reason. By supporting the general movement of Black Lives Matter you do not have to support attacks on police officers, you do not have to support removal of statues, and you do not even have to support the notion of mass gatherings during the corona virus crisis. All you need to support is the idea that there is, even in the UK, racial prejudice and that it is wrong and has to end.
Freddie
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by Freddie »

Black Lives Matter support defunding the police though. How do CUK square the circle that they don't (tacitly) support illegal action, when BLM want the people who the enforce law and order, the police, to be no more.
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by PH »

Freddie wrote:Without wanting to get into a long running back and forth (as per other threads), I just want to bring attention to the fact the Black Lives Matter is not just a slogan, but also a pressure/activist group that has some rather radical points of view.

Have you seen, heard or read anything that suggests that CUK in any way shape or form has aligned itself with any more than the slogan?
PH
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by PH »

al_yrpal wrote:It was pretty obvious from the inception of CUK and the attempted disbandment of the CTC the way things were headed.
Al

Do you really believe the good old CTC wasn't political?
Ben@Forest
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by Ben@Forest »

pwa wrote:I am not a CUK member, and I am not allied to any campaign group, but I feel your reaction is too hasty and you might be better taking a deep breath and giving it a while.


Perhaps there should be a page for CUK issues where, though keeping the same forum name, only members can log in using name and membership number, that way CUK can see what members think. It might give better direction for the future?
Cyril Haearn
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Re: CUK supports BLM

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Freddie wrote:Black Lives Matter support defunding the police though. How do CUK square the circle that they don't (tacitly) support illegal action, when BLM want the people who the enforce law and order, the police, to be no more.

Defunding the police and forming a new law and order authority, something like that happened in Eastern Europe from 1989, many policepersons were released and replaced, that is quite possible
Any society needs police, traffic police especially
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