AIBU to think my colleague's anti England comment was rude?

[ProudBlackMomma]

What would you make of this? A colleague declared in front of the whole team in the office the other day that she’d never ever support England in any sport due to their history colonialism. Personally I think it’s rude and fails to read the room. Most people had been enjoying cheering on England in the World Cup so to hear this felt a bit like raining on the parade. This woman is African but living in England and reaping all the benefits that come with that. I’m Black too but proud to say I’m English and happy to cheer on the players, who include plenty of black men who I assume also cheer on England!!

She really did not read the room did she. I think for her to make that statement to people who are enjoying the football is a bit sad and inappropriate.
This was not a discussion on colonism and probably made people feel uncomfortable.

Agreed. Many of my best friends are recent immigrants and support the teams/enjoy all sorts of things about living here. Not saying no one ever complains about things, but we should try to change things in a positive way if we're concerned about them.

Tell her to go to her local and say it 😂😂

I don’t understand people that move here and seem to have a hatred for the country?
Times have moved on

Also u don’t think it’s fair to blame the current generation of English people for colonialism. I’ve done nothing to support it and wasnt alive during those times. It’s like painting all Germans as Nazis

She’s entitled to that opinion, it’s not rude, it’s how she feels. And living in England doesn’t mean that people can’t be critical of England’s past. Everyone should be critical of colonialism.

where did she say she didn’t like living there?

She’s benefitting from living in England and its colonial past. She’s a hypocrite.

Benefitting in what way? She’s working a job where she presumably pays tax. So she contributes to the system. As a contributer she’s allowed to have and express her opinion.

I'd just give her the Slow Hand Clap and a Roll Of the Eyes

Thing is, once you start doing that, you end up with pretty much no one to support, like or live in. Find me a country with nothing terrible in its actions at some point in history…..

Entitled to her opinion - just wrong/inappropriate timing.

She was rude

Expressing your opinions when you know it will or even could upset other people is rude

tell her to go and live in another country if she has such a problem with England 🤔

As if.

In my office we do not discuss politics or religion. Easier that way.

Do you really want a thread with people falling over themselves to all say she should piss off back where she came from?

(Reads thread)-

Guess so. Wonder why that might be?

This. Living in a country doesn’t mean you are committed to whitewashing its past, especially when you’re from a continent still dealing with the aftershocks of that past.

I’m thinking the same.

Well she's a bit thick because the whole of Great Britain was part of colonialism not just England.

British, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish,French, German, Belgium and Italians were all colonialists.

It happened before most of the current population were born, she needs to get over it.
Tell her you'll never support the French because they invaded England in 1066.

ProudBlackMomma...

“Fought for freedom” from whom exactly??

You're being played.

Maybe we need a subforum for the various different threads on this exact same topic?