Quote: Wellsy13 "Where did I say with certainty? I, just like you in the next paragraph, have just offered my own opinion on what I thought. Hence why I said "I took it as..."'"
You also said
Which is of course your opinion, which you are entitled to; my question was about how you had formed that opinion?
Quote: Wellsy13 "Which of course is your opinion which you are entitled to.'"
Thanks.
Quote: Wellsy13 "I agree that it needs calling out, and I agree there certainly needs to be consequences for it (which are proportionate to the level of prejudice displayed).
I don't think calling it out is the answer to prevention though. Only through education will you stop this, and education starts with talking about it and discussing it. What is racism? Why are certain terms racist? How do people feel when it's said?'"
I won't argue about the need to educate - but I also firmly believe that this type of behaviour can be deselected from society if enough decent and right-thinking people make it clear that it's not acceptable; peer pressure is powerful. I went to the pub to watch football with my 19 year old son and a group of his mates the other week - someone in the pub yelled a racist slur at an opposition player on the TV and, without exception, the group of lads called it out and made it clear that it wasn't ok; the guy came over, held his hands up and apologised, then went home. That seemed powerful to me - and given that the racist was not likely to be attending any educational establishment, is the only type of lesson he's going to be getting.