To feel upset to discover that "friend" supports the BNP :(

[Jinsei]

Not a close friend, but this is someone who has been to my house, accepted my hospitality etc. DH is Asian and dd is mixed race. I am to know that she holds these views and upset to think that she has held these views through all of our "friendly" conversations.

I'm not going to say anything to her, will just quietly edit her out of our lives. But it makes me :( that seemingly "nice" people can buy into such crap.

ravenAK - people who immigrate have to leave from somewhere. I do wonder sometimes whether people who profess to be against immigration are just massive NIMBYs or whether they do hold genuine beliefs that emigration is morally wrong.

OP - YANBU. I believe that you would be almost as big a hypocrite as this woman if you continued the friendship. I can understand why you feel used.

MrJudgyPants - the political party with most similarities to the BNP's policies is, ironically, Robert Mugabe's government in Zimbabwe. A great model to follow .

Quite, Thistledew. The UK has a substantial history of emigration, & not always necessarily to the benefit, or indeed with the approval, of the countries we've emigrated to.

I think megabored might just've confused the two though, as she was talking about 'emigrants to the UK'.

YANBU get rid, delete from Facebook the lot. If she asks why, explain in no uncertain terms how you can't be friends with someone who wants to deport your husband and treat your children like second class citizens.

merely voting BNP makes someone a racist neo Nazi" but it is probably a good sign that they are. See the things Nick Griffin says and does? They are precisely the kind of things that a racist and a neo-nazi says.

I agree with a lot of what the BNP say but they have too many thick racist types (skinheads etc) so you don't object to their foul policies, but object to the haircuts? If the membership criteria is to be a thick, racist skinhead, you are amply well qualified on two counts.

I know the stupid arsehole got sacked for it, but do you remember the BNP candidate that said 'for a woman, getting raped wad as inconvenient as loosing their handbag' and liked rape to being force fed chocolate. Afterall women like chocolate and they like sex!

Don't they have decidedly nasty views on people with disabilities to? [puking face]

I did indeed confuse. Apologies. Feeding baby at midnight and mumsneting to stay awake.
Next time I will only observe and not post at that hr!!

thistle you did the same thing as me.
Yes, I think they are nimby.
I also find that people do not at times realise what the BNP stands for. Not
Long ago, Asians in a London borough voted for the BNP!

Some people vote BNP due to concerns about the pressure immigrants put on housing, schools and the number of jobs available. They are not racists, but are usually thick as shit.

OP yanbu.

I think a massive problem is that alot of people who 'support' the BNP have no clue what a set of twunts they are.
I know a few people who have considered voting bnp. I realised that they were actually concerned about immigration not racist. I sent 2 of them several links and they were both mortified that they had openly said they may vote for the.
I think to many people don't find enough out about the political party they are voting for.
Its not an excuse, but I think some people just don't get how hope the BNP is.

Bigots have no place in our society.

And I say that as an Australian who is thoroughly sick of seeing bumper stickers like 'fuck off, we're full' and the whining about the 'boat people.'

Bigots have no place in a civilised society, and as far as I'm concerned, they're uneducated and uncivilised.

YANBU I could not pass the time of day with someone like that!

Just a thought.

Is there any chance she is listed as a member without actually supporting them?

I only say this because I signed up for (free) membership (although using a pseudonym in my case), NOT because I want anything to do with them or their policies, but simply so that I could research their internet page (which is mostly closed to non-members) and become more knowledgeable. I research all political party pages.

I would also not retain a friend who voted for or supported them (I have a black DH and mixed-race child of my own).

This would not be simply because of a 'difference in politics', but because of a 'difference in morality' regarding the appropriateness of supporting a party and party leader that believe mixed race relationships are immoral and should be banned (amongst other racist beliefs).

No, she is not just researching the website, she definitely supports what they stand for. :(

DPrince, I often hear it said that many BNP voters don't really know what they stand for, but I really wonder about this. I would like to believe that it is ignorance rather than racism, but the BNP is generally so reviled that I can't believe people don't know they're voting for something very extreme and controversial - I mean, it's hardly a secret that nick griffin is a racist, sexist twunt. Surely the bad PR alone might motivate them to do a little more careful research? The fact that they don't leads me to believe that they really don't care....

I completely agree. People don't do enough research. It is self imposed ignorance. In one of these cases the woman had been told that the BNP weren't as bad as they were made out (it was simply down to the media manipulating the truth) and just concerned about immigration. She took that as the truth. She was stupid enough to believe it and publicly declare her thoughts. Which is why I sent them the correct information.
As I said, its not an excuse.
I know plenty of people that voted conservative and labour bases on what they had been told by others.
I think its a problem in politics in general. Too many people do not do enough research.
That said plenty of people who support the BNP know exactly what they are and I am not suggesting the OPs friend is one of these people who are ignorant.

Just a thought. I presume you like this person before you knew her views. Therefore, rather then leaving the friendship, remain friends and 'prove' that different cultures etc can co - exist together. Maybe remaining friends will prove fruitful and will help her change her views.

Sorry you are the OP. I meant I am not suggesting your friend is simply ignorant.

Just a thought. I presume you like this person before you knew her views.

I did like her, yes, but now I realise that I didn't know her. I get your point about changing her views etc, but if she still supports the BNP after more than two years of being "friends" with us, I think I'm on to a bit of a loser. Besides, I don't think I have it in me to be nice to someone who finds my dd's very existence to be offensive. :(

As much as I disagree with their politics entirely, they are not a prohibited political party. They gain momentum because they play to peoples fears.

DPrince, I know. I agree that there is ignorance about all political parties. That's the problem with democracy unfortunately. :( But I do think the BNP are a special case. If people have to be told that they're not as bad as they're made out to be, shouldn't that set off the alarm bells? It's wilful ignorance in my view. And although people may publicly withdraw their support when the evidence is right there in front of them, they're more than happy to turn a blind eye and plead ignorance until that point.

YANBU to feel like this

I personally couldn't let her views go unchallenged but it is, of course, up to you

Just an observation - some of the nicest, most generous people I know have held political views polar opposite to me. Just ignoring your friend for no apparent reason will have little effect = if it were me I would say something along the lines of what you have posted here - my bet is she hasn't really thought about the full implications of supporting the BNP.

If you're choosing friends on the basis of their politics

This is not about politics. One of my closest friends is a Tory, I am a socialist.

We disagree about the best way to achieve equality, justice and fairness (free markets or state intervention). That is a political discussion.

Discriminating against someone on the basis of their skin colour, a disability or their sexual orientation is about denying them basic human dignity.

YANBU - I won't associate with anyone who supports the BNP, no matter what. If I find out they have those leanings I cut them out.

That's because I find it impossible to have any time for a fascist.

But redhelen, there is nothing remotely nice or generous about the BNP. My "friend" is not stupid, she must realise what they stand for.

Cutting her off might have little effect, but I don't think challenging her on it will change her views either. I don't believe I can change her horrible views whatever I do. But I can choose not to have her in my life any more. I don't have time for bigots of any variety - life is just too short.