Doreen Lawrence

[DespairSometimes]

Sorry for the new nickname; those who know me already would understand why. Doreen Lawrence has been nominated for an honour from The Queen; whatever you might think about it (an personally I think it's a great idea), have a look at what's being said on this:

www.arrse.co.uk/current-affairs-news-analysis/202239-breaking-news-doreen-lawrence-made-peer.html

[Sallyingforth]

Hefeweizen
I have a good friend in the TA. He goes on exercises with the regular army. He tells me it's common knowledge that there are many guys who hang around that site who pretend to be soldiers but aren't. They like to big themselves up, go around in camo shirts and boast on-line about going to Afghanistan etc. Most of them are NF types and racists.
He says the real soldiers despise them and call them 'walts', short for Walter Mitty. He also says that there are racists in the army but no more than anywhere else. And he is black so I reckon he should know.

[Hefeweizen]

Sallyingforth - I concur that the site does attract some idiots, but on the whole, the NF skinhead thing is just plain incorrect.

If I tried to blag that I was a father in a newborn or a IVF thread, you'd see through me as quick as a flash. It's the same on that website, those who have served would see through a never-served in a heart-beat. (I'm a father of three BTW)

'Racists in the army', of course there is, it reflects a young active percentage of the population, but as you rightly say, no more than anywhere else.

Please can I just say, the majority of the remarks about the Comments section on the Daily Mail website were regards to it's blatant censorship. It's a shame that there's a few of the MN users on this thread just can't see that. Has it not occured to anyone that the red arrows are in direct response to the unduly bias moderation by Paul Dacre's newspaper? I'm sure that the EDL/BNP have better things to do than 'dislike' a newspaper article, so I don't think we have a massive racist outburst here by any means.

Mrs Lawrence's enoblement to the HoL stinks of political band-waggoning by the Labour party. Throughout the decades there's been campaigners in one such cause or other that have been seduced by the political parties for their own means, and most, I suspect have regretted it. If she accepts the Labout Peer, than I believe any good she has done (if any, I have no view) will be highjacked for shallow political ends.

The moment she takes the Ermine, she will lose her credibility as a campaigner. Is that what her supporters really want, or do they want a presence in the HoL that will toe the party line rather than seek community cohesion, justice and whatever else she's seeking?

I find the opposition to Doreen Lawrence taking a political Peerage being construed as being rascist offensive. Why is it racist that others should oppose a political party aligning itself with a campaigner for their own means? Aren't people allowed to have an opinion about someone without others classing it as racist? To call everyone a racist who voices an opinion against someone who is an ethnic minority is crass, oppressive and exactly the type of argument used by the intolerant to suppress free, educating and open debate.

As a last note, please remember that freedom of speech, percieved racist or otherwise, in which you enjoy, is exactly the thing that the majority of ARRSE members have signed up to defend.

[marcelladuffy]

Hefeweizen: Aww bless you, you find some things offensive. You find offence in having your little site called 'racist'. Good. You feel oppressed. How ironic. Your site is littered with racist references: tell the MNers what a 'Gibson's Dog' ((c) ARRSE) might be, or a 'Non-Swimmer', or how the real racism on your site is played down as if it's all a big joke; how some of your users have racist icons like golliwogs in their profiles, or how seemingly every prominent black figure - Nelson Mandela, Diane Abbott, Mrs Lawrence to name just a contemporary few - are put through the mill at every turn. 'Offenders' are frequently banned, only to resurface minutes later treating the whole thing as a joke, and this is accepted by the site leaders and made hay with by it's largely cowardly hoi polloi. Sir, your site is essentially racist, and its movers and shakers seem quite content with that state of affairs.

[marcelladuffy]

Hefeweizen I forgot to add, regarding your last sentence: should the world feel grateful? I don't think for one minute that freedom of speech is high on the agenda, TBH.

[Sallyingforth]

It's the same on that website, those who have served would see through a never-served in a heart-beat.
Yes Hefeweizen they do and they are called Walts. If you google on the term it takes you straight to that site.
However you, like everyone here, are welcome to your opinion and I don't need or desire to change it to mine. Just don't suggest that I have made anything up, thank you very much.

[Hefeweizen]

Opinions are like sphincters, everyone has one.

Website aside, I'm still intrigued why the majority on this thread feel that opposing DL's peerage is racist. I've mentioned on here that the post is a political one and as such, not one that everyone will agree with.

Sallyingforth says: "My only concern is that the honour might be degraded by the inevitable accusation that it was given by the party leader to attract votes. But then I suspect that many honours are indeed given to curry favour."

This is exactly what Honours are given for when no monetary favours are involved (I won't get onto political donations). Do you really believe that Ed Milliband and his party will not exploit Doreen and roll her out at every opportunity to bash someone or other on race issues? Do you think she'll be a figurehead in Labour anti-racist policy, Yep, you bet, although she may not agree with them all, or any.

stooshe sums it perfectly, better than I if truth be told, regarding the politicising of campaigners. If Doreen Lawrence really wants to make an impact, then she should refuse the Peerage and get others to lobby on her behalf to be ennobled as a Crossbencher, only then will she keep the credibility that she currently holds.

Bloody hell people, Look beyond the colour and see the Pawn in the political game she's about to become. I may be wrong, perhaps she has always harboured political yearnings and will feel comfortable as a Labour mouthpiece? If that's the case then she deserves all she gets!!

[marcelladuffy]

Website aside? Your are making assertions, for that is all they are, and even if you were to offer an argument, which you have not so far, it would be fatally undermined by your association with the website and its behaviours that you seek to defend.

[Salmotrutta]

mingegunge - I think you have spittle on your chin.

[Thisisaeuphemism]

Welcome mingegunge.

Op, you did say you were aware of run ins with the cretins from that website before. This is why some people felt it's kind of a good idea not to bother with links to them. .

[Hefeweizen]

And defend with my life sweet-cheeks!

Nah, not really, it's just somewhere I got to vent all my outlandish, chauvinistic and racist behaviour clearly

As I'm short on argumental offers, Could I offer you a drink or a cigarette instead?

[Pagwatch]

Gah, where is the Op?

Where are those who feel the link was a great idea do that they could stand up for the vulnerable?

They have arrived. Could you sort them out as you asked them over?

[marcelladuffy]

That sounds nicer.

[Hefeweizen]

marcelladuffy - I can do nice.

So are we dating yet?

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

Ew. Flirting

[marcelladuffy]

Well if it prevents an invasion of trolls I suppose I could always lay back and think of Iowa.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

yy. marcella

hows about I flirt with you, honey-pie?

[Hefeweizen]

I'm not a troll, I'm a hard-working married man with 3 kids, a mortgage that resembles the GDP of a small African country and a curiously bad taste in clothes & friends and a filthy Cider habit

Sorry, is this not the 'Welcome' thread?

[Hefeweizen]

JamieandtheMagicTorch Are you batting for the opposition?

[marcelladuffy]

Hefeweizen OK, maybe more 'Representative' than 'Troll', perhaps? Hope for you yet?

Which country, by the way? I'm only asking.

[Hefeweizen]

Burkina Faso

[marcelladuffy]

Mmm? Don't know how much money that is. Enough to get me a BMW the one with no roof? P.S. Midnight Blue with white seats.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

I'm neither male nor female, gay nor straight. I am a hard-working parent of 7.

I am interested by your assumptions.

When you assume you make an ass of u and me both

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

pag

we will safe steer. Fear ye not, me heartie

[Pagwatch]

PARD will overcome.