AIBU to think some people on here are way too obsessed with not being seen as racist?

[BadWordlePlayer]

I’m posting in AIBU because this has been niggling at me for a while with the tone of so many threads lately, but it's really blown up following the bodycam footage of the Henry Nowak case.

There seem to be loads of posts these days where people are basically showing off how not racist they are, or how much they hate racists or the 'far right', or jumping in to call something racist at the slightest thing. It feels performative, like they’re desperate to signal their virtue and make sure everyone knows they’re on the “right” side. I get that racism is bad, obviously, but it sometimes feels like it’s taken over to the point where common sense goes out the window.

Henry Nowak shows how dangerous this mindset is. This poor 18-year-old student was stabbed multiple times by Vickrum Digwa, who then lied to the police claiming Henry had racially abused him. The officers took that accusation at face value, handcuffed Henry while he was lying there bleeding out and saying he couldn’t breathe, and didn’t treat him as the victim urgently enough. He died in police custody essentially. The mindset of those officers sounds exactly like the over-the-top “must not be perceived as racist” attitude you see in some threads here. They sidelined a dying boy because of a racism claim (which turned out to be a complete lie). That’s not just sad — it’s dangerous.

This isn't a left wing / right wing post and I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist or that we shouldn’t call it out when it’s real. I also hate the phrase "virtue signalling", but I can't think of a better one than it. This constant virtue-signalling and knee-jerk reactions make situations like Henry’s more likely, not less. People (including police) become so paralysed by the fear of getting it wrong on race that they get it horrifically wrong on everything else.

Am I being unreasonable? Or has anyone else noticed this shift on MN and in general?

You suggested that the family cared not for the boy because he was white. I asked for your evidence this was the case?

You've certainly struck a chord. Some very defensive posts. This is one scenario that's not going to go away.

What a disgusting post.

We have no idea if the police could have saved his life - and that's largely the point.

We certainly know it's not very good for a person, who's just been stabbed multiple times, to then be handcuffed behind his back and dragged around.

Well if you can't see how lying about his being racist shows no thought for him, that's on you. They used his race to defend the crime.

The poster can't even address Henry by his first name. There's a level of disdain being shown in the wrong place but as long as these people get to call people racist, that's all that matters.

Why are you shifting the goalposts? Where have I questioned their lack of thought towards him? i asked if there is evidence his murder and the family reaction was motivated by his race.

Did you quote the wrong person?

I never raised the motivation issue in the first place. Not everybody has to play that card. I'm done with your interrogation so direct it elsewhere.

That’s why I asked you if there was evidence it was racially motivated as you stated they showed lack of consideration for the life of a white man and suggested they were racist.

The evidence is the fact that they knew he was seriously injured and yet still prevented him receiving any care. They alleged he had been racist to him when he hadn’t. They hid the murder weapon. In the phone call to the police someone of the attackers family is in the background asking ‘is he dead’ - they knew what vikram had done and they did all they could to obstruct the police in getting him the help he needed. It’s all in the judges summing up if you want to fact check it.

Yes and all so he'd die before the murderer was held to account. All this desperation to paint the family as anything other than repugnant is embarrassing. It's just proving the OP's point.

That’s not evidence it was racially motivated.

To be clear nowhere am I questioning or saying that the family were not repugnant (and, I would argue the mom and brother criminal).
I am asking if their is evidence that the treatment of the victim was racially motivated.

out if interest, would you ask for evidence it was racially motivated if the roles of the attacker and the attacked were reversed?

To me, a false accusation of racism is in itself a racially motivated attack.

Yes.

Fair enough, and as in this case, there may be no tangible evidence.

Even if the police had not believed Digwa, it is unlikely Nowak could have been saved as he died within minutes of the police arriving
I thought the outrage is that the poor young man died handcuffed and treated unfairly by people who thought he was the aggressor.

The process of dying must be extremely frightening. Dying with people you don't know must be horrible. Taking your last breath handcuffed, with no comfort but instead dirtied by one of the worse accusations possible must have been absolutely horrific.

The police should have given him the benefit of the doubt and allow him a less tragic death.

My question wasn’t a gotcha either. I know people believe any murderous event between people of different ethnicities must be racially motivated - I am not one of them - but I was wondering if some evidence has presented suggesting that was the case.

I agree that different ethnicities doesn’t automatically make something racially motivated.

sadly I do think that if the roles were reversed a lot of people would say it was that and the outrage would be greater.

For me, the fact that the attacker was prepared to (falsely) allege racism, makes this a form of racism. Plus all of the other things I have previously stated.

If someone has stabbed someone you don’t give them the benefit of the doubt and leave them unhandcuffed and possibly in possession of a knife

Yeah I dunno. When I consider the fairly muted response to the man who raped the Sikh woman because he thought she was muslim, I am not sure a bigger outrage would be made (granted she was not killed).
We have 1000 (at present) protesting outside of Southampton, comments from the leader of the opposition and ruling government and Farage using it to launch an investigation into “anti-white prejudice” I don’t believe the opposite would have a bigger outrage.

Then we must see very different reports - I know it has probably been over used the the Floyd George response is a classic eg of how things were in a similar situation.

those riots were allowed to run, despite the fact there was violence and destruction. In contrast when a vigil was held for Sarah Everard the police were unnecessarily man handling women - the optics are really poor.

Ditto the poor girls who were disbelieved over the Muslim grooming gangs.

anything that happens against people of colour gets turned into accusations of racism, so much so that similar situations are treated differently just so that those accusations can’t be made.

its got ridiculous and I think that is why so many people are outraged at how poor Henry was treated. An innocent young man, handcuffed whilst dying, offered no support, no empathy, disbelieved. Because he was white and the other person was an ethnic minority.

The grooming gangs situation was atrocious. Those girls were horrifically treated.
Many S Asian people feel this way.

Yes I’m sure they do - to be clear I’m not suggesting that all Muslim people felt it was ok or who would do the same. My point t was that the reason the girls were disbelieved and no action was taken was to avoid racial tensions.

No, my response was clumsily framed..I am not Muslim but my Muslim friends were shocked too.
I just want to say that it"s not all about people of one race banding together.

Then we need them to stand up and be counted, and say ‘not in my name’ as we do when the UK looks set to wage another war or a Stephen Lawrence type case happens. It isn’t enough to be quietly and privately disgusted, we need big shows of support. And many religions need to stop paying lip service to this and actually demonstrate it.