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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To report colleague for racist comments

193 replies

Redorangesblue · 17/02/2020 13:16

I don’t want to be classed as a tell tale as I know this never goes down well and I’ve already reported one other person for racist comments before. I feel like I take things too personally and maybe I should put up and shut up and stop rocking the boat.

We work in a healthcare setting and this person has made several racist comments about China and Chinese people and the corona virus and telling a very blatant personal story about how they’ve asked to be move away from Chinese people in a public place.

I feel it’s inappropriate to say these things in a work place. Whatever your personal thoughts about different people, they should not be shared when you’re at work. Just for context this person isn’t English/British. They’re Eastern European.

OP posts:
Avelinebread · 17/02/2020 16:57

I also think dog fighters deserve it, along with people who work in abbatoirs. Not sure they can be described as a race, just subhuman.

MilesEdgeworth · 17/02/2020 16:58

Aviline - fuck off.

mummypie17 · 17/02/2020 16:58

Depends on the context and what was said. I'm of Chinese descent (British born and have never been to China) and I have been advised by Chinese friends to stay away from them if they have recently been to China as they will be quarantining themselves. Generally, I don't meet up with friends who have been to East Asia for at least two weeks as a precaution

Avelinebread · 17/02/2020 16:59

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

thegreekgoddessofcheese · 17/02/2020 17:05

What the hell is "dry snitching"? I have never heard that term before.

I think of the OP felt the comments were clearly from a place of prejudice and if her being called out at the time made no difference, then yes why would you not report it?

I've called out a colleague before for blatantly racist behaviour, and they basically laughed in my face and said "free speech". So I reported it to their manager.

WorraLiberty · 17/02/2020 17:06

I'm not really sure anyone here is interested in your job or how much downtime you have Avelinebread?

But can I just say, I'm gutted you only spend an hour or so on the internet because your contribution to this thread has been truly outstanding Star

Is there any way you could see yourself posting more often in future?

I'm sure Mumsnet will be all the better for it.

Thewarrenerswife · 17/02/2020 17:07

Just for context this person isn’t English/British. They’re Eastern European

I think you’re racist... and I just called you out on it, like a grown up. If you genuinely think your colleague is racist, I suggest you do the same. I’ve worked in HR, and if you came to me with that, you’d get a big eye roll when you left my office.

MangoFeverDream · 17/02/2020 17:07

Seriously?? There is plenty of horrific cruelty to animals in the UK as well. You can't even buy eggs without contributing to the death of male baby chicks. Don't judge the whole of China from one wet market

You are ridiculous. The attitude towards animals by some Chinese will literally cause extinction of rare species for medicine and exotic food. There are plenty of videos out there on how some people like their dogs cooked, it is not a quick or pleasant death.

Fortunately, most Chinese are not participating in these acts and many are bravely trying to lobby their government to change things.

Still the coronavirus is a direct result of the government’s inaction (and by extension, many of the people). They’ve known this was a problem since SARS and a few other outbreaks have happened since SARS and they have still not outlawed these practices.

Many Chinese people will be angry once the pandemic is over.

Avelinebread · 17/02/2020 17:08

I am glad I have irritated you. You steam into everything ever with your snarky pretend baffled posts. I, along with many people, find it a bit sad and pretty irritating. It's nice to have actually had a discussion rather than viewing your posts on every thread ever which are all the same ever.

Avelinebread · 17/02/2020 17:10

Your contributions are frankly underwhelming. All 5000 per day Star

WorraLiberty · 17/02/2020 17:11

It's nice to have actually had a discussion rather than viewing your posts on every thread ever which are all the same ever.

Aww, we must have another chat one day.

Perhaps when you have less time?

Avelinebread · 17/02/2020 17:12

So predictable. So boring. So sad.

NomDeDieu · 17/02/2020 17:13

The issue I have is that I very much doubt these people are able to say if they were actually Chinese and not let say japenese or South Korean.
Many people cannot make the difference and the sweeping assumption that someone with certain facial features is chinese is racist.

Plus of course, they had no way of knowing if these people were or not british anyway or how long they had been in the country.

Overall, the initial comment was staggeringly bad.

Whether you should report I’m not sure as this didn’t happen at work. I think it would have been better dealt with on the spot (and maybe by the intervention of several different people when they didn’t stop the first time)

WorraLiberty · 17/02/2020 17:14

You're funny Aveline and this has been good fun - genuinely Grin

Well apart from the bit where you admitted to excusing racism.

Anyway, let's catch up another time as I need to start the dinner now.

But you'll know when I'm on again, as you'll have it logged on your spreadsheet.

Avelinebread · 17/02/2020 17:17

Bye bye. I will miss you. But not for long, I'm sure you will be back very soon. I can't log the spreadsheet anymore, I used up Excel on yesterday's posts.

reginafelangee · 17/02/2020 17:20

Either tackle them directly or report them.

I certainly wouldn't just let it go.

IrmaFayLear · 17/02/2020 17:26

So does the fact that the person making the comment was Eastern European excuse them? Confused

Gilead · 17/02/2020 17:31

Given the bullying of a celebrity recently, I rather think your tedious and somewhat childish bullying is unwarranted. Aveline. I’m not particularly impressed with your racism either.

MintySpud · 17/02/2020 17:33

So does the fact that the person making the comment was Eastern European excuse them?

No. It is supposed to make you say, "oh those nasty EE bastards. They are so unracist and bigoted and unenlightened."

InTheSummerhouse · 17/02/2020 17:33

Are you happy reporting people who might lose their jobs? Will you still be happy reporting people if you know they might be imprisoned? Or "disappeared"? And would you report a member of your own family or a neighbour if you knew that was what might happen? And when their friends report you for a chance remark - and you somehow find it difficult to prove that that wasn't what you said or what you meant... how will it be then? And maybe there is a witness hwo "heard" you say it. (And that witness will get rewarded in vitue signalling brownie points, or a promotion, or status or even money. Because that is where this is heading.

This actually has nothing to do with racism. If it were you would challenge on the spot, (and not mention that they were not British!)

annamie · 17/02/2020 17:37

So now reporting racism is dry snitching? This is the culture that makes people shut up instead of reporting racism. Well done apologists on the thread.

annamie · 17/02/2020 17:38

@InTheSummerhouse

Are you happy reporting people who might lose their jobs?

By that logic Hitler should never have been stopped because it did made him lose his job.

Wtf is wrong with MN today? Is this the effect of Brexit?

Thewarrenerswife · 17/02/2020 17:39

@ InTheSummerhouse - spot on!

GenderIsBollox · 17/02/2020 17:43

Yabu OP. What are you? The Gestapo, thought police?

Jillyhilly · 17/02/2020 17:58

The only reason I wrote the person’s place of origin is because they’re not British and there are a lot of social stereotypes that can be associated with where they’re from.

Not good enough, I’m afraid OP. Intentions are irrelevant because you have been tried and found guilty by the purity police. Mentioning the origin of the person you were referring to in your original post means that you must be racist. See how it works? Eventually they come for you.