AIBU to defriend this person, or should I stand up for what I believe, then defriend? WARNING..FACEBOOK AND IMMIGRANTS ISSUE.

[littlemisssarcastic]

Ok, I know there are many people who don't use facebook for whatever reason, but that's not why I am here.
I believe people should stand up for what they believe in, even if it means they might lose friends over it.

I am being bamboozled by a discussion I am having with a friend over their views on FB. I think I am now out of my depth, because I am convinced that this friend has now got someone else to write her replies to what I am saying. (She has never ever written or spoken like this before, in fact in all the time I have known her, she has never been able to have an intelligent conversation).

Before you say 'defriend', I'd like to say that whilst I agree that she will indeed be defriended (obviously depending on whether I am badly wrong or not) I feel I should at least attempt to give my friend 'food for thought' as it were.
It doesn't feel right to me to just walk away from such hatred without at least trying to enlighten her, or maybe it's me who needs enlightening, I don't know.

I am not sure if anyone will want to help me, so I'll post the conversation if anyone would like to see it,and hopefully make some sense of it for me, so I can at least try to clear up a few myths and maybe get this girl to think about what I have said before I defriend.

Warning: The discussion is about immigrants and how much help they should receive from the govt, so if anyone more intelligent than me who understands about immigration can help me, I'd really appreciate it. I can't help thinking that if one person changes their minds about immigrants (and friend is quite young) then I will feel it has been worth having the discussion IYSWIM.

Your mate can't seem to decide who they don't like. Do they dislike illegal immigrants who aren't allowed to work and aren't allowed to claim benfits? Or do they dislike working legal immigrants who are by definition taxpayers? Or do they dislike everyone, British or otherwise, that doesn't bother to work?

Tanifs post says it all.

Hmm maybe she has copied and pasted.

It bascially says that too many immigrants at a time when our countries finances are tight should not be allowed as they cost the tax payer in various ways. In other words we should be looking after our own and protect access to jobs.

This is my interpreation not my opinion re immigrants. Though I do think its ok to disagree with friends on issues and be respectful of different POV. However if it is something that you feel so strongyl about and is fundamental to you as an individual then I can understand wanting to defriend her.

What is also concerning is that if these are not her words then she appears to be 'playing you' by using someone elses words to prove a point which she may not fully grasp in the first place. I would also be careful of posting such a snesitive topic on FB its very different to discussion threads on here.

Sounds like she's copying and pasting directly from somewhere!

Thank you for all your replies so far. It's starting to make sense.

I just want to say Tanif I am actually laughing out loud at your post at 21.15.
Maybe friend is confused herself but is using big words to try to make me MORE confused.
I'm tempted to post that on there and see what reply she comes up with.

They have started from shaky premises in two ways:

1. There is a certain amount of wealth available (tax payers money) and it must be redistributed for the be...tterment of the tax payers. This country has many more sources of income than 'tax payers' money'. How on earth can it afford to go to war?

1. Someone who has contributed to the country's financial pot all their lives has far more right to financial support than someone who has never contributed and is not working. Benefits are not a reward system. Paying tax is not the same as paying into a savings scheme. A welfare state is there to help those who need it most, not who paid the most into 'the pot'. By their logic, a millionaire in his 70s has more right to financial support than a 10 yr old child in care. Which is clearly absurd.

tethers, I like you very much and more or less agree so don't take the capital letters personally, but:

IMMIGRANTS DON'T FUCKING GET BENEFITS!

There is no point discussing whether or not this country can afford to pay immigrants benefits, because it doesn't do so.

Actually immigration was useful to the UK as we do have shortages in a number of occuplational areas you can look these up on government websites and younger immigrants are useful to the economy as we have an aging population and thus need balance in workforce. People from the UK may move around EU too!

LRD immigrants do cost the UK money

sorry posted too soon, though not in benefits

Ask her to clarify certain points, and see if you get a direct response!

"So, how do you feel about The Windrush?" should do it

name I didn't say they didn't (though, as a net result, I'm not convinced you're right either). What I said was that they don't get benefits, which is true.

LRD, I like you too... I am just having similar facebook issues with someone else and I am quite sure that by 'immigrants' the OP's 'friend', much like mine is referring simply to people who were not born here. Or are a bit darker than them. Or perhaps have some sort of accent. Or hat.

Anyway, forgive me, but I am working with the ignoramuses' definition of 'immigrants'

Does your friend have any redeeming features and has she been locked in a dark room for some time with the Daily Mail hacks?

In any case, I'd just dump her. You can't change the minds of bigots. They are closed off to all arguments.

The windrush? purplepidjin

B**cks illegal ones sorry.

purple thats a good idea, be honest and say can you explain what you mean in simple terms as I dont get it.....

I dont like how she passing herself off like this its dishonest reguardless of content

I totally see what you are saying pseudonomic, I really do, and she will be defriended, but I just want to try, I want to challenge people who have such bigoted racist attitudes, because if I can change just one persons attitude, then maybe they can change one other persons attitude and so forth, and if I just walk away, I will never know what would have happened if I had just tried. I hope you understand.

tethers - you're probably right. Depressingly.

'Immigrants on benefits' is a sure-fire way to get up my nose.

I believe people should stand up for what they believe in,

therefore your friends have the same right to say what they believe in too?

LRD, it isn't strictly accurate to say that immigrants can never get benefits. Certainly, SOME immigrants have no recourse to public funds but this doesn't apply to all. Having said that, there is a whole lot of nonsense out there about what people are entitled to!

But I agree that the OP's friend seems very confused about this issue and probably has no idea what she is talking about. Looks like a cut & paste job to me!

Tell her to stop sniffing the newprint in the Daily Mail, it's really not doing her brain cell any good.

Immigrants do not get benefits.
Refugees get protection.
And morons get to post shit on Facebook.

The passengers of the Windrush were invited guests of the British Government, littlemisssarcastic. They were invited here from the Carribean to work and become part of the community, so would therefore be classed by the OP's "friend" as immigrants.

Not from the Daily Mail

I have seen this on fb. It is a cut and paste thing. Why are people bigots because they are not keen on the amount of immigration and people in this country. I think there is probably some truth in the statement.

Oh well I must be a bigot too

Or, tell her to be grateful she's allowed to post her opinion - in many countries, she'd be shot

magic, please tell me which immigrants can get benefits? We're talking about jobseekers', yes?