Site is playing up again so I can't highlight the two posts I wanted to reply to
Someone has said that the counter protesters are repeating the same problems we had before. Yes, I agree. I imagine they wouldn't want to speak to me. They wouldn't know what to do with somebody who's on the wrong side for their skin colour. But going out and shouting "refugees are welcome here" when anybody whose lived near these hotels has had a not great experience, this has happened to me twice, it's really not helping the situation. Ironically, I think some groups of men are actually taught to look out for single women who are not white, because they think we're are going to help them in some way. Before my mum got too old to go out on her own, she got followed around the supermarket by one of them. He was basically trying to strike up conversation so he could get "help" and I had a lot of it too, when I was living in London. So we both had this experience at different times and in different places.
I'm not sure how much more I can say about this otherwise I'll worry, I'll get banned from here!
Another poster said something about BAME people retreating back into their "own" communities in times like this. Mum and I live in a predominantly white area. This IS our community, we don't associate skin colour with "community". back in the 90s, when suddenly there was loads of talk about the gay community or the Asian community, I was really concerned about it. This started under Blair, didn't it? Boxing people up into convenient little communities for the sake of politicians. And look how embedded it all is now - so sad.
It seems to me that the anti-racist lot - the same people who are still running fricking diversity schemes in 2025, the kind I didn't want to apply for 20 years ago because I am nobody's diversity hire - are the biggest problem.
There's been a lot of issues with me and friendships over the lockdown years. Sadly, the main friend I've made since then is now really pissed off and angry about the flags.
And has really bizarre ideas about race. It's kind of like talking to a weird stereotype student you might see on an American TV show. So I am actually avoiding her because we went out for dinner and she was having a massive rant about the flags and what terrible people there must be living in this area.
It hadn't even occurred to her that it might be a black or Asian person who put the flags up! And she was completely freaked out that I don't have a problem with it.
Once again, if anyone can be bothered to look, the lyrics of "brainwashed" by Tom MacDonald I think they are very appropriate here. I can't remember what steps there are but deliberate divide of left and right and black and white is going on - only if you let it.
And I'm sure someone will be along any minute to tell me "oh that's Maga rap". I don't care what it is. Yes, it's a song but he's got some good points. (and undoubtedly shoved some bits in just because it rhymes LOL.)