Are we ALL Racist?

[bladeplayer]

Call me Jock all ye want, doesn't phase me at all.

Call me an effing Jock bassa and I'll be giving your dentist some business.

See the difference there?

Honestly, I can't understand why anyone could be offended by that word alone. Or, is it the case that they are the sort of individuals that actively look for issues to get worked up about? Some people must struggle to cross their threshold in the morning without being offended.

It's not the words that are offensive, it is the way they are used, surely.

Exactly but thats got lost in the new politically correct world we now live in

 

[MadAdey]

I think this thread is just highlighting where the problem with discrimination is. One person finds offensive, what the next person doesn't.

I will still stand by the opinion that everyone at some point has had a racist/discriminative thought. Wether it is because someone is black, Indian, Scottish, French, old, female, fat, ginger, it does not matter. Does making a comment about someone like, stupid old woman, make you any better than someone who makes a reference to someone because of the colour of their skin?

 

[bladeplayer]

I think it proves that we can actually discuss a very emotive proberly subject when we want to

 

[Hobbit]

Does making a comment about someone like, stupid old woman, make you any better than someone who makes a reference to someone because of the colour of their skin?

Every 'crime' fits somewhere on a scale of naughty to down right evil. But playing Devil's Advocate with your question, do you equate a shop lifter to a Harold Shipman? I'd say the are naughty boys and evil boys.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Perhaps we need to go back half a lifetime to find out what 'nickname' coloured military men/women were called to fully understand where we are now.

Totally agree that it is not the words but the context that they are used.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I think this thread is just highlighting where the problem with discrimination is. One person finds offensive, what the next person doesn't.

I will still stand by the opinion that everyone at some point has had a racist/discriminative thought. Wether it is because someone is black, Indian, Scottish, French, old, female, fat, ginger, it does not matter. Does making a comment about someone like, stupid old woman, make you any better than someone who makes a reference to someone because of the colour of their skin?

I think there should be a clear line between insulting , discriminating and racism. Sometimes i believe it all gets lumped into one

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Perhaps we need to go back half a lifetime to find out what 'nickname' coloured military men/women were called to fully understand where we are now.

Totally agree that it is not the words but the context that they are used.

Coloured people were discriminated en mass because of their colour - that is racism. Whole nations and race were discriminated against

Thats why nicknames that were used in previous years are no longer accepted and rightly so.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Is the "A Blonde Moment" thread currently in the Ask the experts section acceptable?

 

[MadAdey]

Every 'crime' fits somewhere on a scale of naughty to down right evil. But playing Devil's Advocate with your question, do you equate a shop lifter to a Harold Shipman? I'd say the are naughty boys and evil boys.

the only point I was trying to make is how certain ways of discrimination are acceptable but others aren't. I am not saying that someone generalising that old women make the worst drivers are on the same level as the KKK, but it is society that decides what is acceptable and what is not. It was not that long ago that you had programs like Love Thy Neighbour on TV, you could not make programs like that now are rightly so, but as we evolve then what will become socially unacceptable next?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm not prejudice... I hate everyone.

There's been a lot in the press this week that racism is on the increase and some shock reporting saying it is getting back to 70's levels which I disagree with. Saw some old ITV sitcoms recently and was really uncomfy with the level of racism we allowed to be broadcast in the name of entertainment.

I've been guilty of it. We had a coloured lad join the office I worked at in the 80's. Asked if he played football as I ran a works team, he said yes and I instantly christened him "Fash" after John Fashanu on the base of colour alone. Fortunately he saw the funny side of it but I wouldn't dream of doing so now. With most workplaces being muli cultural these days, particularly the hospital I work in, I think it has actually made tolerance easier. There is no mystique about Islam, Muslim, east European or African culture anymore. I'm sure it is rife in places but maybe I'm fortunate that I've not seen the so called rise for myself in my own environment

 

[Smiffy]

I've lost count of the number of times I've watched one of these Police "reality" shows, the ones where you get the traffic cops chasing stolen cars, cars without tax, cars without insurance, etc. etc.
If I say to my wife "I bet they are foreign"...does that make me racist???
Because 99 times out of a 100 they turn out to be.

 

[SocketRocket]

I see a number of posts have described people as 'Coloured' This is regarded as a very racist remark, I guess the posters were not using it in that context but in habit from past times when it was seen as an acceptable phrase. Does this make it alright though?

