Rangers supporters can be furious about the idea of driving under the influence and still recognise a basic point: social media isn’t a courtroom. You don’t need to defend anyone to say “hold on, let’s wait for the actual charges and the sheriff court.” That’s not soft. It’s just sensible.
Condemn the act, not guess the case
There’s no “positive spin” on driving under the influence. None. If someone’s guilty of that, they should face serious consequences, starting with losing the right to drive. That’s the bit that matters in the real world, not the rush to decide someone’s career and character off a headline and a pile-on.
And that’s where a lot of the online noise goes wrong. Folk jump straight to “kick him out the club” before the full details are even known. Charges being discussed as if they’re confirmed, punishment being demanded before a case has even been heard. It’s trial by post, and it never leads anywhere good.
Real life doesn’t work like a comment section
The truth is, people who’ve actually been on the receiving end of this stuff often think about it differently. Wanting someone banned from driving, wanting proper restrictions, wanting the court to impose a punishment that protects others. That’s not letting anyone off. That’s wanting the right sanction for the right reason.
Courts exist for a reason. You might disagree with the outcome, you might think a ban isn’t long enough, but the system is there to weigh it properly. And after it’s decided, you get on with your life. They get on with theirs. That’s how it works, whether the offender is a stranger or a footballer.
Double standards and the red tops
It’s also hard to ignore the hypocrisy that creeps in. Some of the loudest moral lectures come from posters who’ve excused far worse in football history, or even admitted their own past behaviour with drink or drugs. That doesn’t mean you can’t criticise, but it does mean a bit of humility wouldn’t go amiss.
Then there’s the papers. If you don’t trust the red tops, you’re not alone. “A source said” is not the same as an official statement, and it shouldn’t be treated like one. Until it’s in front of the sheriff and the facts are clear, all we’ve got is noise.
The club will take whatever line they think is right. Support the player or don’t, that’s up to each fan. But at the very least, we can wait for the court appearance and deal in facts rather than outrage.
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