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There's been a lot of whataboutery and false equivalence going on in the discussion regarding the singing of an offensive chant by some away supporters at Burnley last weekend. Suggesting that the chant should not be sung at the London Olympic Stadium this afternoon, or thereafter, is clearly not suggesting that everyone should do nothing more than sit quietly and clap when we score.The chant does not explicitly reference the current conflict and genocide, but it does implicitly. Everyone knows that Manor Solomon is Israeli, and everyone knows that he has made social media posts about the conflict that have been controversial. Everyone also knows what it means to "read between the lines". There is an implied reference. The analogies aren't perfect, but chants about a German player hating the Jews or Poland, or a chant about a Russian player hating Ukraine (or vice versa in any of those examples) would have obvious implications. The Pablo Fornals and Lucas Paqueta chants were both clearly light-hearted and not meant to be taken seriously. Both were in praise of the players and neither made any kind of reference to any other group or individual. It obviously isn't true that every West Ham fan just sold their car to Lucas Paqueta; it doesn't matter whether Pablo Fornals actually likes to eat paella and drink Estrella. Sure, if you want to pick hairs, you could say the latter is vague cultural appropriation. Yet neither can be compared with the Solomon chant in any meaningful way. Songs about Arsene Wenger being a paedophile, women taking it up the arse, people being pikies and so on are offensive to many, and if you were to report someone for singing such a chant, the club would be obliged to act. They are clear in their messaging that all offensive chanting is prohibited and that supporters who engage in such chanting can expect to be sanctioned. But again, these chants cannot be meaningfully compared with a chant that (implicitly) references an ongoing conflict and genocide. Much more meaningful comparisons would be with chants about Munich, Hillsborough and running around Tottenham because, like the Solomon chant, they reference and make fun of horrific events in which people suffered and lost their lives, hence they provoke far stronger reactions if and when they are heard. It also has to be acknowledged, whether we like it or not, that in the days of social media and round-the-clock media coverage, the club needs to be increasingly aware of its image and reputation. Therefore they need to act more swiftly than they might have in the past if there is risk of damage to said reputation. That's part of life these days, and no amount of bemoaning it online (which is somewhat ironic) will change that. Finally, taking another club's chant and using/rewording it as your own - Leeds United's, in this instance - is what other supporters do to us. We're West Ham, we're better than that. * Like to share your thoughts on this article? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment. * Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the highlighted author/s and do not necessarily represent or reflect the official policy or position of KUMB.com.