My ex-partner's friends' son, down in Bristol, got deliberately run over by racist thugs. Almost died.
Another black friend had his partner reported as 'suspicious' when he was parked in a rural layby going through some paperwork, while out selling double glazing. Police arrived at his house, giving him a heart attack thinking there had been an accident.
A Namibian friend told me her mixed race daughter didn't want to play with her black dollies because they were 'ugly'. Next time you're looking at kid's books, see how many dark skinned 'Disney Princesses' you can find....
Racism can come in the forms of overt violence, implicit bias, and even internalised racism/self loathing.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
John Barnes (one of my favourites too @Bee witched) is right ... while we keep treating racism as the domain of mindless football thugs and 'nothing to do with us' it will continue to permeate society.
Those 'mindless football thugs' live in and are part of the rest of society ... they don't live in a ghetto somewhere ... some of us know who they are, but they're 'nice blokes down the pub' or in the office or on the building site or wherever ... their abhorrent views don't really affect us ... and we're polite aren't we ... so we look the other way if they say anything racist don't we ... don't want to make a fuss or cause a scene ... do we?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Yes, it needed education years back. I think you posted on the thread where they were talking about abused children being a product of their upbringing (did you? Apologies if not - I am senile and mis-remember things). The racists are just the same. It (racism) was endemic within environments because of the initial settling patterns of the post war immigrations. I don't think I'm racist - but I've lived all my life in the SE which is predominantly white. Would I feel the same had I spent all my formative life in a different area? It's been easy for me to NOT be 'ist' as the isms haven't affected me. I have had a job all my life, I have had enough money, I've had my own house in a 'nice' area (what then makes a 'not nice' area apart from some 'ism' - as aren't we all the same?.. so it's obviously not the people is it!). Would I feel the same if I was the only white face in the street and was unemployed? I honestly don't know. I'd like to think I wouldn't be a hypocrite, but I'm not so sure.
But now there isn't an adult anywhere in the UK who can say they don't know racism is wrong - so prosecute the b'stards you talk of and use the law. Take the number plate, call the police and trace the people who didn't pay. If the law doesn't want to uphold the law, then vote the government out as it's ultimately their responsibility to make sure the law is enforced. If blatant racism isn't put down, knee taking is totally pointless.
We talk here about what the Gov did wrong or what Boris wrote in an article (where I think I recall he supported the right of the people to wear what they liked) and only a few times has the xenophobic nature of Brexit been brought up. Johnny Foreigner is still a major fear in the UK - I would bang on about pay and importing cheap labour being a power/money thing - much the same as importing goods made abroad where the people making the goods are paid a pittance - but won't! This page purposely left blank.
This is not a British problem, it is a world problem, [although my example is British.]
When I was the boss of our ICU, I had to approach the father of a lad who was brain dead, to ask about organ donation. He readily agreed, with the proviso that the organs must not go to a black person. I was almost unable to speak, but managed to somehow get out, that organs were only ever given on the basis of need. Subsequently he went to the press, where not all of the comments were favourable in my direction.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
@Loxley I have been trying to find birthday cards depicting little black girls (and boys) for the last 14 years.I flatly refuse to send my grandaughter any card with a little blue eyed white blonde depicted. I tried to get answers from these large greetings card outlets,with no replies. They to me, are one of the worst offenders.
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
Bigotry is an easy, lazy way to get all the bile and hatred out, without going to the trouble to use the brain to address the problem rationally. It feels good, unfortunately. I expect that surrounded by a baying mob, already letting it out with full force, a lot of people would succumb. This isn’t excusing it in any way. It’s just that people are just another species of ruthless animal, under the veneer of civilisation. Im sure that instantly calling out racism will minimise it, hopefully more than seems possible at the moment. However, our friends that regularly go to see football say there is unbelievably vile stuff shouted routinely by many, on all subjects, and about all people. Really, it would be a surprise if there wasn’t racism in the mix. That thin veneer of civilisation is a delicate and fragile thing, which needs constant bolstering to keep it in place. Im going to sign the petition, because it’s the right thing to do.
Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.
I'm not sure about that. People write about what they know. If I wrote a song, a book, a play it would be about what I know. I have no - or should I say limited - experience of black life or obviously of being black. Conversely, I would have though a black person would express what they knew and I would not see them writing about black experience and life as being ist in anyway.
