The Opposite of Being a Racist

1finny

1finny

Well-known member
Is being an anti racist
Not being a racist isn’t enough’

Heard that on the beeb this morning. Never heard it put like that before.
Found it quite challenging.
 
1finny said:
Is being an anti racist
Not being a racist isn’t enough’

Heard that on the beeb this morning. Never heard it put like that before.
Found it quite challenging.
Click to expand...
Who said it?

I'm interested as my wife's family (mixed race) are tearing themselves apart about who is doing 'enough' to fight for the cause. My wife is not involved so much, but my brothers and sisters in law plus cousins/aunties etc.

I'm honestly massively confused on the issue. I can't adopt the dogmatic approach to the issue that it appears some want, but they haven't had a go at me yet for not doing 'enough'. I watched Candace Owens views (first time I'd ever heard of her) for some balance but it clarified nothing for me.

Tell you what though, I never knew the cop who tasered Dalian Atkinson was actually up for murder, that seems to have been kept quiet?
 
I would imagine most people who aren't racist are anti racist surely? i can't imagine many take a neutral position?!
 
I didn’t know there was such a thing as Anti Racist, but I guess it’s do with not doing enough to enforce change. Certainly an interesting take on it that I have never thought about before
 
atypical_boro said:
Who said it?

I'm interested as my wife's family (mixed race) are tearing themselves apart about who is doing 'enough' to fight for the cause. My wife is not involved so much, but my brothers and sisters in law plus cousins/aunties etc.

I'm honestly massively confused on the issue. I can't adopt the dogmatic approach to the issue that it appears some want, but they haven't had a go at me yet for not doing 'enough'. I watched Candace Owens views (first time I'd ever heard of her) for some balance but it clarified nothing for me.

Tell you what though, I never knew the cop who tasered Dalian Atkinson was actually up for murder, that seems to have been kept quiet?
Click to expand...

It was a black lady whose son had been murdered in the UK. She was an ex policewoman.

As other posters have said on here it is about ‘trying to do something about it’ rather than being passive.
An example maybe if you hear someone using racist language do you ignore or find a way to challenge.
 
I’m finding it really hard to understand and be seen to be on the right side of this - out of ignorance not choice. I have very left leaning daughters who use a language in describing discrimination I often don’t fully understand. I’m not thick and keep across news and social media and try and understand and keep up but at 56 I feel like I am perceived as some sort of dinosaur not because I support intolerance and inequality but because of my lack of direct action. Not just in terms of race but other areas including gender equality and LGBTQ. I thought it was about living your life as best you can, helping others where you can and teaching your kids we are all equal and to never accept mistreatment or prejudice in any form. A whole new world of positive discrimination is now promoted to level the playing fields and a new spheres of expectation and language are emerging. Is there a good website that helps simple folk understand it all?
 
atypical_boro said:
Who said it?

I'm interested as my wife's family (mixed race) are tearing themselves apart about who is doing 'enough' to fight for the cause. My wife is not involved so much, but my brothers and sisters in law plus cousins/aunties etc.

I'm honestly massively confused on the issue. I can't adopt the dogmatic approach to the issue that it appears some want, but they haven't had a go at me yet for not doing 'enough'. I watched Candace Owens views (first time I'd ever heard of her) for some balance but it clarified nothing for me.

Tell you what though, I never knew the cop who tasered Dalian Atkinson was actually up for murder, that seems to have been kept quiet?
Click to expand...


Try this Atypical, very helpful especially on the non racist/anti racist difference

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=579944189573777
 
Duffman said:
I’m finding it really hard to understand and be seen to be on the right side of this - out of ignorance not choice. I have very left leaning daughters who use a language in describing discrimination I often don’t fully understand. I’m not thick and keep across news and social media and try and understand and keep up but at 56 I feel like I am perceived as some sort of dinosaur not because I support intolerance and inequality but because of my lack of direct action. Not just in terms of race but other areas including gender equality and LGBTQ. I thought it was about living your life as best you can, helping others where you can and teaching your kids we are all equal and to never accept mistreatment or prejudice in any form. A whole new world of positive discrimination is now promoted to level the playing fields and a new spheres of expectation and language are emerging. Is there a good website that helps simple folk understand it all?
Click to expand...


