MNHQ Racism policy

Even saying "flegs" is mocking and rude.

It's akin to mocking someone speaking in an Indian accent with a sing song tone. And that would be racist and offensive.

But somehow because it's about Northern Ireland it's not.

No one is offended by being sick of violence.

It's the dismissive language, such as 'the flag business' and 'find something important to worry about' that's pissing most of us off.

Bit like the OP didn't call the whole of Northern Ireland anything and got away with it because she said "some", huh Po? sort of the same really, isn't it ?

I think it would be a shame if this ended up driving people from the site. :(

The attitudes that I have seen on here lead me to think that perhaps some posters don't want to be educated, they have made up their minds. Somehow its easier to write of an entire country than to listen to what they have to say.

I could see how people wouldn't want to listen to individuals who plant bombs, or start riots. But what about the rest of us? There is a big gap between the violence and the everyday NIrish person.

Life of po your comments are inflammatory and ignorant. They were on the last thread they are here.

LifeofPo the thread did not say that. The thread really really did not say that.

I am not a bigot and I deeply refute your implication that I am.

Thank you Rowan for apologising but to be blunt. I honestly don't think you understand how far wrong you guys got it.

It wasn't just one poster, it was loads of Northern Irish and Irish posters telling you you got it wrong.

And there seems to be a lot of very offended and very very hurt posters here on this thread.

The Pig, I think I may well be following in your footsteps.

I namechange all the time, but I've been on Mn for years, and have found it incredibly informative and supportive, particularly when I was an anxious older pregnant woman struggling with various decisions. I've always strenuously combatted the general media perception of Mn as a socially-irrelevant bunch of sweary harpies cackling about penis beakers and Cath Kidston.

I've been educated by things on the SN and Adoption fora in particular. I've done my best to be educational and helpful in return to genuinely baffled but interested posters on other threads to do with NI, Ireland, Irishness in general, academia, anything else I know about. But this has appalled and depressed me all day, and I am considering leaving the site permanently as a result.

I didn't comment on the other thread but do feel MNHQ get this type of thing wrong.

If something is offensive it really doesn't matter if it has or hasn't an official term, it shouldn't be allowed to stand.

Oh did I get deleted? Bummer, I should have stuck around and said what I was really thinking.

It wasn't very nice though.

Of course, neither were most of the people on the thread.

Including you, Po.

Whether NI is a race or not, it's certainly horrible what was being said.

But, then, I say that about a lot of the America threads and basically get told by HQ "calm down dear". Not always. But a lot of the time.

I was deleted for making racist comments. Which I was making to make my fucking point. That it isn't acceptable about any other race or ethnic group or nationality and it shouldn't be about the Irish or the Northern Irish.

And I'm seriously disappointed that it takes days and days for MNHQ to see that and a big conflab when everyone is back at their desks. It didn't take that long to delete the posts I made about other races

(which by the way I did not mean - I only said them to illustrate the point)

And actually, the people being censored on that thread were people from NI who were defending themselves.

I was so annoyed with the thread and the attitude of MN that I went and cleaned the shower grout with an old toothbrush.

I too will be interested in the response in the new year when they are all back at their desks.

The Scottish threads disgust me too FWIW. I remember one ages ago where people complained about things that were being said and IIRC it was left by HQ.

Thanks Pig.

Agree with Wannabe and ThePig. Again.

LifeofPo you were just as offensive on that thread as the OP and HQ.

And hiding behind "everyone is entitled to their opinion" is minimising it all.

If I held the opinion that black people were inferior (which I don't) I would be entitled to hold it, but not entitled to say it on an internet forum, or in RL.

Mumnet don't delete (IMO wrongly) if posters slate a particular nationality as opposed to a particular race.

If you read some of the Scottish Independence threads there is some really shocking anti-Scottish comments on there left to stand because Scottish isn't a race. I'd like to see MNHQ take a look at their policies too as it seems there is a gap between PAs and racism that needs to be clarified.