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Racism - what is it ?

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whiffey | 20:13 Thu 24th May 2007 | News
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Channel 4 are having to apologise about 'racism' on Big Brother. This country has gone barking mad. I really believe we (who is we?) will not be happy until we have an entirely Black, muslim, gay, government and have legislated anything vaguely White out of existence.

So what is racism ? It is reported tonight that there is a rising incidence of 'racism' in Britain, especially in the North. What it indicates is that white and black and purple people sometimes do not like each other. It's very simple - but why ? Aren't we all the same underneath our skin ?

Again, the truth is that we are not. Racism - which I redefine as a dislike of one culture for another - is never never going to go away, unless we get an Islamic state (I give it 50 years) when it will then be ok to behead all infidels and execute all gays, oh and what a wonderful world it will be.
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Well racism is any form of prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of race. Big Brother is quite a trivial example but I don't believe that Shilpa would have been abused and bullied over her the way she ate, smelt, talked, people not bothering to learn her name etc if she had been white so yes I do believe that it was racism and that Channel 4 should be made to apologise.

I'm not sure if you are totally serious with the part about white out of existance and a totally Islamic state, if you really do believe that then I think you need to re-examine the types of media that you are following and get out to meet some non-white people. I mean honestly even the daily mail are put to shame by a rant like that.
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Yes Philanthro, I was totally serious and still am. I do not need to re-examine anything. Thanks for your advice though.


denial, or is that a river in egypt?
-- answer removed --
Well done Philanthro. You win today's paper hat for taking just one post to mention the Daily Mail in a post about racism. Some people just cant resist the bait.
If there was racism present, then an apology would only improve relations between different cultures instead of making such behavior acceptable and tolerable ... or would you prefer to keep racism in society, as its a symbol of something 'vaguely White'?

And also, what does an apology have to do with getting an "Islamic state"?? Shilpa is not a muslim, I fail to see a link here...
I am confused which isn't difficult but I wish the rules here were a little more obvious. Is the quest here to submit a question which you know will cause offence and distress in order to see how quickly someone refers to the Daily Mail? If so why don't you just ask the Question Daily Mail and award yourself the prize. It would cut out the rest, and others who want to debate topical issues could do so. Or am I completely wide of the plot. Can someone who knows what the rules are enlighten me? Thank you.
I really don't believe people care too much about colour - culture is more the issue. I put a question to a real bigot - someone who continually banged on about 'blacks' and 'foreigners', and it was this. If your son brought home a beautiful Singapore Airlines girl, would you object? The answer? "No". And yet she would be the same colour as, say, a person from India, so I truly believe prejudice is more about culture than colour. In Shilpa's case, that was simply jealous bullying from trashy people who are not nearly as well educated and certainly not as refined as she is. They couldn't compete so they bullied. Typical women! Simple. It wasn't rascism - it wouldn't have mattered where she came from, the result would have been the same.

Having said that, I really wish people from other cultures would make the effort to integrate more and to be seen to join in the fight against terrorism more. It would certainly help. After all, when bombers strike, it's not only the 'infidel' they're killing. I was driving through east London one day last year and a Muslim organisation was holding an open day, ferrying food into a hall and inviting anyone who wanted to come, to come along to meet them. What a wonderful idea! Unfortunately, I didn't have time to stop and go in - but I wish I had. If more ethnic communities did this sort of thing, I'm sure it would go a long way to enhancing relations between different cultures. The fundamental Muslims scare the hell out of me, but that doesn't mean that all Muslims are fundamentalists. One of my best friends is Muslim - and she absolutely detests the Imams who preach nothing but hatred and death. You can't really blame people for being suspicious and afraid, can you?
Racism - ie discriminating or being prejudiced against someone purely for their ethnicity is an absolutely vile (and today wholly inexcusable) mentality, particularly in this day and age, regardless of who is practicing it. It makes no sense to discriminate against someone for something which they have no control of or choice in.

It's true that racism will, sadly, always be present to some extent. Much in the same way that homophobia and nationalism will always be present to some extent.

