Are people on Mumsnet secretly racist or what?

[2024wtf]

So many posters not being called out. They say blatantly racist things and back it up with "You can't keep shutting us down by calling us racist". It's because you're a racist assh*le.

Comments aren't even being deleted. Last month, you called YOURSELF a Karen you'll have pages and pages of people telling you off.

@orangalang

I would say that genuinely asking people about their culture and heritage isn't viewed as racist. It is how you do it.

To learn is to understand.

Two of my best work mates are sikh and muslim (doesn't believe but was brought up in this culture)

Both of these friends have educated me on a lot about their cultures. They are happy to talk about that and as women from asian culture, what they face in dating Etc. It's really interesting and there are things I wouldn't have even known about if we hadn't had many talks about this, that and the other. Just like maybe they learned something from me. I may unsure about that haha.

We go out for meals. Sometimes drink, sometimes don't. We put the world to rights as good groups of friends do. And learn as I go as I don't know everything.

But it takes a skill to listen and I say that as someone who is ND.

Fights between humans happen because no one is listening and everyone is just yelling. We could go so far but in the end, people will be people.

Wtf are you on about

That's not what I said at all

I'm actually more worried to discover there's so many who seem to sort of hate animals.

So on a post about RACISM you are commenting about being MORE worried that people hate animals.

Since this thread is not about that, it's about racism, go and make your own thread about that.

Okay mummy.

I don’t know the multigenerational origin story of the fingers typing each post. I tend to dislike people based on the words they type.

Me too.

How do you know they vote Labour?

There's a weird idea around that allowing freedom of opinion trumps everything. For instance, you can't dislike someone who thinks Nazism is absolutely fine, because they're allowed to have those views. They don't seem to get it that, if they are allowed their views, then so equally the rest of us must be allowed to have a view that they are despicable. They can also come up with some ridiculous and totally race-biased version of the truth and then, when it's pointed out that they are lying, will say defensively "That's my opinion and I'm allowed my own opinions". Yes, you are dear, you parents allowed your own facts.

Not secretly racist, not remotely.

I think the implication is that if someone says something blatantly racist and you don't challenge it, you're a secret racist. Which is problematical, at best. No one is responsible for another person's views. Also a lot of posters report rather than challenge.

I’m probably more racist against certain cohorts of my own people (British white). My time in London showed me that more often than not, they’re the ones disturbing the peace, acting like Aholes, cat calling me. I find black and Muslim people to me much friendlier. I’ve never been hassled by them. British people, I have been far too often.
I lived in Balham and not a day went by where I wasn’t hassled by a white man in a van walking down the street.

Well the racists have certainly damaged our reputation abroad and will impact investments and tourism. So far the following countries have issued travel alerts to the UK: Australia, Nigeria, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Very ‘patriotic’.

there is definitely a strong uptick in racism here. same for ageism. But nothing quite as bad as the blatant disablism. MN really changed over the last decade but esp the last 2-3 years. Not sure what is happening.

No doubt. They do it on Facebook too. Fake troll accounts.
Most will be removed in the morning OP.

behind the mask of anonymity people do express some views that they know are socially unacceptable.
but likewise not being in favor of immigration at the level that is currently happening is not racist nor is pointing out the challenges of helping refugees who have language barriers, health concerns and little support systems.
then there is the longer term issues of the first and second generation of immigrants.
the immigrants themselves may be very grateful BUT their children (first generation immigrants) may not and may feel alone unsupported and unaccepted not fully understanding the reason why their parents left their "homeland".
not liking the current situation is not racist.

It's a site with a massive number of users. There is no such thing as "Mumsnetters are like..." any more than you could categorise Facebook or X.

I don’t think they’ve ever been hidden.

If you let people post horrible things about trans people for years, eventually people with other horrible views will feel emboldened.

Humans have been tribal since they first came down from the trees (and while still up in the trees). Laws can't just rewrite millennia of evolution.
The UK is the least racist country I've ever lived in, but it would be naive to expect no one to be racist just because they are "middle class".

Thanks OP for starting this thread. And I think you are right. But mumsnet is a reflection of our society and really what we are saying is that the UK has a problem with racism and that a lot of racist attitudes and ideas exist in many people on mumsnet in the same way.
Sorry I am very pedantic today! I swear if I see one more person defend nazis or racists by saying its freedom of speech I am going to scream. Nazis and racists as every school child knows don't believe in freedom of speech so stop applying it to them. I wish we would just make the bloody swastika illegal like the Germans, I'm also sick of seeing that.

This is what I would like to do, because I like finding out about other people and it’s a lot more interesting than talking about the weather or what’s on tv.
However you simply cannot do it any more for the fear of being called racist. I actually find it sad but don’t know what to do.

They’re not secretly racist, they’re largely proudly racist, with the odd racist pretending they’re not by saying they’re scared of saying anything because they’ll be called racist, too pathetic to even admit their own racism.

I'm pretty sure there are a lot of bot/troll/agitator types on these threads. Stirring for shits and giggles, or more sinisterly representatives of those who do not wish the UK well and would like to see the place implode.