I see there are still rising tensions in Sheffield's Page Hall area with the settlement of Roma Gypsies. It seems that many of those objecting to the way these people live are previous immigrants or second generation. Is our country really enriched by such people living here such that they only appear to use our generosity and return nothing positive. My daughter in London had her phone stolen for the third time in a year today and each time it was by Roma. Fortunately the Police had arrested them and found her phone along with many others and returned it to her. We dont want to be racist but its blooming hard sometimes.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I see a number of posts have described people as 'Coloured' This is regarded as a very racist remark, I guess the posters were not using it in that context but in habit from past times when it was seen as an acceptable phrase. Does this make it alright though?

I see there are still rising tensions in Sheffield's Page Hall area with the settlement of Roma Gypsies. It seems that many of those objecting to the way these people live are previous immigrants or second generation. Is our country really enriched by such people living here such that they only appear to use our generosity and return nothing positive. My daughter in London had her phone stolen for the third time in a year today and each time it was by Roma. Fortunately the Police had arrested them and found her phone along with many others and returned it to her. We dont want to be racist but its blooming hard sometimes.

The gypsies around here stole the slide and swings from the park ( for the metal ) and have gone around stealing the drainage covers for the metal

Still stuff from kids parks !!? It's just a disgrace and nothing will be done

Leighton and Hemel etc is surrounded by them - add nothing to the community

 

[MadAdey]

I see a number of posts have described people as 'Coloured' This is regarded as a very racist remark, I guess the posters were not using it in that context but in habit from past times when it was seen as an acceptable phrase. Does this make it alright though?

its a good point SR. My brothers misses hates being called coloured. Her own words go along the lines of this, she is closer to black than white and I am closer to white than black, so she is black and I'm white, but we are both coloured.........

 

[Papas1982]

its a good point SR. My brothers misses hates being called coloured. Her own words go along the lines of this, she is closer to black than white and I am closer to white than black, so she is black and I'm white, but we are both coloured.........

I like that, i don't think anybody means offence by it. People just think it's a safe phrase and are scared what to say.

 

[stevelev]

I never have such thoughts. I never make a judgement of someone based on the colour of their skin, it's that simple.

Not even a red indian.......I'd think he was a little warm

 

[Tashyboy]

I like that, i don't think anybody means offence by it. People just think it's a safe phrase and are scared what to say.

When me and my wife went through the adoption process we were asked if we had any black,mixed race friends. My wife working in the NHS had too many to mention, me I told the social worker I had one coloured friend who worked in the coal mine.She tripped out. I did not have a clue what she was on about and told me in so many words she was insulted to be called coloured. It was not a high priority of mine to ask my one black mate if he wanted to be called coloured or black. his name Jez just seemed to be the most important thing.

a couple of weeks later I went to a wedding and asked a guy called Bing of Zimbabwe origin if he is black or coloured or both. He said he is not bothered what he is called but it is the way in which both words can be said that matters. To say that my head was and still is spinning is an understatement. He went on to ask why the question.

So even if the topic is called are we all rascist, sometimes we can be inadvertently construed as rascist just by saying the wrong word at the wrong time and not just by thinking rascist thoughts.

 

[SaintHacker]

coloured friend.

Surely the word friend is the important one in that conversation?

 

[Papas1982]

When me and my wife went through the adoption process we were asked if we had any black,mixed race friends. My wife working in the NHS had too many to mention, me I told the social worker I had one coloured friend who worked in the coal mine.She tripped out. I did not have a clue what she was on about and told me in so many words she was insulted to be called coloured. It was not a high priority of mine to ask my one black mate if he wanted to be called coloured or black. his name Jez just seemed to be the most important thing.

a couple of weeks later I went to a wedding and asked a guy called Bing of Zimbabwe origin if he is black or coloured or both. He said he is not bothered what he is called but it is the way in which both words can be said that matters. To say that my head was and still is spinning is an understatement. He went on to ask why the question.

So even if the topic is called are we all rascist, sometimes we can be inadvertently construed as rascist just by saying the wrong word at the wrong time and not just by thinking rascist thoughts.

I agree, back in 95 I visited family in South Africa. Unfortunately at that time racism was still rife there. I got to meet a family friend peter. He was 6 I was 12. Found out after a week he was my uncle (granddad did well lol). Anyways he was also black but granddad hadn't told the rest of family for fear of being disowned. To this day, I still chuckle more atmy reaction to being older than his skin colour. We nicknamed him Brussel as he was a dead ringer for me and my nickname was sprout (shot up quickly).

 

[Tashyboy]

I did mention that it was when me and Missis tash went through the adoption process, it was not just race that was an issue but sexism, religion, homo sexuality, etc etc. the nights me and Missis tash used to go to bed with our flippin heads spinning.

we found out that some social workers are not of this planet, but some of the older ones who had not been brainwashed really were salt of the earth.