Where are your lines for 'ordinary people's lives' - what is ordinary? £30k? £40k? £120k? £500k? £1m. And class is only a money-time construct isn't it? It has always been, will always be - as someone always has more money-power than someone else. That can never change as long as human nature doesn't. Isn't that what the failed experiment with Communism showed? But we encourage class - the goal in life appears to be to earn more doesn't it? You go to Uni to earn more. You train to earn more. The goal, in general, is class.
'...The problem with the royal aide was that she had absolutely no idea of
how her questions appeared to the woman she was talking to. ....'
Maybe you listened to the woman on the radio this morning, but once she felt threatened (or felt her Britishness was being challenged) why answer in a way that leads to more of the question rather than deflecting the question? '...I am proudly of African heritage - but I'm not here to talk about that, that is irrelevant, I'm here today to talk about ...did you know one in x women are abused by their partners?....' or whatever?This went on for 5 minutes apparently. How long before she realised what she was being asked? You can't say the woman didn't think about what was happening - listen to the interview - she was thinking about this...thinking about what she was being asked - so she decided how then to answer. 5 minutes in a conversation is an age.
What I'd really like to know is why the question was being asked? What was the follow up going to be? "Oh my family used to own people from that region"? People are saying that Fulani should have just answered the question like a good little peasant but why wasn't it the LiW's place to explain her interest when the question wasn't well received? Racism might be questionable but it seems like extremely bad manners either way.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Might it just be possible that the L in W was genuinely interested in where the woman or her family was from ie which country they left to make their home here? Different people have different ways of asking or expressing themselves. Clearly the woman thought the L in W was being racist - what else? I could say, well she would wouldn't she but wont.
Isn't it equality 'ist' ie ageist to assume that because an 83 year old woman asks a straight question isn't mentally astute or acute or perhaps lacking in mental prowess?
The truth of the matter is none of us were there to be able to make our minds up whether or not the questions were racist and we can't possibly assume that asking a black person where they are from is associated with why are you here, go home.
As someone said up thread, the woman has got her publicity for her charity.
People ask me where I'm from all the time. They assume, wrongly, that I'm English but then, in my 31 years living over here, it's a rare French or Belgian person who understands about there being 4 nationalities in Britain and that Brits may be a mixture of those and/or born abroad which makes one British.
I'd have thought that after 60 years as a lady in waiting she'd have better topics of conversation designed to put people at ease in such gatherings. I doubt she was being racist, just insensitive. The fact that she was so inept speaks to a lack of awareness and training in the royal household so there needs to be an overhaul given the melting pot that is modern Britain. People should be appreciated for what they do, not pigeon-holed because of where they're from or who their people were.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I agree that the woman was ill-mannered to pursue her line of questioning but if I went to the Whitehouse wearing a kilt, a traditional Welsh hat or dressed as a pearly queen, I would expect my heritage to pop up in conversation at some stage. What the woman wore was, at least, a hint at her African heritage. I think the real shame is the wasted opportunity to discuss the abuse of women and children.
I saw the headlines and must admit l thought that at first this was someone "looking to be offended". Nothing to do with the colour of skin etc. I'm sure most of us know of someone who would take offence at a question such as "Isn't it a lovely day ?". However when l read further l must admit l was appalled at the line of questioning, particularly from someone who was a lady in waiting to The Queen and must have seen the way she behaved on these occasions many times. I make no excuses for her, but l do wonder if it's an example of the onset of dementia. My Mum would come out with all sorts of direct comments and use swear words that l didn't even know she was aware of.We knew the reason for it, but it could be very hurtful at times.
The fact remains that we are all human with quirks and foibles, some endearing and some downright offensive. I would imagine "Lessons have been learnt".
Getting old is a PITA. As was ever thus, the trouble is it's not until we get there that we realise it and that our knowledge and life experience is irrelevant. "Old people" are just a generation cluttering up the place. And then one day, that includes you.
I agree that the woman was ill-mannered to pursue her line of questioning but if I went to the Whitehouse wearing a kilt, a traditional Welsh hat or dressed as a pearly queen, I would expect my heritage to pop up in conversation at some stage. What the woman wore was, at least, a hint at her African heritage. I think the real shame is the wasted opportunity to discuss the abuse of women and children.
Scottish people don't grow up being told to go back where they came from though.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Posts
Isn't it equality 'ist' ie ageist to assume that because an 83 year old woman asks a straight question isn't mentally astute or acute or perhaps lacking in mental prowess?
The truth of the matter is none of us were there to be able to make our minds up whether or not the questions were racist and we can't possibly assume that asking a black person where they are from is associated with why are you here, go home.
As someone said up thread, the woman has got her publicity for her charity.
I'd have thought that after 60 years as a lady in waiting she'd have better topics of conversation designed to put people at ease in such gatherings. I doubt she was being racist, just insensitive. The fact that she was so inept speaks to a lack of awareness and training in the royal household so there needs to be an overhaul given the melting pot that is modern Britain. People should be appreciated for what they do, not pigeon-holed because of where they're from or who their people were.
I think the real shame is the wasted opportunity to discuss the abuse of women and children.
However when l read further l must admit l was appalled at the line of questioning, particularly from someone who was a lady in waiting to The Queen and must have seen the way she behaved on these occasions many times.
I make no excuses for her, but l do wonder if it's an example of the onset of dementia. My Mum would come out with all sorts of direct comments and use swear words that l didn't even know she was aware of.We knew the reason for it, but it could be very hurtful at times.
l see that Ms Fulani has rebuffed the theory that it is connected to age.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63819482
The fact remains that we are all human with quirks and foibles, some endearing and some downright offensive. I would imagine "Lessons have been learnt".
Getting old is a PITA. As was ever thus, the trouble is it's not until we get there that we realise it and that our knowledge and life experience is irrelevant. "Old people" are just a generation cluttering up the place.
And then one day, that includes you.
Scottish people don't grow up being told to go back where they came from though.