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

Obviously I don’t know every post. But given the attempts to insinuate my original post is in some way racist and the constant accusations of racism in every other post I see over absolutely nothing, I’d say mums net is doing a good job and that some people are quite blatantly attempting to shut down main stream views to suit their agenda.

I know this @Notonthestairs. That is not my point. Although I agree what I wrote is coded, a dog whistle if you like. We should stick to the issue in hand and not be derailed no matter how valid or in-valid people’s points are on the side.

Can you quote someone who has said that? Or would this be a misrepresentation for a straw man argument?

I don't see any reason not to have a continuation thread on site stuff? It is an ongoing issue after all.

Yesterday I was ready to leave the site, but the reaction to the pink thread from many, many people not on this thread has made me change my mind.

There are more good people here than bad.

If racism is seen as "main stream views" why shouldn't it be challenged or deleted in extreme cases?

Nobody has said your posts are racist. It’s interesting though that you think the kind of posts addressed by this thread are mainstream views. Even if they were - and I don’t believe they are - that doesn’t make them acceptable.

Nope. We want MN to assess some of the insidious racism from bad faith actors that is tarnishing the site. We are not talking about posters who disagree with us.

MNHQ took down the pink thread, so perhaps they are beginning to see what we are getting at.

Well the difference is in people’s agenda, isn’t it. This thread is about a group of people who don’t think the views they’re seeing on MN are mainstream, or acceptable. You can disagree with that, but I don’t think you can say you’re being somehow victimised by a small group of posters views. It has no effect on you at all, unless you think there’s going to be some mass change to the boards as a result. Which, if it’s a mainstream view, there won’t be.

As it stands I think that is what we’re seeing - MN are going to let the posts we on this thread don’t like continue. So from your position, everything is fine. I don’t know why you’d need to then come into the thread to bust everyone’s balls about it, unless it’s some kind of power play or something

@Zonder did you hear back from mnhq about Nasrine?

Can you quote someone who said that racism is seen as mainstream view or is this a misinterpretation for a straw man argument?

This was posted on my SM, made me think of this thread

(back to lurking but thanks for the thread)

Again, what is bad faith? You’re very persistent and repetitive in your views, but as no doubt you consider your own beliefs to be genuine, you don’t consider yourself a ‘bad faith actor’.

Is it the case that you simply think beliefs can only be sincerely held if they’re similar or similar-ish to yours and everyone else is ‘posting in bad faith’?

That is a brilliant and important quote @bemoresloth

I believe this quote comes from the antisemitism push in 1930s Germany which seems rather apt right now. She helped Jews to escape to the British Mandate of Palestine.

I'm well aware of its history.

A brilliant and important quote by a lady whose actions you would condemn today, if you’re pro Palestinian independence.

That's eerily accurate as to how it is today!
Makes me think of the crap you see on Twitter.
It's correct in that you start to think you don't know what to believe anymore, there's that much shit out there.

It certainly is. It’s exactly what’s happening and it aligns with the increasingly prevalent view that no politician can be trusted, the famous “they’re all the same” view.

Stop trying to derail. There is a whole CITME board for you to have that discussion. Thanks.

Have you read Arendt?

How am I derailing by commenting on a post you approve of which strictly speaking is nothing to do with racism on Mumsnet?

I agree FFS it's ridiculous

I know a bit about her life and views.

What do you think about the MESSAGE? Otherwise, yes it's clear you're trying to steer away from what is actually said in it.

James - I hope you are not suggesting I am an antisemitic. By quoting me it seems like quite a targeted post at me and I would like to know why.