Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

"**** you, I'm Millwall": The Curious Case of Mr. Roy Larner

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • "**** you, I'm Millwall": The Curious Case of Mr. Roy Larner



    As you may recall, during the London Bridge attacks a while back, three terrorists ran into a restaurant with knives and started stabbing at random. Our news (on this side of the pond) tends not to mention that they met resistance in the form of a 47-year-old soccer fan named Roy Larner. Mr. Larner had had five beers, so when the men came in waving knives and yelling about Allah, his first thought was (as he puts it) "all right, somebody needs to take the piss out of these bastards." So he stood up, screamed "**** you, I'm Millwall"--the name of his favored soccer team--and went at the three of them barehanded. This kept them occupied for some time, and earned Mr. Larner eight separate knife wounds. Eventually the terrorists grew frustrated and left the restaurant, and Larner followed them out, bleeding profusely. He probably would have continued punching jihadis until they killed him if the police hadn't shot all three as soon as they got out the door. Only then did Larner notice he was in really bad shape. He was rushed to the hospital, and (remarkably) survived.

    This was not exactly international jihad's proudest moment, getting whooped by an unarmed, drunk, middle-aged man when they had him three to one. Larner has earned the nickname "the Lion of London Bridge," and there were calls for him to receive the George Cross, although judging by interviews with friends and family he did what he did mostly because he was drunk and temperamentally incapable of backing down from a fight. He still undoubtedly saved lives by distracting the terrorists for so long.

    But then: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...idge-attackers

    Turns out the Lion is a virulently racist right-winger who screamed at protesters, identified with extremists and spit on a black photographer a few weeks before the attack. So, does he still deserve the medal? It might depend on whether you think of the medal purely in terms of the isolated act it recognizes, or as a recognition of the individual as a representative of his country at its best. Maybe he's heroic in the same way Winston Churchill was: sure, he had awful beliefs, but he still did what was needed, when it was needed. Is it okay for modern heroes to be *******s?
    1011 1100
    Pyrebound--a free online serial fantasy novel

  • #2
    If he saved lives indeed I would have no prob with him getting a medal for this. It wouldn't stop me from calling him a racist SOB if he is one indeed, and when I feel that this would be worth my time (which I'm not sure about atm)
    Blah

    Comment


    • #3
      Honoring him for his act seems reasonable. But the problem with celebrity in general is that we pretend being noteworthy/admirable in one dimension makes a person noteworthy/admirable in others. There's clearly no reason why that should be the case, and we'd do well to keep that in mind.
      Click here if you're having trouble sleeping.
      "We confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no large ones." - François de La Rochefoucauld

      Comment


      • #4
        This is a good example as to how society changes. In medieval times, he'd be a celebrated hero for the *virtues* of getting piss drunk and not backing down in a fight against greater odds. He'd be considered valorous.

        I don't see why he hasn't earned the George's Cross considering what it represents. It's not an award for diplomacy.

        Also 8 knife wounds and still standing? I would think you'd have to be under the influence to sustain those wounds and keep fighting.
        Scouse Git (2) La Fayette Adam Smith Solomwi and Loinburger will not be forgotten.
        "Remember the night we broke the windows in this old house? This is what I wished for..."
        2015 APOLYTON FANTASY FOOTBALL CHAMPION!

        Comment


        • #5
          Medals should be awarded for motive as well as action. It would appear he was up for a drunken fight given his self-described "**** you, I'm Millwall!" [a team noted for hooliganism, racism and violence] whilst drunk, and not particularly minded to save lives in an act of selfless heroism.
          One day Canada will rule the world, and then we'll all be sorry.

          Comment


          • #6
            Was not aware of that subtext. This would explain why the George Cross campaign came to nought, I suppose?
            1011 1100
            Pyrebound--a free online serial fantasy novel

            Comment


            • #7
              I'll toss a fiver into his GoFundMe.
              No, I did not steal that from somebody on Something Awful.

              Comment


              • #8
                Yes, he should get the medal. I would have done the same thing as he did with or without beers in me. And I am ****ed up in all sorts of ways... some people would protest that a legally insane, devil-worshiping gangster like me to be honored, even if I did save dozens of lives. That's just the world we live in. But I would not defend people from killers to get medals, money, or even fame. I am a dead man walking anyways, might as well do what I think is right before I go. I'm not afraid.
                Order of the Fly
                Those that cannot curse, cannot heal.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Elok View Post
                  Was not aware of that subtext. This would explain why the George Cross campaign came to nought, I suppose?
                  Videos like this wouldn't help either....

                  Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.
                  One day Canada will rule the world, and then we'll all be sorry.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Medals are occasionally stripped from people for actions that bring the medal into disrepute. It's generally an implicit requirement that the recipient of a medal is a fairly good role model.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Dauphin View Post

                      Videos like this wouldn't help either....

                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ogfKr1jFsw
                      That video is pretty weird. I know the guy apparently is a nutcase, but what I see is a mob that suddenly verbally attacks a person walking his dogs - at one point it even get to a physical attack. Yes, there is a lot of word exchange, but I wouldn't call this one of the proudest moments of anti racist activity.

                      maybe I miss what happend before the video.
                      With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

                      Steven Weinberg

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        He started the whole thing off by him spitting at the (black) photographer, telling him to "**** off to your own country cos ****s like you stink of ****".

                        He also repeatedly stated "National Front", a right wing fascist party (incidentally with historical connections/membership amongst Millwall fans)
                        One day Canada will rule the world, and then we'll all be sorry.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          And I agree, the anti-racist group weren't showered with glory either.
                          One day Canada will rule the world, and then we'll all be sorry.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Dauphin View Post
                            He started the whole thing off by him spitting at the (black) photographer, telling him to "**** off to your own country cos ****s like you stink of ****".
                            Ah, that's the part I missed.
                            With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.

                            Steven Weinberg

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Dauphin View Post
                              He started the whole thing off by him spitting at the (black) photographer, telling him to "**** off to your own country cos ****s like you stink of ****".

                              He also repeatedly stated "National Front", a right wing fascist party (incidentally with historical connections/membership amongst Millwall fans)
                              I found it impossible to discern anything he said from that. It was all bleeps.

                              Now, we all know over here what Millwall means, and it may well be the case that this bloke is not exactly a model citizen, but there's something off about the way his alleged character is more important than the fact that he almost certainly saved many lives that feels ....well, a bit off.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X