Longest Thread!

[MikeO]

 

[Matt]

As a white, middle-class male I'm the perfect person to reply to this...

It wasn't racist. It was unbelievable levels if ignorance and ineptitude at conversing from an old woman whos lived in utter white, highborn privilege for 80+ years and that's her norm, her default, and would be the same conversation if she met someone with a thick Yorkshire accent. There absolutely is an element of looking down upon her and condescension, but I don't believe that's because of skin colour, it's because she's one of "the poor". Classist I guess would be the correct term. 

[MikeO]

10 minutes ago, Matt said:

...would be the same conversation if she met someone with a thick Yorkshire accent.

How? In that situation the person says they're from Yorkshire, and she says, "..where are you really from?"

Nope.

 

[Palfy]

38 minutes ago, MikeO said:

If she'd have been white it wouldn't have happened, it happened because of the colour of her skin.

How is that not racism?

Ok I get racism now thanks Mike, if as a white person and I ask black person where they are from that makes me a racist. Hands up I'm guilty of doing that, in fact only last week did I do that on Andy's beach Spain, when I asked a guy selling sunglasses where he was from, he was from Senegal we had some banter about football and how often he gets to go home and see his family. Asking someone where there from no matter what colour skin doesn't make anyone a racist, as said by many blacks that happens a lot in predominantly white country's, when strangers are making small talk and trying to show an interest into someone's heritage. 

[Zoo 2.0]

I think this whole story is just really embarrassing to be honest. 

[Matt]

30 minutes ago, MikeO said:

How? In that situation the person says they're from Yorkshire, and she says, "..where are you really from?"

Nope.

 

Because they don't speak English. 

[MikeO]

29 minutes ago, Palfy said:

...in fact only last week did I do that on Andy's beach Spain, when I asked a guy selling sunglasses where he was from...

If he'd said he's from Spain would you have ignored the response and asked him where he was really from?

[MikeO]

36 minutes ago, Zoo 2.0 said:

I think this whole story is just really embarrassing to be honest. 

Embarrassing for the royal family without a doubt.

[Matt]

Offensive doesn't equate to racist. It's highly ignorant, it's unbelievably low, it's disturbing and disgraceful. But I don't see it as racist. 

[Zoo 2.0]

37 minutes ago, MikeO said:

Embarrassing for the royal family without a doubt.

The other side, IMO.

[MikeO]

26 minutes ago, Zoo 2.0 said:

The other side, IMO.

Who is "the other side"?

Everyone except for the royal household? If they were in the right why did they bin the woman immediately and apologise?

[Zoo 2.0]

45 minutes ago, MikeO said:

Who is "the other side"?

Everyone except for the royal household? If they were in the right why did they bin the woman immediately and apologise?

Ngozi Fulani.

They binned her off and apologised to appease the PC brigade that were banging their drums for her to be removed.

[Bailey]

12 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

Surely it's up to the person on the receiving end of an experience, whether that be racist, sexist, ageist etc, to decide what they felt and not for other people to tell them what it was or wasn't?

If one person doesn't feel offended or discriminated against, then that's fine, but it should be understood and accepted that another person can and will feel differently about the same situation.

This is one of those statements that I both agree and disagree with. 

On one hand you are completely right that it would not be for me to judge how another person should have felt in any given situation but at the same time people get offended by the most minute things these days that if you had to worry about not offending someone, you wouldn't say a word to anyone.

As with everything life there is a balance!

[Palfy]

4 hours ago, MikeO said:

Who is "the other side"?

Everyone except for the royal household? If they were in the right why did they bin the woman immediately and apologise?

Why obvious maté since Markle they have been scared of any controversy concerning racism, they have hung her out to dry, biggest mistake they could have made, in all honesty fucking spineless, she resigned and apologised because she was coersed into doing so, by the spineless fuckers who are scared of any controversy. Never mind that will teach her to ask a black person where they come from. I have a lot of respect for you Mike I hope you know that with out me having to tell you, I care about you and the huge problems you have had to overcome, I find you an incredible inspiration individual, so I genuinely hope this doesn't effect our friendship in any way, when I say you are wrong to call Hussey a racist. 

[Palfy]

5 hours ago, MikeO said:

If he'd said he's from Spain would you have ignored the response and asked him where he was really from?

In all honesty I can't answer that because it never happened. 

[Romey 1878]

9 hours ago, Bailey said:

This is one of those statements that I both agree and disagree with. 

On one hand you are completely right that it would not be for me to judge how another person should have felt in any given situation but at the same time people get offended by the most minute things these days that if you had to worry about not offending someone, you wouldn't say a word to anyone.

As with everything life there is a balance!

And I agree with that totally, and that's where the two parties can then have a discussion about it between themselves.

