Helping to understand what it is like to be black

All ‘isms’ associated with prejudice and bigotry ought to be challenged.
At times like these some are tempted to compete on a personal ‘bigotry’ index.

If we all take some responsibility to challenge them all when we see/hear them or via the ballot box we can do some good.
 
But all races have been enslaved at varying points in history.... So where do we even start? Can white people today be held accountable for the possible actions of their ancestors? The people responsible for it are all dead. I know my family background it's virtually impossible my family had any slaves. I'm not convinced what we're looking at is systemic racism anymore. Otherwise the most successful people in the US would all be white and they aren't. As a group its Asians. The highest paid actor is black, the highest paid sportsmen are black, there was a black president. For all this to happen millions upon millions of white peoe had to support it. That doesn't equate to racist societies to me. Of course there's racist people and that's terrible. But to continually project Western society as the most racist ever to exist is a lie. Is the immigration to the USA and UK so high as we're racist and there's no opportunities. Of course not. If you show me actual incidents of racism I will stand and fight it with you. But the you're all racist and don't even know is frankly a political spin.
 
This helps understand what he is talking about when he refers to "End Qualified Immunity" in the video above. Slightly going off topic on the thread but its all linked.

 
Mr Holgate said:
But all races have been enslaved at varying points in history.... So where do we even start? Can white people today be held accountable for the possible actions of their ancestors? The people responsible for it are all dead. I know my family background it's virtually impossible my family had any slaves. I'm not convinced what we're looking at is systemic racism anymore. Otherwise the most successful people in the US would all be white and they aren't. As a group its Asians. The highest paid actor is black, the highest paid sportsmen are black, there was a black president. For all this to happen millions upon millions of white peoe had to support it. That doesn't equate to racist societies to me. Of course there's racist people and that's terrible. But to continually project Western society as the most racist ever to exist is a lie. Is the immigration to the USA and UK so high as we're racist and there's no opportunities. Of course not. If you show me actual incidents of racism I will stand and fight it the you're all racist and don't even know is frankly a political spin.
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I think you need to do a bit more research if you think there isn't systemic racism in the US. There has been one black president, agreed. How many white ones are there? How many black heads of police departments are there? How many black people in the Forbes rich list aren't either sportsmen or musicians?
 
Mr Holgate said:
But all races have been enslaved at varying points in history.... So where do we even start? Can white people today be held accountable for the possible actions of their ancestors? The people responsible for it are all dead. I know my family background it's virtually impossible my family had any slaves. I'm not convinced what we're looking at is systemic racism anymore. Otherwise the most successful people in the US would all be white and they aren't. As a group its Asians. The highest paid actor is black, the highest paid sportsmen are black, there was a black president. For all this to happen millions upon millions of white peoe had to support it. That doesn't equate to racist societies to me. Of course there's racist people and that's terrible. But to continually project Western society as the most racist ever to exist is a lie. Is the immigration to the USA and UK so high as we're racist and there's no opportunities. Of course not. If you show me actual incidents of racism I will stand and fight it with you. But the you're all racist and don't even know is frankly a political spin.
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Please have a read of my earlier link. Ask yourself how many times you've been stopped and searched in the course of an ordinary day just because you're white. How many times people assume you're a criminal because you're white. Racism is endemic in our country.
 
HarryVegas said:
Please have a read of my earlier link. Ask yourself how many times you've been stopped and searched in the course of an ordinary day just because you're white. How many times people assume you're a criminal because you're white. Racism is endemic in our country.
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Twice... Was that racist?
 
one of the US interviewees - a rights campaigner - was really good (IMHO), it may have been Spike Lee..

it has to be more than just race - that needs to be finally beaten down... however it's the social structure of society & how we are governed, from capitalism to communism - their power structures, all need to be modernised.

It would be awesome if we could remove nationalism - keep it just for sport - start to eat away at borders & realise we're all once human race, more equality - less selfishness & greed.. Getting away from single leaders would be where I'd look to make changes, it's a human failing again & again.. too many turn out to be idiots at best, fascists & tyrants at worst & all the people suffer because of it..
 