I also hate it when anyone says...there aren't any... blah... good parts for older men/women - that's because people don't write it. If you don't like that - write the parts. If you don't think there are enough male/female/gay/black/white choirs or MPs or .. then the answer is to create more. Not leave it up to someone else and when they go for what they know and that isn't what you want, then complain. IF however there are those books, plays, songs etc being written but not published - why? Commercialism? Will they sell? Or is it another ism stopping it? Not sure. If it is discrimination (and how you separate discrimination from commercialism I don't know) and it can be proved than it needs to be brought before the law. BUT don't go down the positive discrimination route - as that is just discrimination.
As for ...
'...The Respect campaign seemed targeted at bad behaviour within football (players, fans, parents at after-school football clubs etc), including but not specifically relating
to racism. It was an FA initiative, whereas taking the knee seems to
have originated from black players (and their team mates) themselves.
Taking the knee is more focussed on racism and takes it beyond the
issues directly related to football....'
That is my point. Respect was in football to engender respect within the game. It was focused, it was omni-present. It had no effect whatsoever IMO - I still saw thuggish footballers hurl abuse at people just doing their job - and at each other just to gain an advantage. Listen to Terry's 'excuse' in the court case. Footballers are an odd breed - they love cheats. 'Taking one for the team' is commonly used when players deliberately foul each other. They will purposely kick each other, spit at each other, grab parts you don't want grabbed, even bite each other. Just to gain an advantage. Within that environment, if respect has had no effect .. if a specific gesture made to a specific group has limited or no effect, why do you think a gesture 'of support' to 'the world' will have? What effect are you expecting to see? Do you not think every adult in this country is aware of racism and was before the 'knee' started?
Hope you found the few black owned online companies that sell suitable cards @Valley Gardener people really don't understand that representation matters even on a card.
I feel very uneasy about saying that a preponderance of white dollies or birthday cards is evidence of racism. For several thousand years what we now call Britain was almost entirely white. In many areas, like where I live it still is. There is bound to be a time lag while we catch up with multiculturalism . We hear similar complaints about TV roles, politicians, CEO's, the judiciary and of course we have to change, but it takes time. We have to work away at all discrimination but it never happens overnight. I wonder, too, if you or I were to travel the world would we find open-minded multiculturalism and opportunity in the Middle East or SubSaharan Africa, or Japan? The world changes slowly: we should certainly fight prejudice but agonizing over a birthday card is just too much for me. Send a picture of a puppy or a pony or a balloon and focus on the issues of mindless abuse.
Three black English players missed penalties and they're abused on the grounds of race.
Just supposing that those three players had scored, but Jordan Pickford (English goalkeeper) had let in three Italian goals .......... what sort of abuse would have been aimed at him ... or would he have performed well in a difficult situation?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
Another black friend had his partner reported as 'suspicious' when he was parked in a rural layby going through some paperwork, while out selling double glazing. Police arrived at his house, giving him a heart attack thinking there had been an accident.
A Namibian friend told me her mixed race daughter didn't want to play with her black dollies because they were 'ugly'. Next time you're looking at kid's books, see how many dark skinned 'Disney Princesses' you can find....
Racism can come in the forms of overt violence, implicit bias, and even internalised racism/self loathing.
Those 'mindless football thugs' live in and are part of the rest of society ... they don't live in a ghetto somewhere ... some of us know who they are, but they're 'nice blokes down the pub' or in the office or on the building site or wherever ... their abhorrent views don't really affect us ... and we're polite aren't we ... so we look the other way if they say anything racist don't we ... don't want to make a fuss or cause a scene ... do we?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
When I was the boss of our ICU, I had to approach the father of a lad who was brain dead, to ask about organ donation. He readily agreed, with the proviso that the organs must not go to a black person.
I was almost unable to speak, but managed to somehow get out, that organs were only ever given on the basis of need.
Subsequently he went to the press, where not all of the comments were favourable in my direction.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
I have been trying to find birthday cards depicting little black girls (and boys) for the last 14 years.I flatly refuse to send my grandaughter any card with a little blue eyed white blonde depicted. I tried to get answers from these large greetings card outlets,with no replies. They to me, are one of the worst offenders.
I wonder, too, if you or I were to travel the world would we find open-minded multiculturalism and opportunity in the Middle East or SubSaharan Africa, or Japan? The world changes slowly: we should certainly fight prejudice but agonizing over a birthday card is just too much for me. Send a picture of a puppy or a pony or a balloon and focus on the issues of mindless abuse.
Just supposing that those three players had scored, but Jordan Pickford (English goalkeeper) had let in three Italian goals .......... what sort of abuse would have been aimed at him ... or would he have performed well in a difficult situation?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.