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Well done Lawrence Fox!

(737 Posts)
Ngaio1 Fri 17-Jan-20 17:10:05

What a truth! Racist remarks are racist what ever your colour!

GillT57 Sat 18-Jan-20 15:14:44

LF most certainly was the victim of a racist attack, I disagree maddyone. He was accused of not knowing how it felt to be the victim of racial abuse, a totally different thing altogether. It is highly unlikely, as the audience member tried to point out over his shouting and showing off, that he had ever been the victim of racism because he is a white, middle class male. He lost the plot and was rude, and all his bluster about this being a wonderful country with no racists must have been a great comfort to Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

trisher Sat 18-Jan-20 15:19:58

Thanks Gagajo One of the things that really worries me is that LF who is at best an over rated and over privileged actor is saying things that will be taken up by others and used. Here in the NE there is an upsurge of the far-right and he is consciously or unconsciously feeding those views.

Pantglas2 Sat 18-Jan-20 15:24:43

‘It is not for anyone white to define what a person of colour defines as racism. Just as it is not for a man to define what a woman defines as sexism, or a heterosexual person to define what is homophobia.’

It is not for a person of colour to define what a white person defines as racism. Just as it is not for a woman to define what a man defines as sexism, or a homosexual person to define what is heterophobia.

Can you see how silly these can get? Who gets to decide the ‘isms’?

GagaJo Sat 18-Jan-20 15:29:20

If you are a member of a dominant group, of which wealthy white males are at the top, you don't assume you know what a person of colour experiences.

SUCH common sense. Twist it all you want, but a racist apologist is working within the same systems of power as a rape apologist.

You can either work towards stamping out bigotry or you can pretend it doesn't exist, which is the same thing as enabling it.

jura2 Sat 18-Jan-20 16:05:03

Have you ever experienced racism? I have not, never.

Many in our family have, growing in Apartheid South Africa, and then when they came to UK to escape, in the late 40s. Unless you have experience the reality of racism in person - you will never ever know what it feels like. Lawrence Fox has not got a clue - I like him as an actor- but I was really disappointed to see his arrogant, entitled and unpleasant reaction. Will never see him the same again.

Some people seem just toooooo keen to say 'oh no, it can't possibly have anything to do with racism' - to be genuine. You can hear the 'I am not racist but ... ' in the background.

Anniebach Sat 18-Jan-20 16:05:38

He didn’t pretend it doesn’t exist did he

merlotgran Sat 18-Jan-20 16:17:44

I can't remember his exact words but it was something along the lines of needing to deal with real existing racism rather than keep looking for it where it doesn't exist.

I agree with that.

Doodledog Sat 18-Jan-20 16:19:50

He didn’t pretend it doesn’t exist did he

He didn't, no; but his argument against the treatment of M&H being racist was that this is a lovely country. Well yes, it is; but that doesn't mean that Meghan hasn't suffered from racism. It's a non sequitur.

GrannyGravy13 Sat 18-Jan-20 16:24:06

Racism exists in Rotherham, no one wanted to rock the boat so they just let the Pakistani Muslim rape gangs continue to abuse and rape white girls.

How many more young white girls are to be sacrificed because the establishment is to frightened to call it what it is - racism against white girls.

jura2 Sat 18-Jan-20 16:24:42

Exactly. I'd agree that until very recently, the UK was the most tolerant and open of countries, and so accepting of its multiculturalism where it was seen, apparently, as a positive.

And I know, I am sure- that some here will deny it strongly- the UK has changed hugely in the last few years- and repressed, underlying racism and resentment has come gushing to the surface, in some circles and in some areas, in a very disturbing way. I wonder why some people are so keen to dismiss racism- is it because they are, or ???

jura2 Sat 18-Jan-20 16:27:48

GG13 - this insistence on using one form of racism to excuse another which is much more widespread, is just not helpful.

I don't think a single person on GN and 99.999 % of the population would agree that what happened in Rotherham was not 100% wrong and should never happen. Very different situation though- not comparable.

Anniebach Sat 18-Jan-20 16:29:24

Lawrence Fox didn’t say there was no racism, he seemed to think the abuse in Rotherham was important enough to bring
into it.

jura2 Sat 18-Jan-20 16:30:30

How was it relevant?

