My son has gone on the march

[funkadelic]

Hi, have been on here years but only lurk, don’t post. But today is the day.
I am in bits. My 22yr old DS is in London on this march. I am shaking and utterly appalled. We differ on politics massively and have done for some time. I work in education, have travelled and am bit of a lefty hippy but to be honest it’s becoming more about values and morals. He is fully immersed in the manosphere algorithm and I’ve always thought he is exploring himself and things and have chats about why he has the opinions he does and try and understand his point of view. I try not to belittle him but try and get him to critically think about things.
But this I can’t deal with. I am so upset that my son has gone to this, and that it is something that is so far away from me and my values, something that I thought I had instilled in him as well.
I am totally aware that it’s triggered embarrassment but that is my issue and I’m not putting that on him. He is still my son and I love him and his passion and interest in the world, just in something I believe is so wrong and makes me sad.
Please talk some sense into me.

OP, I really feel for you and had quite an emotional response to this thread as some of the responses are indicitive of the continuous and insidious normalisation of some really abhorent, unjustifiable views. This has been really apparent of late on MN as on many other SM platforms. it's okay now to say pretty terrible things. I feel afraid and worried.

With regard to your son, I hope sunlight will help as he stands next to people and listens to speakers wanging on about some ill-thought out nationalism, freedom of speech (for some but not for others) and covert and explicit racism.

I guess the next stage is to hope he gets home safe and to listen to what he heard when he returns. It may be interesting to actually hear what is said/what he hears from first hand experience and prokove a good conversation. It may also make you despair.

Please don't belittle your own views as lefty or hippy, they are as you said about values and morals, and I would add ethics and equity. Hang in there.

There isn't an "anti-immigration" march.

and if you hate this march, I hope you hated the recent anti semitic marches in London too

He probably wants his country back (I’m rolling my eyes typing that)

Anti racism/facism is hardly far left!

Leftists: Palestine for the Palestinians!

Leftists: The UK is for everyone, you racist bigot!

😄

One of the main rabble rousers in Scotland (hotel protests)has convictions for abusing two former partners one of whom he grabbed by the neck and threw her down a flight of stairs.
His name is John Watt.
And he was spouting about protecting women.

Uh, the key issue is that the murderer in those cases was a serving police officer using their authority and power to carry out their crimes. Do you really, genuinely not understand that?

Is he good at maths? Tell him to sit down and look at actual figures, and to not get all his “information” from social media.
Throw in a history lesson. Job done

another example of militant left wing thinking. The absolute belief that their opinions are sacrosanct and received wisdom, against the far right “Nazis” who are evil bigots.

He may have different politics to yours, but perhaps he hasn't?

Perhaps you instilled a left-wing anti-establishment sentiment in him and he is anti-establishment against a left-wing government?

If you made him fight against the world (because it was right-wing at the time) don't be surprised that he is still fighting against it.

you couldn’t make it up!

YABU.

However, I would feel the same way as you, ashamed and embarrassed, if my child was attending one of the weekly hate marches but if they are an adult they are entitled to their freedom of thought, however abhorrent you think they might be.

We don't have to share the same beliefs or ideas and nobody should be shut down for thinking differently.

There's videos on media right now in real time
It's people walking down the road waving flags , mostly quietly

"perhaps explain some history around the racist trope of non-whites "taking" white women "

As the Home Office has advertised for a religious adviser to help detained migrants get married - despite the risk of sham ceremonies these tropes may not be far wrong.

As illegal migrants coming over the Channel bring very few women it begs the question as to who they are going to marry?

Looking at the images it looks like people and loads of flags. If he just walks around waving flag at a march idk maybe just accept he’s not your political shadow and has his own views.

I would try and introduce him to some ‘immigrants’ tbh. He sounds quite sheltered like so many who struggle to be tolerant. The social media algorithms make it very very hard to see a real world view and it’s like living in a vacuum. The only way I can think to counter it is to see real people and real lives. I wondered if a trip abroad somewhere would also help him a) put down his phone and b) meet a variety of people and see a broader picture.

best of luck to you. I agree it doesn’t sound like he is completely lost but equally I think it’s a slippery slope. The far right aswell just spout lies that protect the interests of the elite ultimately so you could try and explain that to him aswell somehow..

My father was in complete despair over my communism when I was in my early 20s lefty activist phase. I grew out of it. Your son will too.

And several of his closest collaborators are convicted paedophiles

Isn’t there a constant ridiculing of people worried about migrant males abusing women because SOME migrant males abuse women?

arent you using the same logic that has caused migrant hotel riots?

@CapriceDeDieux ..I am assuming ops son isn't neuro diverse .
If he is there maybe but still probably not any reason to sit quietly and listen to what he heard a n prompt a good discussion?

I'm staggered at how patronising that sounds and condensing to a 22 year old man 😱???

And the fact ops son is controlled by mums feelings ??

Op- I have a 22 year old dd and 29 year old ds who are mixed race and British - born here. I’ve asked them not to go into London today due to this protest. I would be thoroughly ashamed if I were you. Not going to say anything else or my post will be deleted.

Are you denying the extreme far right exist?
There was a court case involving people who were involved in Blood and Honour this week (the name comes from a Nazi brown shirts motto)they were found guilty of distributing racist material white power music.
There's used to be a magazine of the same name and I've read a few it's full on racial hatred.

This 100% ☝️

@user1492757084 's post aligns with Prof. Robert Putnam's core ideas in Bowling Alone - it's based on the US, but is worth exploring becuase of the way the US influences UK culture.

In short, expanding community links into other (non-political) groups that expose us to alternative views and demographics rather than directly challenging what we disagree with, enables more constructive debate and the acceptance of compromise.