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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder how the hell this country got so racist and narrowminded?

277 replies

smokinaces · 30/11/2011 21:49

There is a photo of a letter going round on FB. Basically showing that Aslyum Seekers are getting their gas and electric paid for over Christmas. My god. The comments people are coming out with.

to quote a few:

"What about ones that come over here and get new cars mobile phones etc and we get fuck all. They wouldn't do the same for us if we was that poor and froze we would have our kids taken off us we wouldn't get help to heat our houses up."

"Yeah but a lot of the asylum seekers r terriosts half of them are working for wants his name"

"every tom dick or Harry are allowed into our country to first take all our jobs for half the pay us English need to be paid to pay for our gas electric and every other bill we get thrown at us, secondly to take our placements from our first choice schools cause they got homed near a school of our choice, homed for free!"

"there are english children in this country that dont even have a warm winter coat to wear coz their parents or parent cant a ford to buy one coz most of their benifits go on tryin to heat damp houses and feed them with at least one hot meal a day even if it is only beans on toast.....ive yet to see an under feed immagrint whether asylum seeeker or not and as for designer clothes that under privalaged english child only dream of owning but u see them on the backs of people that dont deserve them (imagrants asylum seekers)"

"im sick to death of working my tits off 6days aweek when im off sick or unable to work and ask for help all i got was £26 a week what a load of bullshit im english born and bred worked from the age off 17 and pay tax all my live and people walk in to this country and get free this free that f##king crap an 90% of bristish people think this to blood sucks, think of the people that fought for this country all them years ago BORN AND BRED"

Seriously?? How the fucking hell did we get to the point where this is what people think? Honestly?? I dont even know what to say to the last two - I tried arguing constructively earlier in the day, but cant even be bothered to waste my breath on the last two. They called me a "goody two shoes" and seem determined to blame everything on "immigrants".

I'm actually ashamed to live in the same town as some of these people.

AIBU to wonder where this country goes from here when this is what crap they spout? Is it the media's fault? or education?

(the worst bit? at least 1 of these people quoted are a 3rd generation European "immigrant" but thats different of course Hmm)

OP posts:
porcamiseria · 01/12/2011 09:59

Facism always rears its head in a recession, look at Nazi Germany

cant you just defriend the people you know that publicise this shit?

and also, remember it is hard for working class whites as some said. I do not condone it, but Govt need to work to ensure wrong stories like this dont get about and cuase a frenzy with the EDL crew

festivalwidow · 01/12/2011 10:01

Tortu, can I have one of your t-shirts please? Grin
I've almost given up going on public transport because of the racist bile that gets spouted - not just shouty women on trams videoed on YouTube, but the worst are the seemingly 'sweet' little old ladies who spend their time ranting on about immigration, asylum seekers and the Polish. Somehow "I don't appreciate hearing racist comments, and while you're entitled to your views I must ask you to keep them to yourself" doesn't seem to shut them up.

mrsbaffled · 01/12/2011 10:04

The comments on the FB picture greatly troubled me. I assumed it was because they had missed the fact it was written to Asylum Seekers, but no, they had picked up on that.
The media has blurred the lines between genuine people fleeing their home countries for their LIVES and illegal immigrants.
The line taken by my friend's FB friends was that the government should take care of 'our own' first, THEN help the oppressed from other nations.
Personally I am proud to live in a country where we protect those who need asylum, rather than condemn them to death or worse by refusing them help (as many on FB would do....)

BaublesandCunting · 01/12/2011 10:06

YANBU, obviously.

It's like I always point out; if you would deny basic heating/food/shelter to people seeking ASYLUM (really think that these EDL/BNP twats need to learn the meaning of the word asylum) from terrible, terrible things going on in their homeland, then you should hand in your notice to the human race.

What's to say that one day, it won't be US fleeing our country? I hope that we'd get a better reception than a lot of these morons mete out to the poor people coming here for help. :(

LunaticFringe · 01/12/2011 10:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ShengdanRoad · 01/12/2011 10:12

I wonder if India thought they had an "immigration problem" when the British came and took over their country, or if the West Africans thought anything was amiss when white people came and stole them from their homelands to be slaves overseas.

People need to read up on their colonial history.

Sevenfold · 01/12/2011 10:18

yanbu
but that is the way it is going at the moment, disablism is rife and racism will follow next

SomekindofSpanish · 01/12/2011 10:24

I don't think it has become more racist. As others have said, times are hard and those who feel they are at the bottom need to blame someone and feel powerless against the government.

I don't think it it just the White working class that are finding it tough either, but all sectors of the working class and the working poor.

I grew up on a rough council estate and I have friends still there, Black and White. They are all complaining about the new wave of immigrants (Poles, Somalis). The White ones are at pains to point out that they are not talking about my family (immigrants of the 60s) and the Black ones are sounding like the ignorant White people of the 1970s.

I'm wondering if it is more about class/money than race.

TheRealMrsHannigan · 01/12/2011 10:35

The tabloids fuel racism, The Daily mail for a start has a deep hatred of migrants of any kind.

I also think that there is a problem with immigration in this country, countless polls have shown that many British people feel we have an 'open door' policy and have allowed immigration to leap out of control. This gives the tabloids soemthing to seize on and stir up more hatred.

I also know many British families who feel they are misplaced and have no voice in their own country, it is a serious problem and one the Government has done nothing to address, (hence the rise in popularity of 'political parties' such as the BNP and EDL) very often if anyone expresses this view they are also branded racist or ignorant and so on. People are scared to speak up on the issue of immigration.

