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

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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?

Absolutely. But, all justified, cos racism/Palestine etc

I refuse to believe that had the races been reversed you would be here saying ‘let’s not use this to stoke division and hate’, you would be saying what a racism problem the UK has, and how we need radical change etc.

But because the victim was white, you’re all ‘we don’t know this FOR SURE’ and trying to think the best of his killer and offer up excuses. It’s awful.

You miss the point. All protests are valid if non-violent. Luckily we have the right to protest in this country.

What I take exception to is your bossy tone urging people to protest. And then the patting yourself on the back for expressing disgust over something someone did.

It's all very performative and not me. Not for most people, I imagine.

But they’re not non violent. Very few large protests experience no arrests and the Palestine mob are notorious for criminal damage, antisemitism and violent acts. Should they be banned in your view?

Yes it’s always ‘performative’ when it requires you to actually do something that makes you uncomfortable.

Absolutely

As I said, as a BAME ( hate the term but there is no other) I am only required to do as much as any white person: follow the laws, pay my taxes, raise my children to do the same. I do not feel the need to prove myself any further. I am not sure why you think I attended the Palestine marches. I did not.

I am sorry if that offends you. But that's where I am.

It doesn’t offend me at all, and I have no expectations of anybody beyond your list.

My point is the hypocrisy. That if this had been the murder of (eg) an Asian boy by a white boy, who had told the police when they attended that the Asian boy had attacked him shouting Alluhu Akbar (or whatever), and the police had cuffed the Asian lad and watched him bleed to death while reading him his rights, it would absolutely be seen as a racist murder. You wouldn’t BE saying ‘let’s not stoke division by accusing white people of racism’, you would be saying how appalling and racist it was and demanding change.

Yet because Henry was white your knee jerk is to accuse the victim’s ethnicity of racism which is utter madness.

The double standard is what I am objecting to.

How on earth is it “performative “ to hate racism. Honestly. Giver yer bloody head a wobble!

When a student in Nottingham dd and her friends were more than once abused by young boys living across the road - children of SE Asian immigrants - shouting ‘Dirty white whores!’ at them. The boys were no more than 9 or 10.
No prizes for guessing where such attitudes had come from.

People should be judged on the content of their character and not the colour of their skin.

Skin colour should be irrelevant.

Unfortunately from viewing MN over many years it is the left that is far more obsessed with bringing up skin colour and obsession of a "racist society" and racism.

You are shifting goalposts an awful lot but no - I don’t think this case is indicative that the UK has race problem. I certainly don’t think there is any evidence of systemic racism towards white people but I have already said I am happy to review data people has that suggests otherwise. I have also said I don’t believe any case of violence between people of different ethnicities is always race driven. If you want to believe I am lying about that then that’s on you. I don’t much care.

Although yes I strongly believe stoking division and hate is always wrong.

I think everyone is abit racist as we are tribal although as a Christian I would try and overcome this and treat all others well. White liberals are more bothered about appearing racist than anyone else and of course there is a whole anti-racist industry that alot of people, mostly said white liberals make alot of money from so Farage (or Rupert or whoever else comes next) is going to have their work cut out getting rid of it all. I remember the 90s before all this when we all got on fine, it's so sad our leaders have wrecked our cohesive society like this

Although I have also come to think that our society was rotten even in the 90s as the rape gangs etc existed even then it's just we didn't know about them.

Some people do virtue signal over all kinds of things, depending on who/which group they wish to ingratiate themselves with. I think people do it on the left and the right of politics. So I'd agree with you there.

I think actual racism- attacks, rapes, refusing to employ people because of their race, using insults I thought had gone out with the ark; is all increasing. I find it very depressing, and I worry about the future.

You say you feel bullied by certain posters, but I feel that there is a concerted effort on MN and elsewhere to tell me I shouldn't treat people as I find them, that I shouldn't look for what we have in common, and that I have to set myself against people who are different to me. When I disagree with this, I am told I am evil, have blood on my hands, I am 'thick as pig shit' etc. I get told I support this or that atrocious thing, which I don't at all.

You are the one with the majority on your side, so perhaps think if you feel bullied, what it might be like to be in the minority and have people piling on because you don't 100% agree with them.

So if protests broke out regarding the poor Sikh woman who was raped by a white man in a clearly racist attack, you would call that stoking hate and division too? And discourage the protest?

I would think protests were fairly pointless. What would they be protesting exactly?

Although I have not once said a protest, in and of itself stokes hatred and division. People like Tommy Ten Names and Farage latching on to this for their own political motives are doing that.

Speak for yourself.

I used to be concerned about being called racist but not anymore. I believe in looking after our own people first in terms of housing etc, I believe immigration should compliment and benefit the country, noone should move here and be on benefits and social housing. They also should pay into the system in order to receive healthcare via NHS. I also am totally against the boatloads of unvetted men that are coming in constantly and being looked after at taxpayers expense. The UK is starting to resemble the 3rd world, if someone calls me racist for having these views then I don't care

I think it's about time we started saying, yes OK we are racist. Where do the accusers go from there. The more I've read on these threads the more I've realised that race baiting is nothing more than a hobby to these people.

@LuckyHazelFox they use the term racist to scare us or intimidate us into being quiet for having normal common sense views and that we don't want the country that we know and love disappear before our eyes and look like a 3rd world country, we are being invaded by the 3rd world and having to pander to them. It's the current and previous governments fault, they have turned their own people into supposed 'racists' for letting the country be abused like this. It's called Suicidal Empathy. Matt Goodwins book on it hits the nail on the head.

Yes I'm speaking for you too even if you think you're superior to everyone else!

Strange times we’re living in.

Recently, a man sat beside me on a bus in Scotland and after a few minutes, without preamble, turned to me and loudly asked if I was from Scotland.

I was in the middle of something on my phone and ignored him
and would have in any event.

He then proceeded to ask me if I was from Africa.

Again, ignored him and shortly afterwards got off at my stop.

I would like to think that this is uncommon behaviour but hard to know what’s happening in other places. However, I do believe that the tendency to generally view non white people suspiciously and as possible recent immigrants milking the system is becoming prevalent.

So, while some may be concerned about not appearing racist, it seems increasingly in the current climate that there are others who think that it’s acceptable to be openly racist.