Colleague made racist remark on Facebook

[vivizone]

Keeping the FB theme that's on here today!
Not her first time. I suspect she is a EDL/UKIP supporter. Always with her Daily Mail tucked under her arm.
I just feel so cross. Cross that I know this muppet and cross with myself for not saying anything. Made worse by another colleague 'liking' the comment and replying 'too right, too right'.
We work for a really professional organisation. A very well known org.
Would it be wrong to report it at work? I will delete both of them although the woman who wrote the status is a right loud bully. I am shocked and really disappointed in collg who commented. Quiet as a church mouse and she shares that type of thinking.
Both me and collg who commented on the status are non white if it makes any difference.
Sorry for typos. Typing on phone.

[BarbJohnson5]

I think they're being insensitive and want the attention from FB posters/onlookers. People never fail to fall for the post everything on FB, to the point where they post any and everything without thinking of the consequences. If they were being racist, they should be reprimanded or even sacked by the company they represent for it.

[BigAudioDynamite]

Sorry bessie, I did misinterpret your post. I don't think I'm dim though

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

I do think that part of the problem is seeing certain groups as other based on factors such as religion or skin colour. I also see some people being quick to blame immigration for changes that were happening anyway. The increase in urbanisation, change in traditional industries and greater geographic mobility have all had and are still having a major effect in some areas, it's not all down to the Poles or the Muslims.

[TotallyBS]

South - I went through the thread again.I think people universally regard the comments and the woman as being racist. But I don't see why the people saying it's got nothing to do with work are apologists for racism.

As I said above, if your job is customer facing or you are in a position of trust like a cop or a teacher then those racist comments should be dealt with by the employer.

But that doesn't seem to be the case unless I missed the OP saying that they are teachers for eg.

At work I have people who are homophobic, sexist, ageist, and even socialist :) I avoid being next to them at the work piss ups. I certainly wouldn't try to get them fired for being arse holes

[Southeastdweller]

About the people the colleague she's working with and that it's likely that her company would take some kind of action against her views.

[TotallyBS]

The friend made a racist post on fb about Muslims. What have I missed South?

[Southeastdweller]

Totally I suggest reading the whole thread.

[TotallyBS]

If the workmate was a cop or teacher or benefits front desk person or similar then I would report her to the boss/supervisor.

But if she is an accounts clerk for example then her views, although abhorrent to most people, are her personal views and have no impact on her job.

I would simply block her but if you want to make your feelings known then defriend her. I certainly wouldn't ruin her career because you and most of us don't like her politics.

[Bessie123]

They are not wankers, they (mostly) do not mean to be racist. But they are racist and I expect it happened very slowly and incrementally and they didn't notice it happening.

[Theicingontop]

Bessie, I don't think being 'politically correct' comes into it.

If they're wankers, they're wankers. If they nod wisely to themselves and think, "Well they ARE muslims, after all" they are the wankers. The colour of their skin or their mad guess at their religion (how brown is too brown to be a muslim, btw? ) shouldn't come into it.

[Bessie123]

Fgs, the problem with mn sometimes is that a lot of you are a bit dim, particularly when you are feeling all self righteous. I was trying to explain, as hohoho recognised that for some people, particularly those who are a bit older, who have seen the area they live in change and become dominated by a different racial group, anti social behaviour can be mixed up with skin colour and becomes in their minds a race issue rather than a behavioural issue. They are not being intentionally racist and on an individual basis are not racist, but because they never see white youths being wankers on the street late at night, they see it as a problem that attaches to the brown-skinned community.

[HesterBurnitall]

I disagree, HoHo, and would suggest it's triggered by racism based on the fact they've made comments about 'blacks' moving in at all.

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

I have to agree slightly with what Bessie says to some extent. I have heard comments from my own neighbours in relation to the amount of 'blacks' moving into the area and how 'it'll soon be all drugs&guns'. This was triggered from seeing a group of youths on the street. Would they have stood out and received the same comments had it been a bunch of white kids -I doubt it.

