How will we put the racism genie back in the bottle?

[How2024]

The riots have legitimised an increase in racist abuse. Even after the threat of riots has receded, people who were that way inclined in private will still feel emboldened to verbally abuse those they see as different.

How are we going to row back on this?

Today a teenage friend of my dd who wears a hijab had some men show her the middle finger - this is in London. This has not happened to her before. Anecdotally I know that many people have suffered an increase in racist abuse while many others are worried about leaving the house. My own mixed race dd is in her words worried she will be beaten up, and is also worried about what might happen to her Dad.

How is this going to get better?

It will slowly go back underground. But it never really went away since the 1970s, at least towards people of Pakistani/Bangladeshi heritage. Perhaps racism is a bit like cold sores. With you for life, just be pleased when it's dormant.

And then give it 50 years or so. Perhaps one positive thing about the recent shitshow is that there has been relatively little racism aimed at the Southport attacked, once his identity became known. He is British, and only a few hardcore "skin-colour is all" racists have mumbled about that. So maybe it just needs time.

Turn off communicating with others online, like mumsnet.

So yeah never going to happen

I am not saying mumsnet is a communication of racism, just a communication platform

If you want to turn off Telegram etc, then you have to turn off mumsnet

Failing that make internet posting identifying, not necessarily online to others, but you can easier trace any hate posts back to a log in or mobile number.

The racism genie has been proudly out of the lamp for decades, just because riots are unusual, it doesn’t mean that racist verbal abuse and physical violence is unusual. They do it in public on a regular basis, just not in large groups .

Discrimination of all stripes and against all groups will never disappear completely.

The unrest does feel to be two tiered. One part being a rise up against thought and tone policing the other about being a knuckle dragger.

Calming the language down would help. At the moment society labels everything as phobic or -ist and this has happened at such a rapid rate people haven't really had time to digest a change before the next wave hits them, which might account for some of the action.

Racism has been a feature of human traits since humans came along. There is no putting it back

What is needed however is tough policing, and more police and police to have more powers to deal with agitators, violence, thuggery. Of all kinds.

Can you imagine the outcry if the lot of them were tasered or water cannons on them (which I know we dont have). They wouldnt stand for this in other countries, people get shot for behaving like this

However, just look at all the times when the police do act harshly, they are highly criticised, have to then refer themselves to be investigated.

If you act violently or in a way that causes public disorder you should expect to feel the full force of the law as far as Im concerned, unfortunately the public and the political narrative over the years has disempowered the police.

Looks like its happening. Anti rascist demos today - numbers far outweigh the idiots - and demonstrating peacefully, fut definitely prepared to be there and (easily) outnumber the twats

Off the top my head....

Have stricter rules about inciting hate speech.

Prosecute the likes of Farage, the Daily Xpress, Mail etc should have fanned these flames.

Ban twitter and that prick Musk.

Educate ALL children better.
Ban private schools. Take steps to help EVERYONE have better jobs, education, health & social care. Stamp out inequality which makes some people feel so desperate and creates an underclass.