booooooo

Alan, the story was in the Irish Independent today yes. But you’ll note that they got it wrong in that he hasn’t been expelled from the party, rather he has lost the whip which is a bit different. We’ll also have more from Scully later today.

the truth being that everyone of is a ?? now im not one for sweeping generalisations usually but…if there were more of YOU i would say they would ALL be narrow minded xenophobic bigots. im sorry but thats just the experience ive had of you so far and therefore is valid for all similar yous that i meet in future.

bloody html… that should read: the truth being that everyone of **insert ethnicity here** is a **insert negative character trait here**?? now im not one for sweeping generalisations usually but…if there were more of YOU i would say they would ALL be narrow minded xenophobic bigots. im sorry but thats just the experience ive had of you so far and therefore is valid for all similar yous that i meet in future.

Or that all FG members are muppets! Swings and roundabouts really.

Gill. There is a degree of choice there so your argument is wrong. All FG voters are muppets.

Strike that, reverse it. I should of generalised even further by saying ALL politicians are muppets:) think that’s a better fit Reada don’t you? :D

No it would not be like saying that… It would be like saying ‘all Irish people I’ve met are Ginger’… Big difference

your not racist you just don’t like those foreigners. good one.

Reading some of these racist comments makes me ashamed to be Irish..

I’m also Irish and proud, but I’m certainly not proud of his comments. you simply can’t tar an entire continent of people with the same brush.

“I’m not racist but” means you are, you twat

There was a crowd going around with that line a few years ago. I think they went off to fight for Franco or something, maybe you should follow them.

Look, if you are prepared to judge each person from a certain place according to a preconcieved notion – that means you are a racist! No arguing about it – that’s what it means. So just admit it!

I’m proud to be Irish too but I’m mortified by Ciaran Ward and Joxer Daly’s comments.

We ought to welcome all immigrants to our country with open arms. Our country is all the better with their presence. We give each and every one the benefit of the doubt unless proven otherwise on an individual basis. Rags often peddle fearmongering and not news these days.

Seriously Ward, your argument is stupid. Many of these people are Irish, or want to become Irish in some point in the future. Being Irish is being respectful. Sure, everyone sometimes does something that reflects negatively on their reputation, but you can’t lump an entire category of people into it. It would be like me saying that because your surname is Ward that you are not of Irish ethnicity but rather a traveller (nothing against travellers, but they want to be considered of a seperate ethnicity to Irish). You say your Irish and Proud. So am I, but my Irishness is not bigoted.

You knuckle dragging racist piece of slime, one day we’ll cleanse all the racist fascists out of our country.

Wrong @Dave, that is not racist. You mention if a person treats a group of people differently with a preconceived idea that it’s racist. That’s wrong on all levels. My iphone was robbed by two little tracksuits on bikes, usually i dont pay attention to young fellas like this but since this happened i am so conscious when i see similar individuals, i dont wanna be i just am. Unfortunately when someone from a certain group of people negatively affects someone they will subconsciously get a negative view of that person. Maybe other people with are different psychologically may not see it like that but I’m sure some do.

Jason,
It is possible to hold a negative view of an individual and a positive or neutral view of the grouping they come from. Extending the negative view beyond the individual it racist and is a choice you make. It’s not predetermined, it’s learned behaviour as is racism.

Exactly, we need a proper debate about immigration, not comments such as “every single person who is a member of (insert racial group here) is well known to (insert negative stereotype here)”. Bang on the money with one idea in your comment at least I suppose..

Val, by your own logic there’s good and bad in all races and creeds, Irish or non-national. Look only as far as Thurles at the weekend for that.

Paul McGuinness it was in the Indo.

Mayor Scully was paid to be a public representative. If he’s not able or nto willing to represent the public then he should find himself another line of business.

Was it the Africans who handed us 15% unemployment and a bankrupt country ?
A bit of cop on wouldn’t go amiss.

His job was to represent all the public. By saying he wasn’t going to represent a certain part of it because of his broad generalisations was disgusting. Probably many people from the African community who could vote voted for him, and then he says that he doesn’t want to represent them?

In the North, Catholics used not to be allowed to vote as ‘Papists were lazy, etc.’ That again was a generalisation of an entire community. I agree African’s can at times appear different to Irish born and bred, but when you actually get into conversation with them they tend to be friendlier than most Irish nowadays. This is a different culture for them, who knows if they themselves are feeling threatened by bigots, and are only appearing ‘aggresive’ as a form of strength? Talking about taxis etc., in Galway most of the taxi drivers are black, and the Irish national drivers are quick to play the ‘race card’ themselves…sticking up Irish flag memorabilia all over their cars. Yet if you talk to them, they don’t even know Irish. For me, if people want to make Ireland their home and share its future, then they are Irish. But how can they integrate into Irish society if we already have a preconceived mindset towards them.

Keith, well said that man. What has been forgotten is that we have our own mostly “white scumbags” ruining the lives of the young and old alike with a flood of “Heroin” on the streets with everybody ignoring this far more insidious evil.

Yeah, wasn’t sure why I got so many red thumbs Rory, thought it may have been misunderstood.

Love the way that one of the above commenters said that the Mayor’s comments wer true, and that he guessed people didn’t like hearing the truth. Yet when your comment shows another truth, then the same people give it the thumbs down. All people can be rotten at times. End of

They do. They just don’t get voted in

Darren. Would you like separate buses for blacks and whites too? Or maybe separate ones for all natives and immigrants might be better?

@Reada, woman are screaming sexual discrimination over the lack of females in the Dail, I bet you are one of the famous ” Bra Swingers” on that front, so what’s the difference with my comment about Africans representing Africans? For your info Reada, not all Africans are black!!! So climb down off your soapbox.

Yuck Darren. Yuck on all your points. Say whatever you want about me. I couldn’t give a shit! Goodbye.

Darren, take off your Connacht flag. I am from Connacht too, and the team has many members who are not ‘white’ or ‘Irish’. Should they be treated differently, or not represented?

@ryan,@reada, I didn’t mention any colour in my 1st comment and in my 2nd comment I commented that not all Africans were “black” so Ryan and Reada, learn to read full comments before passing judgement and don’t allude to branding people racist for expressing an opinion, I was simply( obviously simple is too hard for ye) suggesting that a African may understand another African’s difficulty based on being from the same culture.

Darren if I misinterpreted your comment I apologise. But the idea of Africans, black or white, going to see a special African councillor got my back up a bit. I don’t think a councillor should only represent a particular race or nationality.

And while I would welcome more female TDs in the Dáil I don’t think they should only represent women, “bra swinging” or not. But I’m sorry if I took you up wrong.

Racism starts at home. Young kids look to their elders for guidence. Racist parents, chances are, racist kids.

Racism is institutionalized. If the Government chose not to be racist no one else would either – except for the oddballs.

Yeah reada quinn lol…

Wot?? Reada….I’m suprised at you! ;) Anyway tom…..go on tell us?

I admit I’m a bit zealous in my use of the word Jesus jimbo but I hardly think that makes me anti-semantic.

Anti-semantic?

Oh Jesus. I’ve pissef off Tom. I didn’t know you had joined the spelling police. Anti-Semitic. I’ll type slower next time. And I’m definitely not anti-semantic either. LOL

lol Réada, you dont want to piss tom off, what he lacks in reason he makes up for in volume!

Your split infinitive might be seen as “anti-semantic.”
:)

I don’t agree Brian. I will often criticise people from other countries and their governments and god help someone if they call me a racist.