This week I received a piece of Election toilet paper, in the form of a shiny leaflet from the BNP, not ideal but there's only one place it is going - I wouldn't want to contaminate my recycling bin. Following their success in the European elections, it is voters in the North-west and where I live, in Yorkshire, that the fascist BNP are targeting their lies and bigotry. They feed off casual comments about immigration and cook up a huge pot of hatred and fear.
This week, the word "bigot" has been on everyone's lips, but in my opinion, for all the wrong reasons. In all honesty, I personally think the media hysteria was ridiculous. This was quite simply, a bloke calling a woman a bigot for saying something a bit dodgy about Eastern Europeans "flocking in". I personally know many people like Gillian Duffy, normal, working-class people, who live in areas that have not enjoyed an easy transition to multi-cultural communities and who say things in the only way they know how. I don't think that at heart, Mrs Duffy is a bigot, I really don't. I think that she said something that demonstrates an inaccurate perception that needs to be addressed. THAT should have been the issue that was pursued, that is the issue that we need to work harder to make sure people understand the truth about and that is the issue that all three of the main party leaders should have been focused on.
Casual racism - especially if there is no intent to offend, or malice behind it - is easy to brush off and ignore. It is simpler to just pretend we didn't hear, or to imply tacit agreement by not challenging the beliefs that lead to comments such as complaining about immigrant groups "flocking in". The BNP commonly use the phrase "flooding in" - everyone I know condemns this, so what is the difference?
Many people will relate to Gillian Duffy and what she said, many people will agree with the basic sentiment she expressed. It is up to us to ensure that we explain why this is wrong, how our country is enriched by immigrants and what would happen if we did not allow immigrants into Brilliant Britain. I was lucky to grow up in a multi-cultural area. I had friends who were of immigrant descent, of all cultures, races and religions. It was the best social education I could have had, I gained an understanding and tolerance that didn't need to be purposely taught. Conversely, intolerance and prejudice IS taught, children are not born racist, they learn it.
It is by not challenging the casual racism in our society that children learn that they are better than Mr & Mrs Wolczek, who live across the road, or Mr Singh at the "Paki shop", they learn that skin colour is something to judge on, that a non-British accent is a sign of being less worthy. This is what we must challenge and this is the real change that we must all strive for.This week, the word "bigot" has been on everyone's lips, but in my opinion, for all the wrong reasons. In all honesty, I personally think the media hysteria was ridiculous. This was quite simply, a bloke calling a woman a bigot for saying something a bit dodgy about Eastern Europeans "flocking in". I personally know many people like Gillian Duffy, normal, working-class people, who live in areas that have not enjoyed an easy transition to multi-cultural communities and who say things in the only way they know how. I don't think that at heart, Mrs Duffy is a bigot, I really don't. I think that she said something that demonstrates an inaccurate perception that needs to be addressed. THAT should have been the issue that was pursued, that is the issue that we need to work harder to make sure people understand the truth about and that is the issue that all three of the main party leaders should have been focused on.
Casual racism - especially if there is no intent to offend, or malice behind it - is easy to brush off and ignore. It is simpler to just pretend we didn't hear, or to imply tacit agreement by not challenging the beliefs that lead to comments such as complaining about immigrant groups "flocking in". The BNP commonly use the phrase "flooding in" - everyone I know condemns this, so what is the difference?
Many people will relate to Gillian Duffy and what she said, many people will agree with the basic sentiment she expressed. It is up to us to ensure that we explain why this is wrong, how our country is enriched by immigrants and what would happen if we did not allow immigrants into Brilliant Britain. I was lucky to grow up in a multi-cultural area. I had friends who were of immigrant descent, of all cultures, races and religions. It was the best social education I could have had, I gained an understanding and tolerance that didn't need to be purposely taught. Conversely, intolerance and prejudice IS taught, children are not born racist, they learn it.
This was originally posted at House of Twits on 1st May 2010
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