Should racist speech be controlled by the law?

Ok laydeez, reading's done, and Desiderata has read my post properly and now understands it.....oh.

So is your basic thesis is that measures put in place to protect minorities actually lead to more racism, or that people like me (what am I like btw) cause racism?

Well excuse me for reading " The very moment that you suggest someone's ethnicity gives them a special status, is where you lose the argument.
"
as implying that you think that someone is according ethinicities special status and that this was something to do with the law, being in a thread about racist language and the law.

I don't recall that I ever implied that different ethnicities get different status.

Perhaps, instead of haranguing me, you could read my posts?

What I said that was, without people like you, we'd all get along fine. You're like a big soup spoon, stirring up shit.

And people who can trace their ancestry to the UK for a few hundred years are generally white. I'm not quite sure why that's a racist comment, but I couldn't really give a fuck about that.

It's OK to have a hundred years of ancestry and be black. It's OK to say that white people are entirely responsible for the slave trade, without making due recognition of the fact that it was the locals who brought them to the boat .. for a fee.

Africa now has the worst record for slavery in the world.

As I say, no matter what your skin colour, there's bad buggers everywhere you look.

I'm not clear on how anyone can 'belong' anywhere Deseridata - what are the criteria?

A definition of British Ethnicity would be handy, as would what definitions of 'race', 'ethnicity' and 'nationality' we are working to here.

Deseridata - Anyway - to the meat of your argument - that people are given special status in law due to their ethnicity, and that this enshrines that the notion that races are different to each other (I'm just going to assume you didn't REALLY mean species as that has quite a specific meaning as then we have to go into the whole what constitutes a species thing which is really to much bother)

This is not the case. What IS recognised is that people of different ethnicities are sometime treated unfairly based on false assumptions about them and that the use of language that is derogatory about other races encourages this kind of assumption and treatment and therefore is to be discouraged.

Why am I struggling, Nickie?

In what particular?

I'm going to read stories and do some work. Someone put Desiderata out of her misery and explain my post to her, will you? I'm not at all sure she is capable of doing it. Thanks.

You are really struggling tonight Desiderata.

Scurry, why on earth is that deletable?

It is a statement of fact.

I refuse to bow down to your nonsense.

In my post, which was deleted, I also said that in some inner city schools, white kids (British kids) are subject to racist abuse by the majority of black kids.

What has MN come to, for fuck's sake?

my nine year old understands it perfectly.

"white people have not been victims of racial abuse in the UK is because this is where we belong"

That is the comment that I objected to. That is the reason it was deleted. The comment you refused to repeat or explain because I think you probably realised how offensive it was.

I do not like the inference that because I am not white, I do not belong in England. Can't get more racist that that.

You should be ashamed.

Come on! I have faith in you. If you just read every word really s-l-o-w-l-y you can understand it. I'm sure you can. It's honestly not that tricky if you concentrate. I think you aren't even trying.

And I don't have a sweet tooth, so couldn't give a fiddler's fuck about the biscuit.

Oh dear! I'm very glad I'm not married to you

You haven't offered a single scrap of positive argument. You just snipe from the sidelines.

High maintenance?

Yup!

Oh, it IS hard for you, isn't it? But you can't have a biscuit until you do it, so make an effort.

Now Desiderata, come on, concentrate. Read my post again, and really, really think about it. What does it say, and what do those words mean. You can do it, you really can. I know it is difficult, but you just have to try a bit harder.

I'm not remotely embarrassed. Why should I be?

What racist comment, Scurry?

I mentioned that white people are indigenous to the UK. No shit sherlock.

If you actually read my posts, you might, just might understand, that I am not remotely racist.

I think you are. I think that people like you, who think it's cool to stand up for ethnic minorities, do a huge disservice to them all.

They don't need your help. In fact, you're a bloody hindrance, because you whip up ill-feeling where it shouldn't belong.

To make the message clear, I HAD A POST DELETED BECAUSE SOMEONE QUERIED MY ASSERTION THAT ETHNIC BRITISH PEOPLE HAVE WHITE SKIN.

Jeez ...........

TBH - You probably should be a bit embarrassed by Norman ancestors, as they were generally not very nice. Like you would be a bit embarrassed by ancestors who were slave traders for instance.

But not very, as really, past a generation or two it's a bit odd to be proud or embarrassed by your ancestors as they have nothing to do with you.

Feel a bit bad now. Desiderata is going to blushing all over the place when she finally understands. Ah well.

You really haven't read my post, have you? It's perfectly clear.

Quite right, Colditz.

And Nickie, I'm not quite sure why you're labeling me 'crazy, without a sound rebuff.

I can only assume that you don't have a ready argument to hand.

Desiderata - Indigenous to what period? The original british population was wiped out in the last ice age. Then it was repopulated by a bunch of people who we now call picts, but who probably wouldn't have seen themselves as so homogenous. Then the Celts came, then assorted Angles, Saxons and Danes invaded/traded etc. Then your lot stormed in with a visciously oppressive occupation that included ethnic cleansing.

But there is no absolute freedom of speech Colditz. I can't with impunity go up to you in the street or go online and call you a murderer, nor call your boss and say you have been stealing from accounts, and quite rightly so. We only debate the degree to which we regulate what people can say about each other.