Interesting thoughts there. A couple of comments.
Personally I get a little frustrated when this topic comes up and people talk about ‘left leaning people’ giving support. This is a general problem (not specific to your point). Immediately that makes it divisive because some people do not want to be seen as supporting lefties.
Your point about living your life as best you can sounds like a great start point to me. The tricky bit is - to whose standards and values? Seems to me you have answered that by focussing on bigotry in a holistic sense.
The positive discrimination discussion runs and runs. I, and many others find this tricky.

A black guy this morning said it breaks his heart to have ‘black lives matter’ as a slogan. In the sense that there really should be no need for it. The sad reality is - there is a need.

Not sure about good websites but I am reminded about a very powerful interview with Graeme Souness. He said he was a bit of a dinosaur in relation to gay rights and had lived through lots of bigoted comments in the dressing room and on the pitch.
In the last year or two he decided to go to Gay Pride in Brighton. He said it was just a real eye opener being able to listen to those involved in the whole celebration.
 
1finny said:
It was a black lady whose son had been murdered in the UK. She was an ex policewoman.

As other posters have said on here it is about ‘trying to do something about it’ rather than being passive.
An example maybe if you hear someone using racist language do you ignore or find a way to challenge.
Click to expand...

Yeah I challenge that sort of thing all the time. Goes without saying. But it doesn’t stop people being murdered. Some are rioting because they think that will stop it, some are challenging all their white friends to make a (literal) stand on social media or otherwise, and decrying those who don’t. I’m not willing to go that far and end friendships over it. Why not?

I mean I would if there was genuine racism to be noted. But some are ending friendships simply because some people (including members of the black community) are not doing “enough”, ie not decrying those who haven’t changed their Facebook profile picture to black etc.

I worry about the dogmatic approach from some. Hardly anything in this world can be so binary.
 
It's very difficult as a white person to truly understand where black people are coming from. Our whole society and standard of living is a direct result of slavery. We would not be as comfortable as we are without that. So how far do we go to help there cause write letters send emails to on matches with them.
Trevor Noah puts it much better than I possibly could

 
Really liked the golf analogy.
Helps with discussions about positive discrimination.

In short - they need a leg up to get anywhere near equal
 
Discrimination in any form is a very personal issue. I cant comment on racism, apart from trying to act to treat everyone equally and fairly.
However my son is transgender (female to male), identified when he started secondary school and he has lived life as a guy for the next 11 years. This brought an unbelievable change to him as a person gaining so much confidence and being supported by some great friends at school, college and uni. Young people these days are incredibly open minded and supportive.
He has had the opportunity of joining movements like pride etc. But has not been interested in celebrating his status, the greatest desire he has is to be accepted for the person he is.
So positive discrimination doesn't work for everyone in every situation. Sometimes acceptance is enough.
 
1finny said:
It was a black lady whose son had been murdered in the UK. She was an ex policewoman.
Click to expand...

Was this the lady who was interviewed on 5live this morning who said that black people can't stop the racism, it's not their job?
That kind of explains it. Being not racist is a good virtue, but not being vocal will not change minds or give people pause for thought.
 
Smog in Wilts said:
Discrimination in any form is a very personal issue. I cant comment on racism, apart from trying to act to treat everyone equally and fairly.
However my son is transgender (female to male), identified when he started secondary school and he has lived life as a guy for the next 11 years. This brought an unbelievable change to him as a person gaining so much confidence and being supported by some great friends at school, college and uni. Young people these days are incredibly open minded and supportive.
He has had the opportunity of joining movements like pride etc. But has not been interested in celebrating his status, the greatest desire he has is to be accepted for the person he is.
So positive discrimination doesn't work for everyone in every situation. Sometimes acceptance is enough.
Click to expand...

That's an incredibly brave post and I'm so glad your son has the support of a good dad.
 
It will take a long time and it all starts with education.

It's easier to build a strong child than it is to fix a broken man.

(Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895)
 
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