Concerns about racism

[PandoraSocks]

Hi there Mumsnet HQ

Many of us are concerned about the uptick of hatred, xenophobia and racism on the site over the past couple of weeks. Most of the bigotry is focused on asylum seekers. MNHQ will of course delete racism etc. if reported, but this has gone way beyond a few hateful posts.

Links below to three examples of threads which have descended into real nastiness.

Cheers.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/in_the_news/5385273-civil-unrest-whats-really-going-on?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5385914-do-you-believe-there-will-be-a-civil-war?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5386073-to-be-so-fed-up-amd-disheartened-with-all-the-xenophobia?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Whisky for me. Single Malt of course. May break out the Dark Storm....

Thank you. The problem is that some posters are extremely prolific to the point that it is a full time job to report all posts. If you see the threads linked by OP (I have reported at least one of them), there are even comments discussing “using stones”. I believe this is something that needs to be urgently addressed by HQ, the responsibility cannot rely on the site users.

Can I come round to stop you having to drink that alone @PhilippaGeorgiou ?
I’m all heart and generosity I am.

IMO

on MN - posters need to be clear about definitions of words they are using.

Some are very quick to shout Racism, Facism, xenophobia when others are expressing an opinion about policy, news, events that are not about white on white, black on black etc crime. Or, in a conflict where it’s 2 different cultures.

Immigration policy is not racism or racism.

No everyone pretends everyone is the same, or that cultural differences don’t exist. The world is not fair, nor equal.

In the same way OP prob wants everyone to be tolerant of their view …. Be tolerant of others. Maybe learn something.

Use terms correctly.

Not supporting people arriving in boats is not facism - it’s supporting legal & safe immigration policy.

Etc etc

I support law & order, good governance, national security. I don’t support national racist policy, I support using correct definitions of racism, facism, xenophobia and correct expression & quoting of uk immigration policy (not made up emotional MN policies), .

I think u would be less upset if you got your definitions clear.

why are you asking that’s question @JamesMacGill? Are you implying something ? I guess it is indicative of a macho mentality that the men undertake the risky journey and hope to bring the family later but the majority of the uk armed forces are I believe men for fairly similar reasons. This should not need spelling out so why are you asking that question? Is there something that you think is obvious that isn’t? Or are you trying to say something without saying it / plant impresssions in someone mind ?

As the attempts to turn this into another anti-immigrant thread show, another problem with your approach @BeckyAMumsnet is that responding only to reports of individual posts means some (many) of the goading posts stand because they are not viewed in context by the mods.

I used to post on Gransnet; I left due to a small core of racists getting away with being absolutely vile in their posts, whilst a wider cohort constantly denied (and still do) that there’s any racism there at all. It took a national newspaper flagging comments before anyone was banned, and a shitload of racists remain. I wonder if Mumsnet really wants that kind of reputation.

Of course you may. Confession - I have a secret stash. Every time I travel I buy two bottles leaving the UK, and bring them back. I know I shouldn't, but it's a crime we can't buy it in the UK. BTW don't know if you have noticed but Ocado at the weekend had a good clearance offer on Storm (the UK version).

I'm making lentil quesadillas and salad, with home grown tomatoes.

But is being anti immigrant the same as being racist? Are you inherently bigoted unless you agree with open borders? I would be genuinely curious to know your response to this; and the other posters who think discussing immigration in anything less than glowing terms is racist.

To me, racism is bigotry based on ethnicity regardless of nationality. Critiquing immigration is more of a policy debate.

I think that might be where it is heading.

Out of interest, what are you having for tea?

And are you pro-Gin or pro-Whisky?

To be clear if you drink blended whisky you are on the next plane to Rwanda.

Thank the lord!

Too soon, Mrs B, too soon.

But this thread is neither of those things. It is a thread about how to deal with overt racism and xenophobia on MN. If you want an anti immigrant thread, you are completely free to start one.

Got any good dinner plans?

🤣

Full disclosure - I’m drinking gin currently. I am neutral, gin and whisky wise. I am the Switzerland of spirit drinkers.

There are racists on Gransnet?? Goodness.

I like both. It just depends on what I'm in the mood for. I also have a bottle of delicious spiced rum, complex enough that you'd drink it neat.

I agree on blended whisky though. I treated myself to one distilled here in Suffolk - it benefits from a drop of water to bring out the flavours but then goes really well with my dark chocolate apricot and pistachio nut brownies.

Who has said criticism of current immigration levels and policy is racist?

Absolutely no one, that’s who. The whole point of this thread is to ask MNHQ to be more robust in their moderations of the outright lies and misinformation being spread on multiple threads. About Sharia Law, about Islamification, about greater threats to women and girls from the Other men rather than our own percentage of home grown, white rapists and abusers…….I could go on, but the shift filled with posters who know damn well what OP is talking about but who are now willfully resorting to “Oh, you can’t say ANYTHING these days without being called a racist!!!!” has started 🙄

Addressing the racism would allow people with valid viewpoints to be heard. They might not be agreed with, but for the obstinately single-minded at the back there everyone has the right to say their piece unless it’s blatant racism.

So why start another one then? Calling people racist just because they have a different opinion should be classed as hate speech! Anyway this is the last thread I am going to open on this subject

Yes, I think the tea references isn't referring to the discussion with Becky Mumsnet, that's what the discussion is about. More about ignoring those who are hellbent on derailing with "define racism' and going round in circles trying to turn it into the same old blah

Now I am probably going to open up a can of worms here, but I am more a fan of Jenever than of the English versions. The fruity flavours on "London Gin" are not so bad, but I really can't see the point of London Gin.

This one isn’t about immigration. It’s about how MN could/should tackle racism.

It seems to me that Mumsnet needs a shake up of their practices. They said they would do more when we had the disgusting incident of CSA being shared, now racism is increasing and the onus again is on other users. Clearly their system isn’t working. They need to make serious changes if the website simply isn’t safe.

The debate is about addressing racism on the boards and you are derailing.