Re: Diane Abbott : Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:42 am  

What a divided society the Uk has now become, when the colour of your skin or your gender decides whether your being racist or sexist.

Re: Diane Abbott : Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:02 am  

woolie wrote:

What a divided society the Uk has now become, when the colour of your skin or your gender decides whether your being racist or sexist.

Bollox, it's words and actions that decide that

Re: Diane Abbott : Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:05 am  

I didnt mind her "speak first think later" style when she was younger. Thought she was a welcome addition to politics. The trouble is she's never really grown up.

Re: Diane Abbott : Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:08 am  

From 'Twop Twips' on Twitter:

DIANE ABBOTT: Defuse the situation by claiming that a lot of your friends are 19th century European colonialists.

Re: Diane Abbott : Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:40 am  

I loathe the woman.
I have lost track of her hypocrisy in both actions and words over the years, so often and badly has she let down her electorate.
She is the archetypal gravy-train MP and has now blown her USP (see me, I represent a minority, can't you see I'm black?) right out of the water.

There will be people who have been genuinely fighting racism for years and for all the right reasons who will now have their hands in their hands.

If I was in her local party I'd have been wanting her deselected years ago.

Re: Diane Abbott : Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:41 am  

cod'ead wrote:

Bollox, it's words and actions that decide that

Spot on.

Re: Diane Abbott : Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:44 am  

cod'ead wrote:

Bollox, it's words and actions that decide that

Bollox, Its the way society interprets those words & actions that’s the key. Its near impossible to change the publics perception on issues like this & its important that the publics perception does not play into the hands of extremists. No form of Racialism or sexism should be tolerated, doesn’t matter who you are.

Re: Diane Abbott : Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:51 am  

woolie wrote:

Bollox, Its the way society interprets those words & actions that’s the key. Its near impossible to change the publics perception on issues like this & its important that the publics perception does not play into the hands of extremists. No form of Racialism or sexism should be tolerated, doesn’t matter who you are.

And just how has a lower tolerance of racism & sexism led to a more divisive UK?

Some of us are of an age that remembers when racism wasn't merely tolerated, it was wholeheartedly embraced by a large proportion of the population, we even had overtly racist "comedies" on national television. There were real signs in the windows of real pubs and boarding houses, informing some races that they would not be welcome.

Mind you, then some interfering political party went and introduced legislation to outlaw discrimination on grounds of race, gender and sexuality. I'll leave you to guess which political party that was.

Re: Diane Abbott : Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:23 pm  

woolie wrote:

Bollox, Its the way society interprets those words & actions that’s the key.

Nah, it's the intent and context that's the key.

woolie wrote:

Its near impossible to change the publics perception on issues like this & its important that the publics perception does not play into the hands of extremists.

Not true, racism has dwindled to a fraction of what I used to witness (and unconsciously partake in) when I was a boy.

I believe that an unfortunate part of the human psyche is "differentist" (by that I include racism, religious and ethnic intolerance, dislike of rival rugby fans etc etc) and it may well be genetic and may have served early man very well in defending himself and his tribe.
Unfortunately, it is still there in everyone's subconscious but is allayed when we mix with those who we thought were different from ourselves and then we realise that we are all the same really.

woolie wrote:

No form of Racialism or sexism should be tolerated, doesn’t matter who you are.

We certainly agree on that bit.

Re: Diane Abbott : Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:03 pm  

El Barbudo wrote:

Not true, racism has dwindled to a fraction of what I used to witness (and unconsciously partake in) when I was a boy.

I believe that an unfortunate part of the human psyche is "differentist" (by that I include racism, religious and ethnic intolerance, dislike of rival rugby fans etc etc) and it may well be genetic and may have served early man very well in defending himself and his tribe.
Unfortunately, it is still there in everyone's subconscious but is allayed when we mix with those who we thought were different from ourselves and then we realise that we are all the same really.

Thats the complete definition of all "ism's" in one paragraph.

Its an unfortunate result of re-educating the masses that has led to a new generation who don't actually know what true racism looks like and who cannot therefore appreciate how far we have come in 40 years, however re-education can only go so far, it may take many generations before the "differentist" gene is obsolete.