There are fo course, a minority of people who truly are racist and vile, but its the same in any society and somethign that I do believe is dying out and becoming less acceptable.

porcamiseria · 01/12/2011 10:37

same here, vis a vis Poles and Somalis and local issues. I personally think the major issue for depletion of public funds come from EU expanson rather than refugees, but thats just me! I think as a rich (!!!) country we have a moral right to open our doors to refugees and asylum seekers. I do have a concern that a wave or EE are really impacting on educations and the NHS and frankly god knows what the answer is!!!!!

Pendeen · 01/12/2011 10:44

" People need to read up on their colonial history. "

How will that address the current problems? Simple answer - it will not.

I for one am certainly not responsible for the colonisation by the British Empire any more than a young German is responsible for the actions of the Nazis, an Italian for the Romans, or indeed a young Arab for the sea-raids and kidnapping of my ancestors.

Maybe more than a few are not aware of British history but there can be no guilt - or blame attached - to anyone living today for the actions of those engaged in Empire conquests.

AbsofCroissant · 01/12/2011 10:48

Well, IME there are a lot of quite racist people in this country, it just hasn't been that acceptable in the last decade or so to spout such views openly.

But, recessions and economic uncertainty bring out the worst in people - the Depression and lingering economic issues helped bring Hitler into power in Germany. It's very easy to find a scapegoat and point a finger of blame; the historian Gavin (I think?) Langmuir wrote something on it saying that people will find a "hate figure" to blame all their problems on; it's much easier to point the finger at someone else than to admit to your own short comings and failings. E.g. "all these immigrants are lazy and don't work hard" while you know, deep down inside, that you're lazy and don't work hard.

I think now it has become more acceptable to spout racist views, and this is encouraged a lot by the tabloids (they really have a lot to answer for), particularly ones like the Daily Mail. Very few people would spout anti-immigrant/racist comments if they knew that people would tell them off, it would be a major social faux pas. But, if it's acceptable for major newspapers to publish such rubbish on a daily basis (including the more "respectable" ones) of course people are going to feel comfortable doing it.

It is unbelievably easy for a "civilised" country to justify hate mongering and the demonisation of a particular group. Too easy.

A1980 · 01/12/2011 10:56

YABU to call this country racist.

Do you think ethnic minorities are any better? I am a legal aid lawyer, a large proportion of my client's are not white and I have heard the most appalling racist comments made about other races. They seem to think it's acceptable because they aren't white themselves.

Also if you think we treat asylum seekers badly, go to Australia. They put them behind bars in a detention camp.

BaublesandCuntingCarolSingers · 01/12/2011 11:00

"Maybe more than a few are not aware of British history but there can be no guilt - or blame attached - to anyone living today for the actions of those engaged in Empire conquests."

That may be so but it might help explain to the dunderheads why there are so many "pakis and indians" living in this country the next time they feel like moaning about it. If it hadn't been for the Empire, there wouldn't have been so many people from India and Pakistan immigrating here in the first place.

Tianc · 01/12/2011 11:01

A1980, UK can't be racist because other people are racist?

And you claim to be a lawyer? Blardy hell, you couldn't argue your way out of paperbag.

Btw I completely agree that there are many racist people in the world, and some countries have worse records than others. I'd like my country to be one I'm proud of, thanks very much.

A1980 · 01/12/2011 11:12

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

porcamiseria · 01/12/2011 11:21

christ lets all hit ourselves around the head for the slavery too? I dont think its helps bringing up what we did 100s of years ago really, no country has a lovely record quite frankly. and when I feel bad, I just think of Australia.......

perceptionreality · 01/12/2011 11:38

There are some really ignorant, nasty racists around who always seem to come crawling out of the woodwork at given opportunities. I really hope they are in the minority.

The current government are not exactly bending over backwards to encourage understanding towards everyone though.

BaublesandCuntingCarolSingers · 01/12/2011 11:42

Ah, right.

So we don't need to examine our conscience as a society when wondering why we have such a high perecentage of immigrants? Well, we can't have it both ways. We either accept our past as a nation and the things that came with it subsequently or we bury our heads in the sand and kid ourselves that immigration happens because we're a "soft-touch".

Pendeen · 01/12/2011 11:46

What conscience? Do you feel guilty for the actions of your ancstors? Why?

Tianc · 01/12/2011 11:47

Exactly, Baubles. It's all Don't Mention the War Empire, because people get hung up on the guilt aspect.

And because of this can't make a realistic assessment of just how much the UK owes historically and currently to the former Empire countries. And actually how much we stand to benefit from continued breadth of links to emerging giants like India.

Pendeen · 01/12/2011 11:47

ancestors - rubbish sticky keyboard

BaublesandCuntingCarolSingers · 01/12/2011 11:50

I didn't say feel guilty for, I mean think about it and accept that our (very dishonourable, actually) past came with certain strings.

It makes me almost explode with anger when racist british people disrespect pakistanis/indians/poles. Do they know how much they have done for us throughtout our history? No. They just see a ready-made excuse for their own failings. It's not the immigrants fault you haven't got a job, fuckwit.

porcamiseria · 01/12/2011 11:50

how can I examine the conscience when many of the people that did it are long dead?? and what the fuck has colonialism got to do with expanding the EU to Eastern Europe? and as far as I can remember we did not colonialise somalia did we?

Its not relevant to todays conversation IMO

immigrants are everywhere regardless of a colonial past

AntiqueAnteater · 01/12/2011 11:50

Do you feel guilty for the actions of your ancstors?

why on earth would you? thats history, how things were then. Things have changed. I am sure that in 100 years people will say we are wrong for doing x y and z. Should they feel ashamed? No, cos we live our lives the way things are now at this moment in time and we learn from the past.

All colours and religions have racist people in them. All. Although some dont seem to get pulled up about it as much as others.