and am I a racist?
Right I am going to try and be as brief as possible and tell you two 100% true stories from my life, please don´t fall asleep!
True Story 1
I moved to Spain ten years ago and set up my own real estate company. In my 2nd year of business I picked up an English client from his hotel who was looking to buy a home in Spain and emigrate from England. He had a budget of 500k and you may be aware that commission rates are very high in Spain. So he was potentially an excellent client. In the normal process of conversation I asked him why he wanted to leave England. His response was a 10 minute vitriolic speech that he no longer wanted to live in England with all the w-gs, n-ggers, co-ns etc etc and that they had taken over the country. I was so offended by his views and the pure hatred in which he expressed them, that I took him back to his hotel, explained to him why, and referred him to another real estate company.
True Story 2
About ten years before moving to Spain, I was playing football for my local team when I was tackled brutally from behind by a black player. He really hit me hard, it was a very bad and dangerous foul and it hurt a lot. I was in a lot of pain and I was really angry and actually also a little scared. I was on the ground in pain but I screamed at him saying "You fecking stupid black cu-t you could have broken my fecking leg, you cu-t!"
Now I know that was wrong of me, but I have always had a bad temper on me on the sports field and at that precise second I was in a pure rage at what he had done to me.
I don´t believe I am a racist, I despise people who are racist, but I have racially abused someone.
Racism do we really understand it
posted on 2/11/11
"So nowhere in their religious book does it tell the true believers to attack the Jew "
At the risk of being contradicted, I'm fairly sure 'the Jew' is not mentioned once. There is a lot of talk about 'non believers' being damned/mis-guided/wretched, etc but show me a religious text where this isn't the case and I'll be really quite suprised.
"The point is religious hatred is just as bad as racial, surely?"
Exactly, I think that if all people really were born equal (same colour/size/shape) it wouldn't take long for vast tracts of land to be divided on what colour shoes you wear. We're animals, we can't help it. When there is no division we invent one anyway, just look at teenagers, why do they all dress so bad if not to create their own identity?
posted on 2/11/11
Almost like animals, being territorial over what we perceive as ours/what defines us and see it as therefore somehow 'better'.
Much like some people view their team's board on here.
posted on 2/11/11
What the hell is that meant to mean BB?
I take it that is a comment on a different thread - maybe it should have stayed on that thread.
posted on 2/11/11
Not at all! I was taking your metaphor one step further when you mentioned humans creating a divide when there isn't one. It's natural, I think - we like to separate ourselves into 'communities' where we feel safe and accepted, and then become possessive over it, believing that, because we are part of it, it must be better than all others.
Apply it to religion, nationality, fashion sense, music taste, football support - anything, really. The belief that we are better because of something we are/have and which others lack is what leads to discrimination.
That probably made little more sense than the previous post, but at least I know what I mean.
posted on 2/11/11
Ah right - yes, football fans create their own divide. I don't think that if you recognise a divide you necessarily assume your 'group' is best. Surely a Plymouth Argyle fan can see the ManU board is superior, just as all fans recognise the Arsenal board as number one.
posted on 2/11/11
No it is a valid point.
With some people’s interpretation of racism meaning you can’t mention race… and the extension of that to other areas (religion… culture… region… even football team) how long will it be until you can’t boo an opposition team? How long until you can’t boo an opposition player? And how long until you can’t cheer your own side?
Obviously that sounds ridiculous… but is that the theoretical extreme of what some people are saying?
posted on 2/11/11
Surely a Plymouth Argyle fan can see the ManU board is superior, just as all fans recognise the Arsenal board as number one.
-------------------------------------------------
Ahh but a Plymouth fan will set his own criteria to make that evaluation and it will most likely be a different criteria than that of a Man U fan.
For example when Chelsea were winning trophies and Arsenal were not an Arsenal´s fans criteria switches focus away from on the pitch success to financial stability and past success to justify the continued allegiance.
This is just an example by the way not a wum or dig just trying to explain the dynamic.
posted on 2/11/11
"No it is a valid point."
I know, I made it with my insightful 'shoe judgement' call earlier. Much as I was making a joke, it was a geniune point. With no obvious divide, people will create them - it'll be controversial, and may upset some, but it's my belief that this is one of fundamental reasons for religion in the first place. Well, that and an attempt to fill the void where man doesn't understand the world around him.
posted on 2/11/11
"This is just an example by the way not a wum or dig just trying to explain the dynamic."
A good one at that. This is one of the reasons why men will never see eye-to-eye on any subject and no matter how much you attempt to accomodate everyeone, or level the playing field, there will always be conflict. It is natural - that's not to say you should encourage it, but you shouldn't be suprised when it happens.
posted on 2/11/11
Biggish
Precisely so. Pick and choose the criteria that support your supposed strengths, and use those to claim superiority. Just as with racism, sexism, etc.
Just as you mentioned Arsenal fans with financial stability and 'beautiful' football over trophies won. Some may have actually believed this, others were likely trying to justify their lack of trophies and making themselves feel better. Not today I blame them, most of us would do the same. It's only natural.