BlindBoyGrunt said:
You've been stopped and searched twice, or you've been stopped and searched because you were white twice?
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The police should continue to search people black or white, I can see police or starting to stop doing it soon for fear of being called a racist and that shouldn't happen, it's when they kneel on your neck and murder you is the problem.
 
I'm going to choose my words carefully here, the police officers involved should face justice and be put in prison for the murder of George Floyd.
I do however begin to question the situation when it's being sponsored by all the massive corporations.
I do believe black Americans should receive some form of reparation for the harm done to their ancestors that undoubtedly played a major part in building America but this feels like part of a bigger game to divide the population further.
 
SmallTown said:
OH dear. Then you just don't get what the BLM movement is about then?
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There are many things I don't get they you do get. Such as driving around in flash cars which I see as instruments of destruction in oh so many ways. But you don't 'get' that do you.
I take as I find and don't make assumptions on race.

Heres a little anecdote:
About 30 years ago I worked in the States for a while on an engineering construction project. I was debating the relative merits on the way forward over a problem. with a black colleague
It was a one on one discussion, Half way through the guy turned round to me and said "Dave is this a black thing ?"

I was a bit taken aback and after a few seconds he patted me on the back and started to laugh. It was funny. and defused the debate we were having. And we laughed together
A few weeks later a similar situation arose. I could see I was losing the argument and I turned round and said "Kevin is this a black thing?" He looked at me in shock and said "Dave - Don't ever say that to a black guy
here" He was serious. But But last week you said ... I protested.
Yes I can say that kind of thing but you definitely cannot.
 
I acknowledge there is systemic racism in the US and to a lesser extent in the UK too. Its easy to look and say thats terrible, but what are the solutions ?
I haven't seen many demonstrating with placards suggesting any positive changes. All I see is people full of hate and venom chanting slogans.
If you want to see racism in practice look at Asian countries.

There you will almost never see citizenship granted to foreigners regardless of years living there or amount of tax paid
You will be openly charged different prices in hotels / restaurants according to the colour of your skin. (There will be a sign outside) I have seen restaurants
with 2 sets of menus with different prices as I was once mistakenly given the wrong one.
You will be openly barred entry to places because of the colour of your skin.
Could you imagine any of that in the US/UK
 
HundredRoom said:
I acknowledge there is systemic racism in the US and to a lesser extent in the UK too. Its easy to look and say thats terrible, but what are the solutions ?
I haven't seen many demonstrating with placards suggesting any positive changes. All I see is people full of hate and venom chanting slogans.
If you want to see racism in practice look at Asian countries.

There you will almost never see citizenship granted to foreigners regardless of years living there or amount of tax paid
You will be openly charged different prices in hotels / restaurants according to the colour of your skin. (There will be a sign outside) I have seen restaurants
with 2 sets of menus with different prices as I was once mistakenly given the wrong one.
You will be openly barred entry to places because of the colour of your skin.
Could you imagine any of that in the US/UK
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Everything you just mentioned had happened to me here in China in the past few days alone. Everyday I see articles on Chinese social media regarding gaining citizenship in western countries, all through illegal channels like birth tourism and sham marriages. A former colleague of mine has been living and married to a Chinese girl here for over 10 years, never once been offered citizenship or permanent residency.

The prices issue happened to me just yesterday, I went to the Beijing silk market and was quoted over 70 quid for a shirt, after haggling I got it down for 1/10 of the original quoted price. Yet this is all done because of my white face, with the Chinese customers they don't even bother. A number of hotels, restaurants and bars didn't accept foreigners even before the virus started, now they have gone into overdrive turning foreigners away without even considering their circumstances. Places in the west would get shut down and people would be prosecuted if they pulled sh*t like that, but because it is Asia people just shrug their shoulders and ignore it. There's a reason BLM protests haven't made it to Asia, because most people here look down on them and treat them like animals.
 
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