I could weep

[hc4361]

What has happened to cause these disturbances amongst colour, creed and race in the UK?
I was born in 1961 in a multi cultural society (although I didn't realise that until many years later). I was at junior school with Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, Irish, Afro Caribbean and a few Jews. Yes, the Irish have their place in this list as times weren't particularly easy for them.

What a great time we all had! Yes, some children had to interpret for their parents when I went for tea, some of my friends took the ham out of their sandwiches when they came for tea at my house. I distinctly remember Boy Scouts having a range of colour and creeds whilst I was a member. I remember some pupils leaving assembly during prayers to attend their own prayers for 5 minutes. I remember with deep embarrassment my mother making a hugely embarrassing comment about my Jamaican friend's hair, but I know she didn't mean any offence.

I remember it wasn't all sunshine. A friend of mine was pushed off her swing and called a black b***, but we played together, Patrick, Ali, Paul Cowen and me. My parents occasionally made the sort of comments you may hear Alf Garnet say but my siblings and I took great offence!

This Islam extremism distresses me. I cannot relate it to my childhood friends, nor their parents. I cannot relate it to any Muslim I know, but it scares me. I try hard to make sure it doesn't make me regard Muslims in a different light but the fact I have to try makes me uncomfortable.
I went through much the same thing when the IRA was bombing British cities.

Does anyone else in my age group feel the same way?

[jno]

it sounds as if you're trusting what you read in the papers ahead of the evidence of your own eyes. Why this lack of confidence in your own experience? Do you really think the handful of cases the media blow up is somehow more representative of the UK than what you actually see every day?

(To suggest a parallel: you're rather more likely to be killed in a car accident than in a terror attack - but does this stop you driving, or make you fear every other driver on the road is out to get you?)

[Count-A-Strong]

I was born in 62 in an almost 100% White either Christian or Catholic environment and was educated in a 100% White C of E junior school and Middle school followed by an 80% White Comp and I feel just the same. Strange huh?

[Answerprancer]

Totally agree with what JNO just said, I have spent (and still do spend) lots of time with people from Islamic backgrounds and all have been perfectly friendly and pleasant company.

[Count-A-Strong]

Oh, and the IRA exploded a coach full of British servicemen on the M62 at the bottom of our school playing fields. Go figure......

[237SJ]

i agree with jno. I think (in my opinion) that you are reading too much into the opinions of the media and not forming enough opinions of your own from your own experiences of life. You are not getting a realistic idea of the way the world is in the UK and elsewhere.

[Answerprancer]

I wonder how long it will be before "certain posters" try to capitalise on what you've just said hc.

[ummmm]

As it's in S&C hc might be spared from them.

I was also raised surrounded mainly by white people.....but I don't think I mis-trust anyone.

[hc4361]

I do listen to community radio stations, get involved with local community and listen to youngsters.
I do have friends from a lot of different ethnic backgrounds and many are as distressed as me at the apparent conflicts within the community.
The local Sikh temple was held to hostage for 6 hours last weekend, with riot police and rampaging by fellow Sikhs.

I want us all to get along with mutual respect, but that goal seems to be getting further away instead of nearer.

Thankfully I do have friends from different faiths, and no faith but those who live insular lives must be struggling to keep a balanced view.

[craft1948]

I'm still surrounded by mostly white people.............

[ummmm]

So am I Craft.....but it doesn't make me suspicious of other races.

hc embraced the diversity of it...

A few seem resentful of it...

[rosewhite]

If the debate here is that Islam breeds shoe bombers and terrorists then I think you should be watching Jeremy Kyle

[ummmm]

Why? To see what the UK is breeding....

[rosewhite]

Well, No. And also yes. What do you think?

[hc4361]

I'll give Jeremy Kyle a miss, thank you very much. If it were within my remit to do so I would ban that programme.
No different to the toffs paying a penny to see the lunatics in Bedlam during Victorian times.

[rosewhite]

Very interesting point. Did you know Bedlam was the nickname for Bethlam Hospital? No? Thought not. Maybe if you watched Jeremy Kyle once in a while you'd actually learn something.

[askyourgran]

I grew up in the 40/50s and was married in the 60's. There were no coloured children at our schools then, it was the Jewish people who were the strangers, and the adults treated them with some suspicion. And the Catholics were also given a cold shoulder, the nuns used to knock at the Irish Catholics house on Fridays and they would have to give them money. I had friends both Catholic and Jewish.as children we did not see the distrust that adults did On the other hand my granddaughter has a lot of friends of different nationalities. She has grown up with them, attending schools with them and I imagine that she would feel the same as you do. I'm sorry it distresses you hc, As an adult now I see the invasion of all these foreign people as a threat to the stability of my home and the things I have worked for. They have brought with them an alien culture, terrorism and medieval punishments. The Sharia law appals me, and I hope it is never made legal here. It seems to be a mockery to all that my father fought for.

[craft1948]

Thinking of lasting long rosewhite?

[ummmm]

I was just thinking that Craft....

[starone]

When I was young there were no black people here. There was one mixed race boy who did not appear to have a father. Now this is how it goes - first house, two Sikh ladies, next door a family from the Congo, then me, next door up is a chap (aged 80) originally from Jamaica married to a white lady. We all live in perfect harmony and no bother at all. Pity a few others can't do this. People are people, whatever the colour of their skin.

[starone]

Don't need to watch Jeremy Kyle to know that rosewhite. And I think you will find that it was Bethlehem Hospital not Bethlam.