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?

If it's not performative, why do so many people feel the need to tell the world they're not racist?

On another thread, a poster has declared that she is sick of all BAME people. Interesting how if a BAME person declared themselves sick of all white people, the knives would be out. Pretty certain she will continue to use the NHS, shops, buses and all the services that would not function without BAMES.

It's not racist, IMO, to call for better policing, controlled immigration, enquiries into grooming gangs, control of unvetted men as a pp above has done. I have no issue with that. But I am alarmed that this incident is being used to whip up unthinking hatred against all BAMES.

The police need to go back to basics and stick to fighting crime instead of trying to be social workers or sociologists
Anyone dealing with the public is now expected to be exactly this. Worse, not acting as a social worker or sociologist after a 2 hours training session and some reading is the direct route to dismissal or worse, criminal charges...

Anyone working in criminal justice will tell you tackling disproportionately of black boys and traveller boys in the criminal justice system and youth custody is an issue at the forefront of their minds.

Most if not all, YOTs will be working on it - and judged on it.

Who?? Have you reported this

Why would I? MN never does anything..But also, it should be left up there as an example of what some are thinking.
I am not going to link it. I guess you can find it by searching my name. It's on one of the numerous Henry Nowak/ Digwa threads. Maybe in Chat.

I think the problem is summed up as 'overthinking'.

To be clear: I'm very aware of language and not doing stupid, insensitive things like touching people's hair just because it's different to mine (something several black women have experienced and find unpleasant, understandably). But if only everyone of all ethnicities would chill out and not take offence where none is intended, we'd all be a lot happier and less tense.

Another thing: I have always found that the issues the tabloid rabble-rousers pick up on ('banning' hot-cross buns and nativity plays, for eg) never come from ethnic minority people but from officious white British people overthinking things in town halls. It damages inter-race relations.

I worked with an infuriating 'woker than thou' woman once who banned all mention or images of pigs from the classroom I worked in. This was despite the fact that the BBC's main children's character is Peppa Pig, and that there were numerous classic children's books and stories which feature pigs.

Lots of people tried to convince her that pigs were a fact of life in the UK and no-one but her was objecting to seeing them, but she wasn't having any of it. She was also a vociferous atheist and generally anti-religious but fussed over the copy of the Koran, wrapping it in its shawl and treating it with a reverence which made her colleagues roll their eyes. This book was kept in a stock cupboard and didn't see the light of day btw.

Before anyone jumps on me...I have a Muslim DIL and am definitely not a racist. I'm just tired of silly people (mainly white British IME) being inconsistent in their wokeness. (I'm also not religious myself.)

Lots of distasteful posts have been made on those threads. Plenty of faux naivety/goading as well. Nobody is sick of BAME, they are sick of institutions responsible for ensuring fair policing getting it wrong.

Huge fear of having the Blaming Finger pointed at them. people tend to be conformist. If they believe bleating about racism is the current ‘ I’m acceptable, me! ‘ badge, they’ll do it, on auto. It’s zombie-speak, these days.

Well, I agree with you that the vast majority are not, and I also agree that there are many legitimate grievances that should be discussed without being called racist: policing, justice, uncontrolled immigration, cultural differences, the safety of women and girls, grooming gangs...

All absolutely legitimate worries. In fact, BAME people also worry about these.