Dean Lance

Racism is rife in the UK. It's embarrassing and wrong and needs addressing. It amazes me how many people say derogatory things and think it's acceptable. I'm not racist and have family members who are Chinese and I try to speak out against it but I often feel that I'm defending my view when actually I'm in the right.

I applaud Tahu's stand and wish more people the world over would take the same stance. We may then eradicate racism

Well have the balls to pull people up! I do. stop been a part of the problem. around me and my social group it's totally unacceptable. I have a big expended family and racism has never been accepted. Maybe that's just my upbringing!

thats quite an assumption of me that you make there. and of my family, and of my friends.

sorry mate you've got me wrong! I was talking about my life not yours. My first comment was refering to you saying something in the work place where equality should be as standard. God knows where you work but it sound like something from the 80's to me?

If you think its rife in the UK then you don't have much experience of what it used to be like in the 1970s and 80s, things have improved beyond belief, partly due to the law enforcing racism as a crime and partly due to multi-cultural integration within schools.

I understand people of my fathers generation being racist, they know no better, people of my generation have a duty to keep their mouths shut if they cannot help themselves but more importantly to keep their mouths shut around their children - if they pass on their racism to their children then that is unforgivable because it is a taught response not a natural one.

bad mr johns, should know better.

Let me know if anyone has come across this though. My wife's church is predominatly attended by africans, and overhearing a conversation a couple of years ago she and her friend heard a chap from Nigeria say a racist slur about a white person who lives in his street. When my wife said that's a racist comment, he replied how can it be, it was about a white person, racism is when a non-white is abused verbally.

Everyone needs educating!!

Yes I certainly do have knowledge of the 70s & 80s - I ain't no spring chicken. Even recall some Indian friends being abused at school in the 60s. I couldn't understand then and I cannot understand now why skin colour or religion has any bearing on how you judge someone

It may have been worse then but it is still rife now. It is still a major problem

now that is Interesting. The man is correct by the letter of the law. Racism is abuse by the majority over the minority. As this is a White powered society(the Whites have the governing power and the population majority). that's how it was tought to me when I worked on a social work team at roundhay road social services after I left uni in 98 to 2000. I was indeed tought by my co-workers who were predominantly black and Asian that they couldn't be racist on the same grounds as the gent in your post pointed out.

you don't have to be white to be racist

totally understand you centiment! And i agree with that ideal.

but technically you are wrong. minority groups would disagree with you.

If a minority offers abuse it would be prejudice or xenaphobia
not rascim. Racism is about oppression! You can't be oppressed due to race or ethnicity if you are a part of the powered majority

Just remember this next time you think it's funny to call Sean Long a g[iyp[/io.

And Johns has fallen on his own sword , quite rightly .

Agreed!

'you are wrong' Says who?
according to the national curriculum, racism is holding prejudice beliefs against someone (or a group of people) because of their race or nationality (with racialism being acting on your racist beliefs).
And according to the oxford english dictionary, racism is: • noun 1 the belief that there are characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to each race. 2 discrimination against or antagonism towards other races.
note that neither take into account whether the 'offernder' (for lack of a more fitting term) is part of the 'powered majority'