But to claim that there's some kind of conspiracy to turn Britain black is ridiculous to the extreme. Ethnic minorities asking not to be discriminated against (which they have the entitlement to do as citizens in a liberal democracy) is an entirely different kettle of fish to some sort of coup d'etat.
Racism was historically based upon the values that regards the qualities of one race -- usually one's own -- as more important or desirable than those of other races. Such values both influence and are influenced by -- and are closely connected with -- emotions, feelings and esthetic sensibilities that are deeply rooted. Racism is concerned to provide a justification for the continuation of racial privilege, elitism and maintenance of power and dominance
Cultural Racism: This term is being used with increasing frequency, cultural racism does not involve belief in the existence of any biological incapacity to change, i.e. not the earlier racism that has as an ideology that one race is inherently less able than another, such as Africans were sub human and therefore were legitimate slaves. On the contrary, change is exactly what is sought. Minorities are encouraged to turn their back on their own culture and to become absorbed by the majority culture. So at this moment in time with our current panic, Muslims who toe the line in terms of giving up their own culture when living in Britain are seen as passive and non threatening and can be our friends and neighbors, those who challenge our beliefs are perceived as dissidents and dangerous. Some of us can guess what should be done to anyone who does not share the same view and dares to voice an alternative view or perspective.
i think some people in this country ust look for any excuse to have a whinge, im scottish and i dont take offence to anyone calling me a jock or haggis. i think ppl just look for an excuse to moan about the british yet we seem to be the only country willing to help these people.
ruby27

Give yourself a big fat prize. Your answer from 22:21 last night was (in my opinion) absolutely spot on.

david1702198 - there's a difference between what you describe and racism.

The chances of you being beaten up by a gang of thugs because you're Scottish is very, very slim.

The chances of you being exluded from employment opportunities based on your Scottish ethnicity is likewise unlikely.

By the way, on the whole assimilation thing - I think that's a bit of a red herring. My mum's generation (from Jamaica) were raging loyalists who loved the royal family and thought of Britain as 'the motherland'.

When they came here, they bought the same clothes as their white neighbours, drank tea, ate biscuits and wore hideous hats to church every Sunday.

They were assimiliated up to the eyeballs, but they still faced racism on a level that we would be shocked at nowadays.

Frankly, we've come a long way since the 70s. Can you imagine 45,000 complaining to a television station about racism back then? I dunno, maybe to complain about there being not enough racism on telly...
sp1814
by the way I have an answer for you on an older thread posted by Neil
Good point about the 70's yes that was quite possible, not enough good humored abuse in Love my Neighbor (that was the name of that ghastly show I believe, quite a subtle form of abuse when hidden in humor).
I read a moving novel - can not recall title about a married couple coming to England with the proud belief that they would be welcomed here and were so confused about the racism they experienced - no dogs no blacks. We have moved on thank goodness, in my view the world has become a better place, not perfect but improving
When the ism's are raised it is a typical response well I am Welsh, or I have a wonky eye and I don't mind being called blind as a bat, I don't mind being wolf whistled at what�s all this nonsense about sexual harassment, crikey you think the disabled would be grateful for a bit of charity rather than complaining about their rights.
Thanks for the compliment but not my original thoughts � only from studying the subject
What about positive discrimination? It happens in the Fire Brigade and keeps young white males at a disadvantage when trying to embark on a career in this fine service. It is wrong. Why do they have to have an association of black police officers? That is wrong. I could go on, but you all read the papers, so you know what I mean.
Ruby, I think you got the wrong end of the stick with 'Love Thy Neighbour'. To my recollection it was always the white guy who was made to look the fool - a bit like Alf Garnett.
Theland, I agree with you. It's wrong.
Theland

Actually, I totally agree with whatever means are available to encourage young black men and women into the police service.

Police officers do an incredibly difficult and dangerous job, and I admire them unquestionly (a sign of getting older possibly).

The Association Of Black Police Officers actively seeks to encourage members of ethnic minorities to join.

End result?

More black officers means that the force represents the areas they serve, and more trust in the police leads to better protected comminuities.

Now, what's wrong with that?
I'm fairly sure this entire thread is a wind-up. Or an attempt to see how many responses it can get.
Positive discrimination - I'm on the fence on that one. I myself wouldn't want to be in a position where racists could whisper 'he only got where he is coz he's black'.

Problem is - given a completely level playing field we wouldn't need positive discrimation...but the playing field isn't level is it?

Tell you what - do you think that grammar schools should refuse to allow 'assisted entry' places to the children of poor families?

Isn't that positive discrimation?
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A good debate about perennial favourites. I had a little twinge of anger as I watched the smug TV reporting of the Channel 4 'apology' (on C4 News ironically), but I can't really see the plaza in the Whitgift Centre being used for public beheadings, not in my or my childrens' lifetimes anyway.

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