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The truth is - most of us are a little bit racist. After the September 11th thing, I began viewing all muslims with suspicion. I even slagged them off on this board - how's that for hypocrisy!? It was the emotion of the whole event.. I recognise that my 'racism' was wrong.
My girlfriend is beautiful. She is also Indian Hindu. She (and many other hindu's apparently) has a distrust of Muslims - which I find interesting.. Especially since many white people tend to think of asians as being 'all of the same stock' i.e. all the same. They are usually all referred to as Pakis. My girlfriends family don't like or trust Pakistani's. My girlfriends sister is dating a Hindu Sri-Lankan.. His family want the relationship ended because they don't like Indians.. She has a PhD by the way.... this means nothing to them.
I lived in Norwood for a while (near Brixton). Norwood and surrounding areas are the most crime-ridden and violent in England. They are very black areas. I have black friends... but.. I fear reprisals for what I am going to say now.. but I just want to prove my honesty and non-hypocrisy... I distrusted all of the black men in that area. I had my reasons.. there was a very real feeling of bad-ass attitude in the area. I was wipped by a guy with a pitbull because I dared to pat his dog on the head!? It had stopped in my path.. I was just being friendly.. He wipped me with the dog lead.. my pre-conceptions (however right or wrong) of a 'certain kind' of black man were being added to. I got into 5 fights with black men in the 1 year of living there... I swear I didn't start any of them. I don't live there anymore. One of my most trusted friends is black, but like I said.. my brain made a distinction between what I percieved to be hostile blacks and friendly blacks...
When I was at junior school.. because I have itallian roots.. my teacher once held my hand up in front of the class and asked whether it was a tan or whether it was dirt on my skin (it wasn't a joke it was meant nastily). When I got to senior school, I was called half-caste for the same reasons.. I was bullied severly for having a tanned appearance. I was the closest thing to coloured in my school.
I could go on...
I ain't perfect.. I got some thoughts and feelings that are probably wrong... but we are shaped by our experiences. I have had some very negative experiences with SOME black men.
Sorry if this offends. It shouldn't do.
I truly believe that we absolutley must work together to eradicate racism and more importantly - ignorance and mis-trust of other races. That is how we will build a happier world.
My girlfriend is beautiful. She is also Indian Hindu. She (and many other hindu's apparently) has a distrust of Muslims - which I find interesting.. Especially since many white people tend to think of asians as being 'all of the same stock' i.e. all the same. They are usually all referred to as Pakis. My girlfriends family don't like or trust Pakistani's. My girlfriends sister is dating a Hindu Sri-Lankan.. His family want the relationship ended because they don't like Indians.. She has a PhD by the way.... this means nothing to them.
I lived in Norwood for a while (near Brixton). Norwood and surrounding areas are the most crime-ridden and violent in England. They are very black areas. I have black friends... but.. I fear reprisals for what I am going to say now.. but I just want to prove my honesty and non-hypocrisy... I distrusted all of the black men in that area. I had my reasons.. there was a very real feeling of bad-ass attitude in the area. I was wipped by a guy with a pitbull because I dared to pat his dog on the head!? It had stopped in my path.. I was just being friendly.. He wipped me with the dog lead.. my pre-conceptions (however right or wrong) of a 'certain kind' of black man were being added to. I got into 5 fights with black men in the 1 year of living there... I swear I didn't start any of them. I don't live there anymore. One of my most trusted friends is black, but like I said.. my brain made a distinction between what I percieved to be hostile blacks and friendly blacks...
When I was at junior school.. because I have itallian roots.. my teacher once held my hand up in front of the class and asked whether it was a tan or whether it was dirt on my skin (it wasn't a joke it was meant nastily). When I got to senior school, I was called half-caste for the same reasons.. I was bullied severly for having a tanned appearance. I was the closest thing to coloured in my school.
I could go on...
I ain't perfect.. I got some thoughts and feelings that are probably wrong... but we are shaped by our experiences. I have had some very negative experiences with SOME black men.
Sorry if this offends. It shouldn't do.
I truly believe that we absolutley must work together to eradicate racism and more importantly - ignorance and mis-trust of other races. That is how we will build a happier world.