GrannyGravy13 Sat 18-Jan-20 16:35:23

It is relevant because the only racism portrayed / spoken about is white on black/people of colour.

There seems to be a taboo in speaking about /portraying black/people of colour being racist towards white people or racist towards the British Culture/ways.

In my opinion stating that someone is "a white privileged male" is bordering on racism when used as a slur/attack by someone who is black/person of colour.

jura2 Sat 18-Jan-20 16:39:38

No taboo on my part- it is a question of proportionality.

Fox immediately denied racism was at all part of Megan's situation and experience - which is nonsense. The question is then 'why did he react so fast and so strongly'? - and why do some of you do the same here?

GrannyGravy13 Sat 18-Jan-20 16:46:08

I certainly haven't reacted quickly, I have read all of the posts.

Why do some people not like to admit that racism is a two way street?

love0c Sat 18-Jan-20 16:51:18

Well said Lawrence Fox!

ladymuck Sat 18-Jan-20 16:58:42

I wonder which part of the country you all live in? Come up north to Lancashire and you will experience abuse and insults. However, because it is aimed at white people, it is not regarded as racist so we have to put up with it.
We are a very tolerant nation and have given refuge to those who needed it. Yet many have nothing but contempt for us.

oldgimmer1 Sat 18-Jan-20 17:05:38

How can the failure of the authorities to act in Rotherham be explained other than fear of being branded racist? hmm

Opal Sat 18-Jan-20 17:10:45

Absolutely GG13, racism is a two way street. Some posters on here just refuse to admit it, and in so doing, they actually do a dis-service to their own argument. By claiming that a non-white person is targeted because of racism, when they are actually being targeted for a completely different reason, is undermining the fight against racism, because the general public just get sick of the race card constantly being used when it is not warranted. E.g. Meghan - the majority of the British public warmly embraced her when she married Harry, and it is because of her actions in recent weeks that she is being criticized now, NOT because of her colour. By claiming that it is because of her colour and yet again playing the race card, those of you who think that you are claiming the "moral high ground" are actually undermining your more general argument against racism. You've ended up crying "wolf" too many times, and claiming some things are racist when they blatantly are not, and have completely switched off those of us who are entirely sick of being told we are racists, when we know we actually aren't. You've scored an own goal, but will never admit it because of you're dogma.

Washerwoman Sat 18-Jan-20 17:13:24

It is a very nuanced subject to say the least.But where are we heading when both Dulwich college and Whinchester school feel they have to reject a 1.2 million bequest from Sir Brian Thwaites that was to be for underprivileged white boys because of diversity and equality issues. And yet Stormzy can set up scholarships for black students only for Cambridge.Why do we even have to differentiate -why not any underprivileged student with potential ?
Forgive me if I'm way out of date but isn't this the kind of thing Sir Trevor Phillips said was making society more divisive.Or has he been discredited now?Genuine question because I actually thought he was bang in a few years ago and the Martin Luther quote on LFs twitter account surely backs it up.
I'm ducking my head now because no doubt someone will come along to say how stupid I am.

GrannyGravy13 Sat 18-Jan-20 17:19:04

I would really like to know when it became a crime to be "a white privileged man/woman"?

TerriBull Sat 18-Jan-20 17:19:24

"Have you ever experienced racism"

There seems to be an assumption that being born white, is not only synonymous with "privilege" but somehow it's a foregone conclusion that white people can never be on the receiving end of racism.

Now that South Yorkshire Police have finally stated, what has been common knowledge for years, that they have ignored the abuse of children and were happy to sacrifice those victims on the altar of political correctness.

The Times reports today, The Chief Inspector is said to have described the abuse as "P* shagging and to have said that it has been going on for 30 years and with it being Asians, we can't afford for this to be coming out"

White Privilege!

jura2 Sat 18-Jan-20 17:21:41

Why should Sir Thwaites bequest money to help 'boys' only, and 'white ones' in particular. Why could he not bequest money to help underprivileged children?

You say it yourself, why do we even have to differentiate...why not any? But the fact remains, that black students in the past rarely got access to Cambridge or Oxford. That is the reality, not the 'perception'.

ladymuck Sat 18-Jan-20 17:23:16

At last we are being given an opportunity to state the facts instead of being forced to live in denial.
Although I wonder how long these posts will last before they are removed for being inflammatory?