I just don't think it's for other people to get involved and say "I wouldn't be offended by that, so neither should you be" or vice versa.

[MikeO]

11 hours ago, Palfy said:

Why obvious maté since Markle they have been scared of any controversy concerning racism, they have hung her out to dry, biggest mistake they could have made, in all honesty fucking spineless, she resigned and apologised because she was coersed into doing so, by the spineless fuckers who are scared of any controversy. Never mind that will teach her to ask a black person where they come from. I have a lot of respect for you Mike I hope you know that with out me having to tell you, I care about you and the huge problems you have had to overcome, I find you an incredible inspiration individual, so I genuinely hope this doesn't effect our friendship in any way, when I say you are wrong to call Hussey a racist. 

Of course it won't

As I said earlier, we'll agree to differ.

[Palfy]

3 hours ago, MikeO said:

Of course it won't

As I said earlier, we'll agree to differ.

Thanks mate

[MikeO]

Sat in a rather nice pub in Glastonbury while my son and brother climb the Tor. Think I got the best deal .

[Cornish Steve]

On 02/12/2022 at 13:28, Palfy said:

Ok I get racism now thanks Mike, if as a white person and I ask black person where they are from that makes me a racist. Hands up I'm guilty of doing that, in fact only last week did I do that on Andy's beach Spain, when I asked a guy selling sunglasses where he was from, he was from Senegal we had some banter about football and how often he gets to go home and see his family. Asking someone where there from no matter what colour skin doesn't make anyone a racist, as said by many blacks that happens a lot in predominantly white country's, when strangers are making small talk and trying to show an interest into someone's heritage. 

Sorry to be late to the game on this one, but here's the point: If I make a statement or ask a question to someone who's black (or Asian or Hispanic) that I would not ask to a white person like me, then chances are it's racist. I'm sorry, but there's just no way Lady Hussey would have asked those questions to an attendee who was white; therefore, it was clearly racist. The fact that she went on and on, upsetting not only Ms. Fulani but other event attendees, makes it borderline abuse.

Let me give some other examples. Someone I know here in the US, who's ethnically not white Caucasian, was pulled over for not waiting three seconds at a Stop sign. What was the very first question asked by the white police officer? "Do you speak English?" Would he have asked you or me that same question? No - therefore it is racist.

A local black family had to go through hoops to get a bank mortgage. A white family living in the same town and earning almost exactly the same income did not have to go through this grueling process. Therefore, it's racist.

It's really quite simple: If we treat someone differently simply because of their ethnicity, it's racist. Standing up for the rights of others, especially of those different from ourselves, is not PC; it's the morally right thing to do since silence is acceptance.

Can we imagine what it's like, time and again, to be treated differently from others? To be stopped by the police when others are not? To be asked whether or not we speak English? To be asked over and over again where we're really from? To be viewed as an outsider when a full-fledged citizen? It's oppressive and it's wrong. No-one should face this. It grates on me, in particular, because family members (children-in-law) face it, and it hurts. My Jewish ancestors faced it, and it must have hurt them, too.

Yes, we can politely ask others where they/their family is originally from, especially if they have an accent and it's very likely they lived elsewhere, but context is everything. Being friendly is one thing; making someone feel an outsider or different is something else.

[Palfy]

10 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

Sorry to be late to the game on this one, but here's the point: If I make a statement or ask a question to someone who's black (or Asian or Hispanic) that I would not ask to a white person like me, then chances are it's racist. I'm sorry, but there's just no way Lady Hussey would have asked those questions to an attendee who was white; therefore, it was clearly racist. The fact that she went on and on, upsetting not only Ms. Fulani but other event attendees, makes it borderline abuse.

Let me give some other examples. Someone I know here in the US, who's ethnically not white Caucasian, was pulled over for not waiting three seconds at a Stop sign. What was the very first question asked by the white police officer? "Do you speak English?" Would he have asked you or me that same question? No - therefore it is racist.

A local black family had to go through hoops to get a bank mortgage. A white family living in the same town and earning almost exactly the same income did not have to go through this grueling process. Therefore, it's racist.

It's really quite simple: If we treat someone differently simply because of their ethnicity, it's racist. Standing up for the rights of others, especially of those different from ourselves, is not PC; it's the morally right thing to do since silence is acceptance.

Can we imagine what it's like, time and again, to be treated differently from others? To be stopped by the police when others are not? To be asked whether or not we speak English? To be asked over and over again where we're really from? To be viewed as an outsider when a full-fledged citizen? It's oppressive and it's wrong. No-one should face this. It grates on me, in particular, because family members (children-in-law) face it, and it hurts. My Jewish ancestors faced it, and it must have hurt them, too.

