About 15 years ago I was at a civic "do" and talking to a businessman who had emigrated from Asia about employment in Croydon. I mentioned that although South London was becoming equal opportunity there were distinct problems that needed to be resolved if you went 20 miles south. Up to this point we had been talking as friends but the temperature suddenly cooled. I had cast him as "other". If you think that being anti-racist is not racist then think again. You can only escape racism by treating other people as individuals. Are those who pose as against racism by being anti-racist largely postmarxist drones trying to create division and tension?
'Are those who pose as against racism by being anti-racist largely postmarxist drones trying to create division and tension?'
Racism is a fact of life, and black on black racism is worse, and more prevalent than any other! It is such a shame we even have to consider the subject, and yes, I think you are right, SOME people are using the racist card to their advantage, whatever the agenda may be.
Its a shame we are not all colour blind because difference is more about culture than race. We are all the same colour under our skins, and we all have the same human rights.
Jake - statements like that are also part of the problem, working on the assumption that you are unquestionably correct and brooking no dialogue whatsoever, rather than trying to win people over by cogent argument.
To talk about immigration, as the Wallace and Gromet character admitted at the weekend, is not racist, but for years we have been tarred with that epithet every time we attempt to do so. Things like this are all too endemic and cloud real issues with the stigma of racism. Those who jump down your throat for even trying to do so, the anti-racists if youwill, are every bit as bigoted and intolerant as the real racists, (those who discriminate on the colour of one's skin).
Jake, if you'd written your post about driving a few years ago, I'd have agreed with you. In my drinking lifetime, drink driving became socially unacceptable.
But it's back. several of my daughter's friends do it and are not shy in letting others know. so far as they are concerned, those who can't handle their motors after a drinking session are "f**king losers".
Problem is - for a good few years, the only people who openly talked about immigration genuinely were racists (from the National Front, to the splinter groups of the 80s and now the BNP).
Oh, and before someone says, "But the BNP are only standing up for the rights of white Britons", I urge you to check out posts on their Facebook page and challenge you to read any thread without exclaiming 'Yikes!!!'.
So unfortunately the debate about immigration has been hijacked and framed in such a way that it's now like two very loud people screaming at each other in a room, with twenty people with quiet voices trying to but in. And if any one of those are heard, they HAVE to be on one side or the other (according to the two loudmouths).
Second brilliant analogy of the day. I'm on FIRE!!!
sp1914, I take your point, and I have no desire to visit the BNP page thanks. However, for years all debate on anything remotely contentious has been stifled by using the racism/bgiotry slur, rather than actually listen to the points the person might be making. I've encountered it in work just for daring to have an opinion on immigration.
It seems the thought police are after contributors to the Twitter website who posted derogatory comments on the two players who missed penalties last night. It happens both the players were black. Gawd help us!
I also believe the odious BNP would have a lot less supporters if the whole issue hadn't been so muddied in the first place. Young poorly educated white people felt that they didn't have a voice because the major partiies either chose not to discuss the issue or were afraid to.
I have suffered discrimination for being white, not right, fair and so on.
I tried to brush it off, but it was a disturbingly unpleasant time, this was here in London
This country has been telling people what to think, feel for so long we no longer know whether we are coming or going.
I confess i read through the post several times and lost my marbles.
When in the NHS we had Diversity and equality training which tried to eradicate discrimination out of the NHS. But the thing I had a problem with was it told you what was 'good' thinking and what was 'bad' thinking which I felt was very 1984 ish. Especially in an organisation that discriminated due to age I.e. Under 65 you go to a general ward. Over 65 you may go to a care of the elderly ward.
gavmap exactly, this country has been trying too hard at being Mr nice guy, telling us all how things will be, without realising that not all people are the same, and that we don't all believe in the same things. I don't care for prejudice in any form, but i have suffered it in too many ways, for being a woman for one, sexism in the workplace has long gone on, then wage inequalities, and having to fight your corner in a male dominated society.