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!!

I'm not interested in football itself, so I'm not supporting any team... because I don't care about football and I don't care who wins.

That's completely different from saying that I wouldn't support any country's team because I think they are still guilty of what their distant ancestors may have done.

It doesn't even have to have anything to do with actual countries per se. Did you ever meet/know your own great-grandparents? Your great-great-grandparents? What if one of them happened to have been a murderer or even a serial killer? Am I justified in saying that I will never like YOU because you/your lot are evil killers? That's how stupid it is.

I see a difference between an individual and country whose wealth and position is directly connected to it's history.

And I don't even share her opinion 100%, I just find funny how buthurt the OP was.

Are you assuming that posters are the same person?

.

I know they are unless there are two senior nurses who had to leave Aberdeen because no one liked them and who have mixed up their replies to me on two threads.

I see nothing wrong with that.

I wouldn't call myself English despite being born in London. Everyone is different.

Just because she's got the same colour skin as you doesn't mean she has to feel the same way about England and it's personal meaning to her identity.

I think that’s fine.

Anybody can refuse to support any team for any reason. I would expect consistency though. So if was fine supporting France, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, USA, Australia, Scotland etc then I would ask why she was loudly embarassing herself with how deeply ignorant she is of world history. I don’t really see why her background or her choice to live in England has anything to do with it tbh. All my Irish colleagues were ABE.

I also don’t see the relevance of skin colour. Black people are not monolithic.

She didn’t say she was speaking for all black people so why have you decided to take it that way?

That’s a “new” account and probably isn’t a black woman.

The fact that she’s black and from Africa is relevant only up to a point. Anyone who said that to English colleagues (even if they themselves were English) would come over as a self-righteous twit…unless they made it clear they didn’t support any European coloniser teams…and had researched the full history of every participating country to check their record was unblemished. Good luck with that.

is it OK for me to mention my dislike for any German team or individual because my friend’s family were killed by the Nazis? To be clear: I am not an idiot and have no negative feelings towards modern Germans.

The African aspect just makes her seem rude and a bit stupid. Presumably she wasn’t forced to come here so she needs to ask herself how she squares her moral pomposity with choosing to live and work.here.

Aha! I did wonder but don’t have access to see that. The name was a little “on the nose” too! 😄😄. As was the “I’m black too” about a random woman’s comment!

If she exists, I imagine fairly easily. Like many Irish “ABE” people who do similar.

People like OP’s colleague are doubly irritating because they say something which is meant as an insult (in this case very half-baked too) AND think themselves morally superior for saying it, when what they deserve is a firm telling off!

She's entitled to her opinion, she must have had difficulties in picking any team to support. England, Scotland, USA, Spain, France, Portugal, Belgium, Argentina... not many in the world cup that weren't involved in colonialism or slavery.

Quite.

OP’s question wasn’t about whether she should support England. It was about whether her comments were rude.

Of course she can support any team she likes - it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. It’s the deliberate insult she added to her English colleagues which was really rude and unnecessary. They’re her colleagues, after all - what a weird thing to do!

England was colonised by the Romans. Also by the Vikings and the Normans. Spain did its level best, but failed. It’s history, baby.

Where was the insult though?

Colonialism is current. Today’s paper reports that Caribbean countries want as compensation for slavery that all remaining Caribbean islands should no longer belong to the UK.

Are there any Caribbean islands that belong to the UK?

Oh I checked - there are 5 British territories in the Caribbean. If they’re fine with the status quo I don’t see what the issue is.

Doubt if they are if they're saying they should become independent. Of course those in power as part of the status quo would probably be OK with things as they are, as they have wealth and power through it - but others, maybe less so.

Her comment was unnecessary and inappropriate and therefore rude. It was insulting to single out England ( should really be Britain…) as being a colonising nation. Loads of countries were at it.

A comment can be true( up to a point) and still be rude. Would I go and work in Nigeria, for eg, and announce to my colleagues that I didn’t like their country because it’s the fraud capital of the world? No, I wouldn’t. It would be rude, inappropriate and hurtful to my people I had personal relationships with and who might be totally innocent of the accusation.

It's really rude to say that you don't support a country when you are surrounded by people from that country who have nothing to do with whatever happened long before they were born. The argument that we are benefiting from colonialism and therefore don't deserve support is a ridiculous argument especially as she is benefiting just as much if she lives here.

I hope they’ll take into account the financial aid they’ve received in the past.