Steve you are very late to the game, not sure why considering your original post started the debate, and having a quick look you have been posting on other threads regularly after my post which you are responding too. I and millions more like me do not consider it racist, I've even read many blacks who have written on social media sites, saying definitely not racist, and one guy who got it spot on when saying, people who believe that was racist are the reason why racism will never end, not even the person in question said she felt she had been racially abused. It's very admirable being against racism, but you dilute the negativity of what a racist is, when you accuse someone of being a racist because they asked a simple question. There's an image going around this country of Cilla Black on Blind date, saying in her normal questioning of all her contestants " well number 3 what's your name and where are you from " the contestant retorts with a one word reply " racist " At that just sums up how ridiculous and outrageous the argument is to call someone racist who asks that question, when all she was trying to do was enquire about her heritage. 

[Palfy]

4 hours ago, MikeO said:

Sat in a rather nice pub in Glastonbury while my son and brother climb the Tor. Think I got the best deal .

Definitely

[Cornish Steve]

20 hours ago, Palfy said:

Steve you are very late to the game, not sure why considering your original post started the debate, and having a quick look you have been posting on other threads regularly after my post which you are responding too. I and millions more like me do not consider it racist, I've even read many blacks who have written on social media sites, saying definitely not racist, and one guy who got it spot on when saying, people who believe that was racist are the reason why racism will never end, not even the person in question said she felt she had been racially abused. It's very admirable being against racism, but you dilute the negativity of what a racist is, when you accuse someone of being a racist because they asked a simple question. There's an image going around this country of Cilla Black on Blind date, saying in her normal questioning of all her contestants " well number 3 what's your name and where are you from " the contestant retorts with a one word reply " racist " At that just sums up how ridiculous and outrageous the argument is to call someone racist who asks that question, when all she was trying to do was enquire about her heritage. 

Honestly, it's tough for our generation. We grew up with 'Love thy neighbour' on TV. I remember the one non-white kid who came for a little while to our comprehensive school, and he needed great strength of character to take all the abuse with admirable good humour. I'm not sure I could have done it, and he should not have faced it. I was as guilty as everyone else, repeating terribly racist jokes that I heard from family and friends. My dad signed up for the National Front, for goodness sake. But we've moved on from there. The question is, I think, what's the right balance? For me, I will always stand by those who are treated differently - until we reach the point where they are not.

[Palfy]

2 hours ago, Cornish Steve said:

Honestly, it's tough for our generation. We grew up with 'Love thy neighbour' on TV. I remember the one non-white kid who came for a little while to our comprehensive school, and he needed great strength of character to take all the abuse with admirable good humour. I'm not sure I could have done it, and he should not have faced it. I was as guilty as everyone else, repeating terribly racist jokes that I heard from family and friends. My dad signed up for the National Front, for goodness sake. But we've moved on from there. The question is, I think, what's the right balance? For me, I will always stand by those who are treated differently - until we reach the point where they are not.

We are same age mate and I went through the same indoctrination as you with racism being part of everyday life, and as kids growing in that environment it was part of normal day to day life, so why would we question it we knew no difference. My father's good friend was a black American air serviceman, they met during the WW2 and he stayed in this country after marrying a local girl, I have photo of me sat in one end of a silver cross pram with his daughter Sat the other, so from my parents I wasn't subjected to any racism that I can remember. I do worry that shouting racist is being used more frequently and unethically by the media more to glorify and sell stories. In the case of Hussey and Fulani we will have to agree to disagree, which I hope you agree would be far better than locking horns and possibly falling out, I think this has split people down the middle no matter your, colour, race, or religion. Fulani has been giving more interviews, and is now receiving disgusting abuse online for speaking out about how she felt, from racists who are brave behind a keyboard. 

[MikeO]

What's the story about waking up at around 4.30 and not being able to get back to sleep?

[Zoo 2.0]

Christmas Eve but if I don't make it onto here tomorrow, Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year. Here's hoping the festive period and 2023 is everything you wish for.

[MikeO]

Lordy, cost of living!?!?

My dietry habits mean I'm not hugely affected as a rule by supermarket price rises, but today I bought what is an absolute staple for me, orange juice, and it had gone up from £1.45 yesterday to £1.70!

Was around £1.00 at the start of the year.

I (very fortuitously) have the means to cope with the food and energy price madness for now, really feel for that don't.

[Romey 1878]

Happy New Year everyone.

I won't lie and say I like you all  but I do hope you all have a good 2023 and stay safe.

[London Blue]

Hapt New Year to you all, hope 2023 brings all you wish . 

[Palfy]

On 29/12/2022 at 22:52, MikeO said:

I (very fortuitously) have the means to cope with the food and energy price madness for now, really feel for that don't.

Very much agree.