Oh my good god.

[Abitmeh]

I have met a man - got on very, very well etc. So much so that we've arranged to see each other again very soon and have been talking a lot. Very respectful of me etc. But I've just seen his FB page (I don't do FB really but he said he's on it tonight, so I went to have a look).

He has shared Britain First posters on it. I'm shocked. These are a racist, far right group. I've texted him and asked him if he believes in all that shit. He said he hates violence of all kinds but believes people living in this culture should respect their culture and beliefs. Also that he's dated women from all over the world but that we should shut the floodgates to immigration.

I am shocked. Are you? Is it me?

If he truly believed and felt Britain First spoke for him and what society should be like, yes, I would have got rid. That said, my current DP was a Conservative voter when we got together - I never told him to change his views in the same way I would never expect him to want to change mine (I'm left). He felt the party spoke to him at that time in his life, but since we've been together he has seen the ramifications the Tory government has had, not just on us but others, and would never vote for them again. However, if he had been sharing vile propaganda akin to Britain First/UKIP style, I wouldn't have dated him - he was more of a casual supporter.

I have seen recently a Green party member share a Britain First poster (the one about dogs in hot cars) before realising what the party stood for. My DP's mother shares the same sort of posts; I wouldn't say she was racist, just very ignorant to politics - she is picking up the hype and going with the bandwagon without really looking into what Britain First are about. I think the problem is equally to do with these parties or fringe parties, but also to do with the media sensation that is plastered all over our papers, news channels etc - people think these groups represent society because they are looking to eradicate the problems raised on television, without really looking in depth to the background of said issues or how it could be better resolved. Some people, sadly, believe the hate filled bile that mainstream papers come out with.

It's a shame it's ended between you two, but I'd also struggle to maintain a relationship with someone who has such polarised views to my own.

And let's be clear about this.

If he had mistakenly posted this stuff; if he hadn't realised what they stood for; if he did it to be 'ironic' in some way; if it had been spammy stuff; if, if if.

He'd have said so and removed them. But he didn't.

Are British First like the EDL then?

Oh my good god indeed. They are even worse than I thought. Chilling stuff.

FabULouse, your link has really scared me.

I emailed him. Very simple, no moralising, no ranting, just saying goodbye and no loose ends.

Different kind of bullet dodged, eh?

You totally did the right thing, well done! Hopefully the more he encounters that kind of response to his views, the more likely he is to rethink them.