Excellent post and very astute observations, I am pleased someone else thinks similar to me. In my mind it's simple really, if you are nice to me I'll be nice to you, do unto others, to each their own and all that. If this board is a snapshot of society it demonstrates how divisive the UK protests in support of BLM are, and if the killing, looting and rioting taking place in the USA is anything to go by, the BLM movement is not that effective over there either. Everyone deserves the same opportunities irrespective of who they are, it’s unlawful in the UK to discriminate against someone because of any of the nine protected characteristics so why do we need further legislation, just apply existing laws. As you say, if we want an inclusive society, stop fighting and shake hands.
It seems to me that the BLM movement has made we Brits more aware of racial issues, in a bad way. I now tend to query every coloured face on the box wondering whether they are a tick in the box, whereas previously I judged them on their personalities, as I did with all I watched before. It's made worse every time I see the posturing of kneeling in our sport instead of just playing.
honest lads, i am just sick to feck of it all 'he said she said' bollox should die out in junior school then we all learn to be adults. i do not like extremists of any persuasion, a 35 year friendship has recently gone all to feck because he is a born again christian who just completely tries to brainwash me into his thinking and anyone else is just wrong, he has even been banned from local churches for telling vicars they are wrong as 'the only true version' of the bible is the one he lives by and he fails to see how his actions are totally similar to any other extremist...and that is the worrying part, noneof them can see the harm their views cause but they can see the harm others with similar strong views cause...if anyone asks me even now what i think of this lad i will tell them he is was a hell of a lad and if i wanted to be stood next to anyone in the trenches, it would be him,as long as he stops his rants. i do not want to hate others, yet i sit and watch these divisions being created between colours (we are right, you are wrong) and wonder why these obviously intelligent people cannot see how they are actually helping to create these divisions, which is exactly what they say they are ... errr 'protesting' about. kitten for example has some very strong views and while i agree in principle to most of what he says, he does kind of sully any real argument with his refusal to accept that others can share his views without getting into this (what i call) daftness phase of wanting to wreck statues and re-write history and that we should all bow down toall other races because 'we' were rather nasty to them 200+ years ago, i was nasty to no fecker, my forbears were most likely enslaved by either the vikings, romans or the wealthy land owners and we are all in the same boat now, we work for the money men so they can keep their lazy lifestyle and they get us to serve them on a daily basis...it is now just viewed in a different way and given new descriptions, in 200 years time we may all be out protesting about the richard bransons of the world and how they 'enslaved' thousands of people and wanting to tear down any statues of them. history teaches us, we learn and we move forward...we hope.
That's a fair post mate but, in all honesty, I see very little extremism on here. We all have our points of view but there are always different ways at looking at things.
yeh, apologies, should have been clearer. was not meaning there were extreme views on here, far from it...been an interesting topic and as you say, we all have differing views...my point kind of being that if we are all prepared to take a step back now and then and realise that we are mainly all agreeing with each other and accept a little difference of thought (as i hope there always will be) then just maybe we can all start to heal a few rifts along the way.
you see, i grew up through the 60's and the 70's, we only ever saw white faces round here and racism was rife ( mainly the name calling, no violence i can remember) and that is the way it was i am sorry to say. (we learned and grew away from it...and our own history reminds us how wrong it was). now, times and thoughts do change and i have always seen the progression of anti racism as a natural thing, ie: we became more educated as we became used to having other races around us and believe me, while it is still not perfect, things have come a hell of a long way from those days...the downside now is that every single aspect of life is being put under a microscope of 'black v white' and i am convinced it comes down to these 'mini-extremist' groups trying to be billy big balls and in many cases looking for reasons to get upset about something that really is not there and like yourself, i find myself wondering if someone is shoe-horned into some media position just so that they make sure that they have all bases covered so no one can accuse them of anti-something or another...if a person merits a position based on experience and qualifications i honestly do not care about their race/colour/religion/sexuality or any other possible criteria.
Everyone has different personalities and a different approach. I am happy with any protest against any perceived injustice, and will speak up if I agree. There would still be 10 year old girls working down Scottish coal mines (if there were any) if it not were for protesters, much maligned as rabble at the time. Like I say, we all have a different approach. If you have travelled with me you will know I stand up against racism, sectarian chants etc on the trains. All part of the craic I suppose. What I'm saying is not always looking to heal rifts, but to challenge.
a challenge usually results in being challenged back though, much as violence will result in violence being returned...but i agree, some things have to be challenged as silence helps no one. your point on the mines is also relevant to my point that most of us had a really **** time of things a couple of hundred years ago, very very few had any kind of 'good life' with the rest of us doing our best to exist, of course, there were many who had much worse lives, most of which are consigned to the history books to remind us that such atrocities should never be repeated.
At the same time Colston was transporting African slaves there were indigenous slaves in Scottish mines. Does anyone, from BLM, wish to comment?
Doubt that would be on their agenda. They might refer to the millions dragged from their homes, shackled, beaten and often killed and if not, never see their families again. Social injustice many years ago in Scotland may 'pale' into insignificance. See what I did there?
There's a Sunderland match on, this is a Sunderland forum ... ... please stop bothering me with your shyte, there's a good lad.
Finding the match a hard watch. Distracting meself. You found time to respond. I've learned that whenever people start with the insults it's time to realise there's no possibility of a reasonable debate. Sound familiar. I always thought we treated each other with respect so disappointed but not surprised at your response. I am having a reasonable debate, and certainly not talking shyte. You might not agree and that is your prerogative. I didn't bring up BLM and indigenous Scottish slaves ffs.
You can't follow every cause otherwise the impact gets diluted. Choose what matters most and give it your all. I didn't do anything there.
I reckon most of us on here are "older" white working class and many of us have had brushes with the law and order side of society. Subsequently we are familiar with how unjust justice can be whether from coppers lying about football fans to magistrates / judges sentencing to make a point and maintain the status quo rather than administer justice. I am sure most of us will have railed against such injustices. While I may have become apathetic to this form of injustice in my comfortable old age, I can still appreciate others coming along to continue the fight against it in whatever form it takes.
Great post. I could write a book on coppers lying in court, and that would just be about me! Noone would believe me. I now know they had quotas but no idea why they trumped up charges. I have fought them and won a few times (in court I mean although Hull away, white horse, what a day) and even got compensation for getting beat up by them at Burnley. Also taken them on as a witness. You can see and feel the magistrates know they are lying some times. Slightly off topic I know
