Do you trully know If you are Racist . . .or not?

[Maggie B]

I hope to Gawd I am not! Some things I laughed about in the past could definitely be described as racist. (Not funny now as I become more educated on the subject).

I may have told this story before, so forgive me if I repeat myself! I received a Gollywog for my 9th Birthday . . . .And Oh boy did I love that doll. He was beautiful and his name was Cedric. I think our family Jack Russel got a hold of my Cedric in the end but, my Mam never really explained all.

I used to collect tokens from the marmalade jars in the early 60's just to get a Gollywog badge. They were adorable things and I hankered after them at every opportunity.

Can you imagine my HORROR when many many years later I realised the signifance of these icons. I was SERIOUSLY shocked at the true meaning of them. It was only then that I kind of got a sense of 'the Black' frustration and anger.

My husband, who was in Durban in the early seventies on a BP tanker was saved by three local boys. They fished him out of the water whilst he was trying (triple vision) to get back on the ship, after a haircut and three Ganja joints (supplied by said hairdresser). The next afternoon, he went looking for the young men who helped him and went into the 'black' bar to buy them a drink. . . .where he was made most welcome. Suffice to say, he went back to the ship that night with a very bruised and cut head. . . . . . . .from the white police. Like me, his horror of the situation was unfathomable?? No amount if explaining of the situation would do for those police?

There are BAD whites. There are BAD blacks. And, there is good in both too. Seemples.

My fear is; the media just seem to be overly focussed on certain subjects for a such an intense short period of time . .And they just WILL NOT LET IT GO. That's what makes peeps get overly tired of one specific subject . . . .instead of just discussing EVERTHING and ANYTHING.

Maggie B

PS I just hope and pray I don't have a racist bone in my body. . . . ???

[lotus]

No I don't think you are a racist,all those things you talk about were in the past and most kids had things like that,nobody then black or white gave it a second thought so don't worry!

[WHL]

No I don't think you are a racist,all those things you talk about were in the past and most kids had things like that,nobody then black or white gave it a second thought so don't worry!

Yes white people didn't give it a second thought back then, you like me are white thats why , I dont think the black kids in my school, in the 60s would agree, im sure to them a golliwog on a jam jar, meant something more sinister to them, how many times in the playground, did we hear, Go home Wog boy, shouted out to black kids, Sambo, monkey were all terms of endearment, weren't they,
Il never forget,when our PE teacher picked a Black boy, for our school football team for the first time, one of the boys said to him, you can't pick him his a Coon, the teacher replied, yes but his a big lad, we will play him centre forward, the sad thing is the teacher didnt repremant him, sad to see that some on here still dont see a problem, and still hanker for the good old days , when people knew their place

[Devil]

Dear Maggie

I really think that racism is innate and that nobody can avoid it. When did you last use the word Sassenach? This is a question, not an accusation, because it really means a Lowlander, not just a dreaded Englishman.

In the late 1940s, lo and behold, we had a black guy in our class at uni. I will not say that he was actively ostracised, rather simply ignored, which was probably just as bad. I remember on one occasion I met up with him by chance, walking the length of Princes Street. He was as awkward as I was in trying to converse other than techie stuff from our course. By the time we got to Binns, our dialogue was reduced to almost nothing other than, "bye, see you tomorrow!". I was unable to strike up a proper friendship with him and I believe that there were only a couple of us "whities" who even spoke to him. I am sorry to say that he left the course after one year; I know not for what reason.

At a different level, I think that racism is just a manifestation of protectionism. I can imagine a cave dweller, 10,000 years ago, saying to his latest woman that the idiot in the next cave fell and skint his nose, what do you expect from a guy with ginger hair? In other words, racism is derived from the difference between peoples and may start out benignly and then develop to a full-scale. In many cases, it may show itself simply as nastiness about the opposite sex, "What do you expect, she is only a woman!". In my humble opinion (well! Not really humble!) some form of racism is innate in all of us. That having been said, it is a form of politeness to artificially suppress it.

I have been havering for long enough and I do not think I have really got anywhere to really add something to this subject.

[lotus]

Christ WHL what school did you go to?,I left school in late 60s there were a few black kids in the school,never a problem,in fact one of them is still my best friend and we keep in touch quite often,I always found that the really fat kids or disabled kids,white usually,got picked on and called names,which was terrible,but things in school have changed massively and kids of all races seem to get on well together now,hope you weren't one of the racists at your old school

[Dominic]

I went to school in the Seventies and Eighties. Things were a lot more civilised by then. Plus I went to university at Imperial College, London. That is a world-famous place with a global intake. There was no room for any form of racism there. You still got people in their own social groups, but that was understandable.

In my first year I shared a room (it was a big room) with two Malaysian guys, both muslims. We had a whale of a time. I remember when I explained to them that the clocks went back an hour in the Autumn, they were convinced I was winding them up. And one night a load of their friends came over, and there must have been nearly 10 of them in the room. They slept 3 to a bed and 2 to an arm chair. How they could sleep like that I had no idea, but luckily none of them had trapped wind.