[ravenAK]

That's only going to work, Bessie, if all/the vast majority of annoying youths are 'brown' & all/the vast majority of annoyed elders are 'not brown'.

& even then, if you weren't racist, then as an annoyed elder you'd be thinking 'bloody kids!' at least as readily as 'bloody brown people!', surely?

I think most people, if asked to identify a factor that might lead an individual to be a noisy selfish wanker late at night, would come up with 'youth', rather than 'brown skin.'

[UpUpDown]

No Bessie, that doesnt make sense. Im working class and I live in a inner city, very diverse/multicultural area. Here, if people are making noise late at night, other people get annoyed because they are making noise. NOT because they are BROWN or MUSLIM. And that, you see, is because WE ARENT RACIST

[olgaga]

I grew up on a Council Estate in the middle of London.

Why would someone be more annoyed by the noise of anti-social behaviour from non-white neighbours?

Surely it would be annoying whatever race they were?

Unless in addition to being annoyed by their noise, you felt they shouldn't be there in the first place...

[Bessie123]

Can I just say, I think it's easier to be 'politically correct' if you don't live in the middle of a heavily non-white, non-mixed, closed community but are white yourself. There are certain aspects of communities where people tend to be poorer and not well educated that makes them behave in a highly anti-social way and when there is only one colour associated with that behaviour and it is a different one from yours, the issue often becomes about the skin colour, rather than the fucking annoying behaviour.

For example, there are some selfish wankers outside my house just now, making loads of noise and keeping me awake. Their skin is brown and I expect they are Muslim. They are just being ignorant youths but because the only youths anyone sees around here have brown skin, a lot of people (particularly those who are a bit older) would see the problem as the brown skin, rather than the youths living working class lives with not particularly educated parents.

Does that make sense? I think it's difficult to relate to that if you're not living in it because the changes in attitude are imperceptible day by day and what you may once have thought were racist comments become more normalised.

[Southeastdweller]

Though I still think I would report the colleague, I can understand why some people on here, including the OP, would rather just talk to the person. But what is beyond me is those of you who think it's best to ignore it completely. What kind of world would we live in if we all ignored bigots?

FFS.

[olgaga]

Yes it's really very depressing. I wouldn't hesitate to draw it to the attention of an employer if a colleague of mine expressed views like that on FB or anywhere else.

It reminds me of those "racist rant on the tube/bus/train video" situations - which have caused people to be convicted for race hate crimes.

Having thoughts like that is bad enough. Posting them on FB is as bad as giving voice to them.

Utterly indefensible.

[mystiquesonya]

Only read up to page 4 but I'm shocked and horrified at how many people are defending the fb post. Disgusting.

[whateveritakes]

I am shocked at what some people actually come out with although those that do make racist statements don't usually do it in front of the people they are insulting generally (white or black) and are as nice as pie to the faces of the very people they hate

Why assume that people who want to argue against religion, multiculturalism or immigration hate . Racists do hate a whole section of society. Doesn't mean other people can't have a view. America has one version of multiculturalism we have another but you can discuss it without hating people.

[Seabird72]

being racist is loathesome - if you are friends on FB with this person then you should comment on the page and ask why they have said such a thing? She will no doubt have many friends on FB who disagree but were afraid to say so. However UKIP and DM bashing shouldn't come into it. UKIP just want to put limits on immigration by anyone white or black because there haven't been any sensible limitations before by previous governments - DM cannot be considered racist when they campaigned so hard to have Stephen Lawrences's killers brought to justice. You might not agree with UKIP and hate reading the DM but just because you don't agree with them doesn't mean it's ok to claim they're racist. The BNP are racist. Individuals are racist - I am shocked at what some people actually come out with although those that do make racist statements don't usually do it in front of the people they are insulting generally (white or black) and are as nice as pie to the faces of the very people they hate - at least if you know someone is openly racist you can avoid them, not be friend with them on FB and will have a very valid point about not wanting to work with them.

[HoratiaWinwood]

Rhiannon - on the face of it, you're right. But curiously the vast vast majority of "concerns about immigration" are expressed in racist language, without factual foundation.