The Political Thread

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

I wouldn't trust him to go to the shops for me

[JamesC]

Socially I sometimes don't know what to do about racism. I mean obviously it's a bad thing but is it a case of 'love the racist, hate the racism'?
I've met people that I genuinely like and have affection for and then - Wham! - out of the blue they say something racist and hateful. I'm not afraid to say when I disagree with someone and they'll undoubtedly go down in my estimation but sometimes it's hard just to switch off your feelings of friendship toward them. I think it's best to try to change their minds or at least force them into analysing their opinions but it's almost like a sort of personality cancer and sometimes there's nothing you can do but agree to differ.

[Hawkmumbler]

Socially I sometimes don't know what to do about racism. I mean obviously it's a bad thing but is it a case of 'love the racist, hate the racism'?
I've met people that I genuinely like and have affection for and then - Wham! - out of the blue they say something racist and hateful. I'm not afraid to say when I disagree with someone and they'll undoubtedly go down in my estimation but sometimes it's hard just to switch off your feelings of friendship toward them. I think it's best to try to change their minds or at least force them into analysing their opinions but it's almost like a sort of personality cancer and sometimes there's nothing you can do but agree to differ.

It's even harder with loved ones. I could never imagine hating my grand parents but i'm quite often struck with reality. One of my grand fathers is a proud supporter of UKIP and exhibits all the disillusioned hatred towards society that we are so used to. While my grandmother on the other pair is vehamently anti-bisexual, strangely she say's you should be one or the other. Not swing both ways. She had no issue with homosexuals. 

[The Legendary Shark]

You can't change the world, you can only change your world. Lead by example.

[TordelBack]

Well, while I share most of the above typical experiences, I can offer a more heartening example.

Today I was working in a hole in the ground just outside Cassidy's pub, bathed in the glow of JayzusBChrist's magnificent window paintings (particularly liked the Cantina scene - nice Ackbar!), when I espied with a certain amount of anticipatory dread a  small parade working its way across O'Connell Bridge - a parade of exclusively black Biafran men, celebrating how happy they were to be living in Ireland (that's what the banners said anyway). 

My prior experience with the construction industry would be that it's a fiery hotbed of racism, especially with the older men, but on this occasion the three middle aged men I was working with (One Welsh, one Northern Irish, one southern Irish) paused and observed the parade and variously remarked 'Good on them, glad to see someone's enjoying themselves', 'You wouldn't have seen that 20 years ago, amazing really' and 'I love a good parade' (no prizes for guessing which said the latter).

So maybe things are changing.

[JayzusB.Christ]

While my grandmother on the other pair is vehamently anti-bisexual, strangely she say's you should be one or the other. Not swing both ways. She had no issue with homosexuals.

Now that is odd.
I met a gay chap once who thought gay pride marches should be banned.  In his view, they presented the gay scene as some kind of wacky freakshow, rather than normal people doing everyday things.

Today I was working in a hole in the ground just outside Cassidy's pub, bathed in the glow of JayzusBChrist's magnificent window paintings (particularly liked the Cantina scene - nice Ackbar!)

Holy shit, TB, that's you working in the hole?  Let me know next time you're there! I'm in and out of Cassidy's all the time (usually chasing paycheques).

[JayzusB.Christ]

In his view, they presented the gay scene as some kind of wacky freakshow, rather than normal people doing everyday things.

...

Holy shit, TB, that's you working in the hole?  Let me know next time you're there! I'm in and out... (usually chasing paycheques).

Those two comments of mine are unrelated, just for the record.

[ZenArcade]

  Yeah right!

[Hawkmumbler]

In his view, they presented the gay scene as some kind of wacky freakshow, rather than normal people doing everyday things.

...

Holy shit, TB, that's you working in the hole?  Let me know next time you're there! I'm in and out... (usually chasing paycheques).

Those two comments of mine are unrelated, just for the record.

[CrazyFoxMachine]

I've met people that I genuinely like and have affection for and then - Wham! - out of the blue they say something racist and hateful.

Sigh... tell me about it.

Today a "friend" on FB had a weirdly homophobic status. He regularly has these Clarkson style "statements" that are meant to shock or whatever:

"Right - I'm not being funny but what's the point of being vegetarian - ?!?" etc etc etc

Always trying to push people's buttons and depressingly/satisfyingly he never seems to get the rise he wants - most people just ignore him. I've hidden him for a while now - because in real life he's really quite reasonable. Yet... he thinks and says those bloody things and I think less of him every time and today's one made me feel all weird and sad.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Tordelback, you've got mail.

The rest of you, just leave me and my Tordy alone.  We can do what we want.

[Ghost MacRoth]

You can't change the world, you can only change your world. Lead by example.

It's people's right to be dicks.  I only see an issue when people start acting on such beliefs, up until then they can say what they like, and I'll agree, or I won't. 

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

[Hawkmumbler]

Tordelback, you've got mail.

The rest of you, just leave me and my Tordy alone.  We can do what we want.

Hey, it's your business whose hole you put your toad in.

[Hoagy]

Toad in the hole is easy. It's comedy that's hard.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

I've met people that I genuinely like and have affection for and then - Wham! - out of the blue they say something racist and hateful.

Sigh... tell me about it.

Today a "friend" on FB had a weirdly homophobic status. He regularly has these Clarkson style "statements" that are meant to shock or whatever:

"Right - I'm not being funny but what's the point of being vegetarian - ?!?" etc etc etc

Always trying to push people's buttons and depressingly/satisfyingly he never seems to get the rise he wants - most people just ignore him. I've hidden him for a while now - because in real life he's really quite reasonable. Yet... he thinks and says those bloody things and I think less of him every time and today's one made me feel all weird and sad.

I can't really relate to this.

Where I grew up, bigotry reared its head very early on in any conversation with any potential friend.

What's the only English word with six silent letters?
Londonderry.

It was easy to tell who was or wasn't a bigot based on whether or not they gave a shit about the difference.