My elderly neighbour told me the riots have set black people fifty years back

[sundayrose10]

Saw me coming back this evening so stopped me for a chat. Said black people have no chance now they have truly fucked up. (hmm yeah, cos we are allllllllllllllllllllllllll the same)

Is it unreasonable for me to think he could have had tact considering I am black myself

I might teach him a lesson and not buy his Mail on Sunday for him any more. He is normally a sane(ish) person.

I agree, squeaktoy. I am bloody angry as I am raising 3 boys who are mixed race. They are very young at the moment, but I hoping that any 'ill feeling' that remains after these latest events will disperse by the time they are teens.

Viggle, I knew you understood, was just making clear for any who came onto the thread that did not .

Rivenside, I agree totally.

What sprogger said.

No worries Spanish

Wow, the way people are talking on here and from what I've seen on facebook, the news, its very scary. True colours being shown here? As a parent of mixed race children, I used to think I was paranoid about racism but now I see sadly I'm not, I'm gonna have to protect my kids with all I've got.

But Sprogger, there will be people who blame the initial riots for triggering off the riots that started in other parts of the UK apart from London (which they did, because teens and troublemakers of every race have decided to jump on the bandwagon). The London riots started because of a black man being shot dead by police.

Squeaky- I think you'll find the man that was shot by the police that started the riots was mixed race actually. How is it that anyone that is mixed is automatically seen as black? The riots haven't set black people back, the uk is just as racist as it ever was people just hide it better than they used to.

Black or mixed race, he considered himself part of the black gang culture, did he not?

So what? He was not black. Gang culture is gang culture and has nothing to do with colour. What about the white people who associate themselves with 'black' gang culture?

At tea last night we were talking about how young people would be further stereotyped now. We are not against young people, three of those present are teenage boys.

For lots of reasons professional and personal I have a bee in my bonnet about prejudice against young people. I an now thinking about if we substituted black for young in that conversation. That would be reinforcing stereotypes at the very least. Exactly what we were doing with young people?!!!

My head is spinning.

If the rioters were not wearing designer clothes, and arranging their meet ups with their Blackberrys, or if they were looting for food, rather than luxury goods.. I may, just may, have a little more sympathy... but they arent.

It is NOT about poverty, although that will be the excuse peddled out by the do-gooders, liberals, and riot-apologists, and it is not even about race. It is about an element of society who have no respect for anyone, who think they are beyond the law, and who can do whatever the hell they like and will be excused.

What people forget beyond the poverty issue is that London has the highest percentage of ethnic minorities than any other part of the UK. However what is the excuse for 'blaming' black people for the riots in Bristol, Salford and Liverpool?

Our poverty has changed in recent years, people who are poor can afford some luxuries but that doesnt mean they don't suffer due to poverty. There isnt the chance for them to better themselves. Or they can't see a way to, and people are very happy to hold those less fortunate down.

Just because they aren't starving like those in Somalia doesnt mean they aren't affected by poverty.

However what is the excuse for 'blaming' black people for the riots in Bristol, Salford and Liverpool?

As I have already said, there will be people who think "all this started because of the blacks in London"... I am NOT saying this is right, or correct, but it IS what some people will think. Black people will be blamed, and there will be an increase in the prejudice against black people that has gradually been changing over the years.

To me, that is seen as a step backwards, and not a good one.

Innocent, law abiding black people will suffer because of this. They dont deserve to.

The people who think that it started just because of black people will be the same people who are casually racist anyway so not a step backwards. They will just be verbalising exactly what they already though but will now how a 'reason' to think it.

I havent played any race card if you care to read my posts properly.

Thought even.

Yes you have. The man that was shot was not black but you insist on calling him black.

Given that proximity to the incident seems to have become some kind of qualifier on this thread, I was trapped in my home in the middle of one of the London riots and had to escape in the middle of the night via my neighbours backdoor.

When I spent three hours by my window watching the rioters do their thing (i was absolutely TERRIFIED by the way and couldn't get through to the emergency services) what struck me was not the colour of their skin but the fact that they were ALL young males. Make of this what you will.

There is always going to be people who will look for whatever excuse they can find to further their own views and agendas. What we had is a section of the community, who for whatever reason, felt justified in rioting, looting and destroying people's livelihoods. That is beyond reproach from where I sit, whatever hue the perpetrators happen to come in. Yet, I have seen various people in the media try to analyse it within a racial context and no doubt lots of closet and blatant racists are using it as an excuse to further their own prejudices and from bitter experience, there isn't much you can do about this.

All black people are no more responsible for the rioting and looting than all white people are responsible for serial murderers and pedophiles, but clearly common sense isn't actually that common, it would seem. OP, please tell your neighbour to get a clue, people are people, some are good, some are not so good and some are just plain daft. That's just the way of the world.

Sprogger - Clapham, Camden & East Dulwich, are some of the most affluent areas in London - these are not 'poor' areas - Croydon isn't a particularly 'poor' area either - so I'm not sure what's going on.

carmina they are affluent areas, yes, but very near to some very non affluent areas. For example south of Clapham junction is affluent, but north of clapham junction is a series of large council estates. Same applies to East Dulwich and Camden.

Re the OP: I think that most people will see it has nothing to do with race. There are plenty of white rioters out there with the black ones. The unifying factor is not race - it is social background.