And the meals they could make using just a rice cooker were amazing.

[WHL]

Christ WHL what school did you go to?,I left school in late 60s there were a few black kids in the school,never a problem,in fact one of them is still my best friend and we keep in touch quite often,I always found that the really fat kids or disabled kids,white usually,got picked on and called names,which was terrible,but things in school have changed massively and kids of all races seem to get on well together now,hope you weren't one of the racists at your old school

Never fails, the , old, stock reply, Ive got some Black friends

[WHL]

I went to school in the Seventies and Eighties. Things were a lot more civilised by then. Plus I went to university at Imperial College, London. That is a world-famous place with a global intake. There was no room for any form of racism there. You still got people in their own social groups, but that was understandable.

In my first year I shared a room (it was a big room) with two Malaysian guys, both muslims. We had a whale of a time. I remember when I explained to them that the clocks went back an hour in the Autumn, they were convinced I was winding them up. And one night a load of their friends came over, and there must have been nearly 10 of them in the room. They slept 3 to a bed and 2 to an arm chair. How they could sleep like that I had no idea, but luckily none of them had trapped wind.

And the meals they could make using just a rice cooker were amazing.

See what you did there

[lotus]

Yes I do have some true black ,Chinese,Cypriot,Vietnamese,Polish,Australian,Canadian etc good friends,and no Iam not racist,so give it a rest

[Maggie B]

Yes Devil I agree with your comments.

I also agree with you WHL. Assuming the majority of us discussing this subject are predominently white, how could we possibly know what it's like to personally experience 'white against black' racism and all the subtleties that racism can contain?

Personally, my eyes have been opened hugely recently by, just listening to black people, some of them getting their message across very eloquently, some of them not so, but that's life in general. Also I have been reading up a little more on the subject. For me, and perhaps many of us, education is the key to a 'calmer' future?

MB

[Devil]

Yes I do have some true black ,Chinese,Cypriot,Vietnamese,Polish,Australian,Canadian etc good friends,and no Iam not racist,so give it a rest

The fact that you catalogue them is racist in itself. You are aware of their nationalities. I try to be unaware of my friends' nationalities (even if they are English ). When I was working with the UN, there could have been 20 to 25 people with 10 or 15 nationalities sitting round the table; nobody ever brought up the question as to why he or she was there. They were simply delegates, the same as I was. Yes, we did have problems on odd occasions but these were almost always a question of language rather than origin. 15 years later, I remember many of the members of the committee but I cannot always remember where they haled from. I still correspond with a few of them but, unfortunately, quite a number of them are now dead, usually the most influential!

PS: I do not claim that I am not racist although I try not to be

[lotus]

If you look at my post there is a comma before the word again, is that what you meant?

[lotus]

FFS Devil I can't win! I named countries with people Iam friends with but I suppose I have friends worldwide,no when I speak to any of them I don't have to stop and think where they come from,I have no problems with immigrants in the UK,truth is without a lot of them i.e. doctors ,manual workers etc UK would be in the shit,what I object to is having to bow down to outsiders tell us we can't do this,can't say that,in case we offend them,I agree with equality but it's getting a joke now,I can just imagine trying to take a statue down or telling Cypriots here they can't do this or do that because we don't like it and find it offensive,or indeed any country,people moving to another country should accept their way of life and rules,I know things everywhere will gradually change which I think is good

[Uncle D]

Continually defending that you are not racist reveals an element of guilt, otherwise why bother

[lotus]

Keeping on about makes me think you could be,any more comments bout me being racist and I will take action

[Jimgym]

There is a college professor in the USA who lectures on racism and she is very interesting. I am trying to find a link to one of her speeches. Interesting and well educated lady.

[Jimgym]

Here is a link to one of her videos, a fascinating person.

[lotus]

Sorry,the way things are going in UK I think[ and this is not a racist comment from me] that not in our lifetime English people will be in the minority,i.e. Freedom of speech for one,to a certain extent that has already happened,I know some black people have been treated appallingly ,but the way they are going about things now are pissing a lot of people off

[Jimgym]

Continually defending that you are not racist reveals an element of guilt, otherwise why bother

If I continuously called you a bigot or racist, or anything else derogatory for that matter would you defend yourself? Or stay silent and let people assume you are what I accuse you of? Perhaps that is why Loyus is continually responding and asserting something?

[Uncle D]

Continually defending that you are not racist reveals an element of guilt, otherwise why bother

If I continuously called you a bigot or racist, or anything else derogatory for that matter would you defend yourself? Or stay silent and let people assume you are what I accuse you of? Perhaps that is why Loyus is continually responding and asserting something?

I would at first deny it and then ignore badgering comments without any real proof to say I am or I am not. How can Lotus prove it? she cant!