[Archived] Feed the homeless in Ramadan

[Paul]

Clearly from your first sentence you still don't understand the difference to taking the p1ss out of ginger haired person and racial abuse. You do need to think about this. History tells us you don't regard abusing people as an issue, I do.

Yes obviously the answer is none. I misread the question. As for going back to Mendel's peas I think the point is this, I did some reading, appreciated what I thought to be correct wasn't and said do.

Perhaps the world would be a better place if others took the trouble to research and I understand the difference between types of abuse. All abuse is wrong, some people don't understand that, but the degrees of harm they cause may vary.

[Stuart]

Clearly from your first sentence you still don't understand the difference to taking the p1ss out of ginger haired person and racial abuse.

I genuinely don't see why there should be a difference.

Either it's okay for anyone to take the @#/? out of anyone, or it's wrong for everyone. Otherwise it's just hypocrisy.

[broadsword]

Clearly there are cultural sensitivities that have to be accounted for.

Young black men were shackled and shipped to the West Indies and America to work as slaves, the jews have been the victims of massacres, as have muslims, british-asians were given a shellacking in the seventies by the National Front. The disabled have been subject to decades of mockery and prejudice.

That sort of history gives rise to emotionally-laden insults whose currency is a history of persecution.

People with ginger hair haven't, as far as I'm aware, been subject to anything more than the odd harsh word and playground insult.

You can't equate the two. Is any further explanation really required.

Personally I don't give a flying @#/? about any of that, life's too short, no? How a person behaves is of far greater insight than any personal characteristics.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

There is no real difference. The only difference is in perception, and perception is defined by the strength of the victimised group's ability to force the majority to acknowledge that its wrong. People are allowed to think abusing people for being ginger, jewish, scouse or whatever is funny because those groups don't have the strength, either in numbers or in influence, to say its not and stop it right now.

You think most people in the western world stopped abusing black people or muslims because they voluntarily decided to acknowledge it was wrong? I don't, I mean ask Martin Luther King. Those victimised groups grew in number and in voice and forced the acknowledgment. 4% of Europeans have ginger hair, if that jumped to 20% overnight, the jokes would stop. And they'd stop cause ginger haired people would make sure they stopped. Its all about perception and what the majority can get away with, there's no logical justification for why one form of abuse is funny and the other's racist.

[broadsword]

Sorry, am I unaware of a teeming undercurrent of hate that ginger people face on a daily basis?

It's about vulnerabilities.

Or so I thought. But then I don't go around mocking people for their differences, so maybe I have no idea.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Sorry, am I unaware of a teeming undercurrent of hate that ginger people face on a daily basis?

It's about vulnerabilities.

Or so I thought. But then I don't go around mocking people for their differences, so maybe I have no idea.

If its about vulnerabilities then jokes about ginger-haired people should be treated more seriously than ones about most other minorities in this country in my opinion. There is no stigma regarding abuse of gingers, its one of the last acceptable prejudices. So there's no preventative element. There's a very, very strong preventative element against what is traditionally regarded as racial abuse. Being called racist is one of the most fearfully avoided things in modern society.

I accept the history argument, but history is being made all the time and things change. Persecution that leads to widespread violence thankfully doesn't exist in Britain today. But at the lower level that prejudice now operates, abuse of people with ginger-hair is serious and on the increase.

You wouldn't see a van drive through Blackburn and 2 guys shout "******* muslim!" out of it these days would you? I was going into town with my girlfriend the other day and that exact thing happened to her. And what can she do? Take the number plate and inform the police of the abuse? Write to her MP to raise the matter? Start a campaign group to raise awareness? She could if he was a victim of traditional racism, but in this case she'd get laughed at on every account. That to me is vulnerability.

As with all these things, the people doing it massively play down the seriousness of it. Because its no big deal to them they think that means its no big deal. Maybe it is some kind of obscene fashion, but if it sticks around long-term I'd be inclined to describe it as racism.

[thenodrog]

Too serious this now.

The last thing I want to see is ever more stupidity about persecution. I've already said I don't give one what anybody says about gingers. Sticks and stones as far as I am concerned. I was hardened to it and conditioned to roll with it and punch back equally if not harder many years ago. It 's what every minority should try to do rather than hiding behind some soppy laws all the time. That stuff just breeds resentment and can make simple @#/? take a much more sinister turn.

[Baz]

I genuinely don't see why there should be a difference.

Either it's okay for anyone to take the @#/? out of anyone, or it's wrong for everyone. Otherwise it's just hypocrisy.

Surely it depends on the intention behind the remarks? If its a bit of give and take micky taking between mates, its no problem, but the same wording between strangers could have a totally different connotation?

[colin]

After huge success last year, Muslims have once again organised "Iftar (breaking the fast) with the homeless".

This will be taking place on Saturday 27th July.

Many of us take for granted the food and shelter we have. Poverty is on the rise and many individuals are struggling in this horrendous economic climate. Those that are unaware, during the month of Ramadan, Muslims do not eat from sunrise to sunset.

If anyone is aware of any homeless people or any that are struggling, then please feel free to pass the message on.

https://twitter.com/Mo_lankylarry/status/359838798105960448/photo/1

The location is outside Blackburn Town Hall at 8:30pm.

That sounds like a good idea, I hope it went well. Sorry but I haven't read the rest of the comments here, I hope you got plenty of support.

[thenodrog]

............. However, whenever (non-white) skin colour us involved it's labelled "racially motivated".

Bit of a classic example of "lets fall back to playing the racist card" here............

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/08/02/immigration-raids-branded_n_3693644.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cuk-ws-bb%7Cdl15%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D198828

Now I know we have a number of Eastern europeans laking about the country but they are from in the main legal and from within the eu so isn't it logical that most none eu people who are over here illegally working will be a shade or two darker?

[Blue n White Rover]

That sounds like a good idea, I hope it went well. Sorry but I haven't read the rest of the comments here, I hope you got plenty of support.

We certainly did and it was a fantastic and eye-opening event. We continue our help this weekend in Preston. All are welcome to help.

[colin]

We certainly did and it was a fantastic and eye-opening event. We continue our help this weekend in Preston. All are welcome to help.

Good on you & everyone else who is involved. It's really a shame that this discussion rather became diverted.

[DE.]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-23643831

For Gord and all the other persecuted redheads, get marching

[thenodrog]

Interesting to read that Ginger blokes are a massive 54% less likely to succumb to prostate cancer which is currently very 'popular' amongst middle aged males.

[T.J.Newton]

I know which one id rather have!

[Guest Norbert]

Interesting to read that Ginger blokes are a massive 54% less likely to succumb to prostate cancer which is currently very 'popular' amongst middle aged males.

Probably because you're a load of..........http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3072021.stm!

You did walk into that one Gordon.

[thenodrog]

And of course you don't norbert. Are you a catholic and sleep in boxing gloves every night do you?

[T.J.Newton]

Who gets up in the night to do that, yer weirdo