Paul Heslop wrote:
>
> elag wrote:
>
> > Paul Heslop wrote:
> > >
> > > elag wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > > I know there's Paki-bashing and all of that... ignorance, bred in fear,
> > > > can be found everywhere. Hatred based on people's actions can't be
> > > > avoided... if only people could be made to see that it is Pre-Judging
> > > > people based on superficialities of color or accent which increases
> > > > hostility on both sides.
> > > >
> > > > I'm not beyond feeling some apprehension based on people's appearance,
> > > > at times. After all, it is in part a defense mechanism, but I can
> > > > suspend judgement until I see who they really are. To me the plethora
> > > > of different cultures is what makes life more interesting... I don't
> > > > like the youth gangs any more than anyone else, but I've met some crazy
> > > > looking characters that turned out to be quite interesting... at times I
> > > > could even be accused of being a suspicious looking character (according
> > > > to the coppers).
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > replace "NINE" with "9" to reply
> > >
> > > I've been, in my times, on just about every side of the law,
> >
> > 'cept behind a badge, I guess...
> >
> > I've been in gangs, I've been violent (through stupidity and drink) I've
> > > had black friends, indian friends and racist friends (the latter only lasted as long as I didn't know he was racist)
> > > I know what it's like to be feared and to fear. I recall doing everything I could not to hurt people while at the same time getting a
> > > reputation as being a troublemaker.
> > > An eye opener for me was a half indian half english lad I met at work. When working night duties we would sit sit and discuss the
> > > world at large etc and he told me about his childhood, how he was treat like dirt here because he was half indian and how his mother,
> > > in desperation, agreed to move to India to get away from this, only for them to find that racism was as bad there, if not more so as
> > > the boy was actually abused by adults aswell as young people. I found his story heartbreaking, but was forced to think that here were
> > > we, sitting in a building with responsibility for 20 or so disabled children while our own youth had been savage and disturbed and
> > > both of us had been outcasts at one time or another. Somewhere down the line we had both made a decision that we cared more for others
> > > than others cared for us, and both were lucky to find an employer who ignored our pasts and gave us an opportunity to do what we
> > > really wanted to do.
> >
> > I think that's the key to removing prejudice... getting out in the world
> > and broadening one's experience of other cultures, and not just as a
> > tourist. Luckily, even w/in big cities like London, New York or
> > Montreal one can meet and talk to people representing nearly every ethnicity.
> >
> > If people would only allow themselves to experience life that way...
> > unfortunately, many Merkins (for example) just go around shouting at
> > people very slowly in Englitch and more or less try to live the same way
> > they do back home... eating the same foods & watching the same TeeVee
> > shows instead of really trying to experience the other culture from
> > w/in... as much as that is possible.
> >
> > The same holds true w/in one's own town. How many people really take
> > the time to snoop out all of the interesting ethnic nooks and crannies
> > which often abound right off the beaten path. Sometimes, just crossing
> > a bridge and eating the food of a country one knows little about in a
> > tiny ethnic dive can be the beginning of enlightenment.
> >
> > --
> > Replace "8" with "9" to reply.
>
> Our problem here is that the rules the governments put in place to protect the minorities are being over used and abused to such an extent
> they are actually causing more trouble than they're worth. People see what they think of as bias in favour of other cultures etc and the old
> green eyed god shows his head. The gutter press are certainly fanning the flames of another forest fire of hatred here.
Same thing here... "reverse discrimination" and "white male rage" are
issues that won't go away. On the other side you have people looking
for slavery reparations and extension of affirmative action. Really,
in view of the history of slavery and "Jim Crow", segregation and the
"color barrier" I have to come down on the side of affirmative action.
I can see that things might be played out more equitably with a goal of
eventual real equal opportunity, but I do think that past injustices
have not quite been wiped out yet. Any statistical analysis of relative
opportunities in the various ethnic groups will bear this out.
>
> Personally it makes no difference to me where someone was born , what colour they are or how they speak as long as they mean no harm to
> anyone. There are those who spoil it for others, we do get gangs of eastern europeans professionally begging etc etc and of course it is
> easy for the nationalists to use them as the big stick with which to beat all immigrants and asylum seekers.
We have our Xenophobes as well... significantly, all are descended from
immigrants, many of whom would be considered quite unsavory in the light
of the XXIst century. Them lousy furriners are us.
--
Replace "8" with "9" to reply.
|
| Follow-ups: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 |
| 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
|