To point out that not ALL people who voted leave are racist

[EsmeraldaEllaBella]

I'd describe myself as extreme left. I voted leave because the EU's undemocratic. Today I wake up to ALL of my Facebook posting statuses about how they feel sick etc. all my friends are liberal, some of them would hate me if they knew. But if I was asked outright I'd probably be honest. I've made new friends recently who would definitely never speak to me again if they knew though. I feel like everyone who voted leave has been branded a racist. I feel uncomfortable that probably lots of them are sad I feel very uneasy being lumped in with them and might come to regret my decision

Posted this elsewhere but in need of some hand holding I think! Or maybe someone who feels the same way? Anyone?

People are kicking the OP here unfairly. I totally disagree with the way she voted but, made some valid points

The Morning Star supported Brexit so I suppose their followers must all be racist too!!

Not all of us who voted to remain think all Brexiters are racist. Unfortunately many are. My own worry is that, amongst the people I see daily and via the updates on FB, they actually believe that voting out is akin to putting a wall around our country and they are saying that they voted out due to immigration, they assume that this result means that suddenly the UK will shut up shop today to immigrants. That is the kind of stupid I object to. But I am not silly enough to realise that all Brexiters think like this. Just as you shouldn't assume all Remain voters are shouting racism, please don't assume we, the remainers, are saying that. We just disagreed. It is ok to disagree.

It is ok to disagree.

I wish more people on both sides could accept this!

I have lots of friends from different ethnic backgrounds, and I really enjoy it when they come over to my house to visit - we have coffee, chats and enjoy each other's company. We also do favours for each other and help each other out in times of need.
However, when they come to visit at my house, when they arrive, they knock on my door and I invite them in, they don't just turn up and walk in and start making themselves comfortable. They don't just walk over to my purse and help themselves if they need some cash - they ask if I can help them out.
None of my friends think I'm inhospitable or unfriendly, so why can't we adopt the same criteria with the EU? Why do we need to have completely free movement of people in order to trade with each other? Why can't we be good friends, help each other out but have some boundaries?

Me too RedYellow Whilst I feel strongly that we should have stayed I still support the democracy we have in this country and I am thankful we have it.

Kitty
You said up thread that you can't understand why a large number of non white British voted leave ?
What do you mean by this ? I'm not sure of your point ?

Oh op! We all make decisions we regret but this is a pretty big one. I'm sure you're not alone in the hand wringing today although it's a shame our kids will pay the price.

Where Iive it's all very forrin. Oh all those bad forriners will have to go. Taking our jobs, our wimmin and our houses. Good riddance. We will all join hands in happy land and sing...

Oh hang on, its mostly Arabs, refugees and folks from India, with a good dollop of Russians, Chinese and Americans.

I've not heard anyone claim all brexiters are racist. You don't have to be racist to unwittingly play into the hands of racists!

Does anyone else think that politics should be on the nc? At least from Year7? Sooo many people say they don't do politics yet moan and moan. Why aren't we teaching our dc? Or is that just me?

I echo much of the above. In my area most voted leave and upon speaking to neighbours etc most of them only talked about borders and immigration.
I don't doubt you're not racist op but you may be in a monitory.
You're far left but this opens the gate the far right in my opinion and in the future is uncertain and worrying

Oh op! We all make decisions we regret but this is a pretty big one. I'm sure you're not alone in the hand wringing today although it's a shame our kids will pay the price.

Don't be a wanker. Op is talking about the reaction of other people. Not her own feelings about her democratically exercised and carefully considered vote.

All the racist rhetoric that has been banded about by some sections that want to leave makes me fearful.
I'm aware of how bad things can potentially get for me as a none white person if the rhetoric continues. You may say that you are not racist but you have aligned yourself with them and I for one can't afford to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Does anyone else think that politics should be on the nc? At least from Year7? Sooo many people say they don't do politics yet moan and moan.

The Op has said she is of the extreme left. So her thread is an odd place to post that particular suggestion. You don't get to be on the far left without a lot of reading and thinking.

I've studied the EU in depth. It's idiotic to say it is undemocratic. It has elected members just like our parliament. Plus our elected ministers etc have a loud voice in the EU

Those of you who have voted out because the EU is "undemocratic" have swallowed a myth, hook line and sinker.

Mj41 perhaps the other EU countries (ie Spain) feel the same about the British doing the same.

I am intelligent enough to know that all those who voted Brexit aren't all Xeonphobic or even racist, however based on the real life people who have discussed/shared their reasons for leaving with me/on social media it has always been based upon such reasons.

Most of the problems people try to say are caused by it have also got perfectly valid other reasons - NHS in crisis is more to do with the baby boomers hitting the age of 60/70 at a point when most of us generally need more care, medical advancements have kept people alive for longer so there is more care needed. Pensions shortfall, more of these required to be paid out for the above same reason.

Education - maybe slightly to do with immigration but given only 30% came from the EU I would say this won't change much.

I am shell shocked today and scared for the future, there is a real chance my husbands job is at risk as we enter this next stage - its a huge unknown and will be a sad loss for this country but its a huge multinational which possibly can't run in an independent UK.

As for the UK I have a strong feeling it will no longer exist in 5 years time. Strange times.

Or in other words, as cherry said - "You don't have to be racist to unwittingly play into the hands of racists!"

Just5 I didn't mean that directly towards the OP it was more a general musing after discussions with my teen.

I've studied the EU in depth. It's idiotic to say it is undemocratic. It has elected members just like our parliament. Plus our elected ministers etc have a loud voice in the EU

What the EU is is remote from the voter, and every voter's voice incredibly dilute because of the size of MEP constituencies.

Granted, but there are multiple layers of decision making and decision makers. And in a global economy some decisions need to be made on a regional scale.
It would feel less remote if people actually paid more attention to what was going on there and engaged with their MEP etc

Hang on a minute! The Daily Mail backed Brexit and that's not racist! Oh, wait.....

I am intelligent enough to know that all those who voted Brexit aren't all Xeonphobic or even racist, however based on the real life people who have discussed/shared their reasons for leaving with me/on social media it has always been based upon such reasons.

I think this is a huge issue, and not just with the referendum. There will inevitably be some moron with a bigoted opinion who happens to be the most vocal. Then the "liberals" (not sure they know what liberal means) will rally against these views and label everyone who supports that side a bigot, regardless of their individual opinions. It's a ridiculous circle of people disregarding each other's POVs due to the loud mouthed minority.

"The only time I experienced racism was from eastern Europeans who told Europe is for Europeans and I am non white brit shouldn't be in Britain.
So bore off with all the racism talk."
You're not the first to have experienced this. Me too

I would be deeply disgusted to think that 52% of our country is racist yet that many voted to leave so no I don't believe all leave voters are racist (or at least I don't want to believe) but all racists are leave voters.