Fair play for standing up and doing the right thing Lj

Good on you LJ. Unfortunately, and this is the biggest problem, if they had complained they’d probably have been believed over you. The racism card is the go to response for many people and used as an excuse when called on ignorance and lack of basic manners

@Gerry and Ed thankyou. It’s situations like that that give an entire race a bad name unfortunately. The rest of the group were lovely!

Your welcome

Good, you did the right thing. Making false racist accusations should be a serious offence. if not now, then the sooner the better, and those who carry the race card can only thank themselves for it.

I think if more sounded like you Issa we might have less problems.

Mike, does this happen to you all the time, or was it a once of incident?

Jeroen I drive a lot with work and it’s more common than you would expect.

Mike, I know exactly what you are talking about! if we stand up for ourselves and our cultural norms we are often branded as racists, I think the Poles are not to bad for it but the Africans often play the race card just because we are Irish and white!

Bet you will be accused of racism that remark ! . If we look at the figures it is more about country of origin than the colour of skin it seems, as black African has a more substantial incidence of racism than black Irish.

Ironic the report comes out the same day we had a false racism claim in uk football. Anybody making fake claims or falsely playing the race card should also be penalised.

How do you tell if someone is Nigerian? Apart from asking them that is!

The flag sticker on their car

So maybe flag bearing nigerians are the racist ones? To be honest, the only nigerians I know, my next door neighbors, don’t have a flag on their car. They look like they could be from any of number of countries. Are you referring to Nigerian taxi drivers? Well I’ve had six bad taxi experiences (not including stupidity or competence related) and four were from Dublin!

It’s another report that ignore the reality of the racism issue in Ireland. It ignores that a lot of “racist” issues are not reported because they are often fabricated or provoked, Mikes story a good example of that

Claire the Irish in Australia don’t continuously falsely accuse the Australians of being racist to get their own way.

Hi Joe,

Please see the first graph where all ethnic origins that were included are listed.

Kind Regards,

Paul

Well said Joe, some people conveniently forget that racism goes both ways!

Did you even read the article? Look at the pie charts? Maybe try again, slowly.

Is that because racism is confined to articles and pie charts? Doofus

Eh no, that’s how you know it’s included in the article, like the guy asked. Who’s a doofus?

You strike me as an individual who lives his life through what you read and don’t have an independent thought in your head. As Joe pointed out in his rhetorical question, quite correctly, articles and statistics such as these do not reflect real or prevailing opinion, merely a brief and often skewed snapshot of an issue. You, however, have chosen to view the article and by extension the issue of racism in a very general and literal way and therefore doofus you are

Because prevailing opinion is always the right opinion? I’m sorry but that wasn’t the case is segregated America, Nazi Germany or any other case you care to mention where prevailing opinion was based on ignorance. He was trying to be clever with his question but the fact it’s a survey and white Irish were represented like a bunch of other people. I draw my conclusions from what I read, hear, see and experience. And make no excuses for them. Whether I’m in the majority or not.

There is huge difference to me telling racist jokes now and then and actually being racist. I appreciate bit of fun and slag, but whoever is genuinely racist then he / she is really sad person..

i won’t repeat the joke Fizi, ya it was racist but i know what you mean like but it wasn’t funny, just designed to be agressive and trouble making type of “joke”

Claire if they havnt factored in the % of false claims in their research, then their figures are skewed.

I agree with your first statement. I also think that because of this fear of being branded a racist a lot of Irish forget or don’t want to see what the real problem is. This fear can also be the cause of racist remarks. The more fear, the harder the someone begins to shout that they are not racist, BUT the other ones are all racist (see mike’s remarks)

Jeroen are you calling me a racist.

Jeroen if you are inferring that Mike is indeed racist you are actually personifying the issue he is trying to highlight i.e that there are people who will accuse you of being racist just for standing up for and doing the right thing by our cultural standards.

Ed, it is not just Ireland.It’s the whole world and “racist” tag applies to everything not just colour or country of origin.One of the fundamental rights is freedom of speech/opinion.Nowadays you do not have to use hurtful comments(which are totally unacceptable any way you’ll turn it);a simple “that’s my opinion” puts one in hot waters.And there’s so much policing one another.No wonder we are becoming less social and a lot isolated individuals although we live surrounded by people and technology meant to bring us closer.And I do understand how it can become: if you are in a store or coffee shop and you are having a conversation where the word”black” comes up,all of a sudden you’ll have a pair of angry eyes on you.Children in school find themselves feeling uncomfortable when telling stories about how they made friends with a child that has “brown” or “chocolate” skin.They do not know what to say, you do not know what to teach them. In the end, if white people can be called white, why is it wrong to call black people black ,without any racial connotation?I don’t feel offended if a black person calls me white;colour is irrelevant to me and I have thought my kids to think this way too:a person is a person,regardless of skin colour or the shape of the eye.We are the same in the end, same feelings, dreams and rights.When I talk to my friend from Somalia,I do not see her colour,I see her soul.Regardless of social labelling,we are all people:there are bad apples in every basket.

But false claims of racism should also be punished….

I agree, Mike. All manner of false claims should be shown the utmost contempt. However, these must not be allowed to contaminate the validity of genuine grievances.

I suppose Ed it could be classed as a form of racism…the Journal seem to have a policy of hear no evil, see no evil leaning in a particular direction, selective censorship…

I see said the blind man, by and large they seem ok but am surprised as there was nothing I would consider racist and I was speaking about fact that I can back up and prove, primetime were the ones who ousted the guy and his mrs for social welfare fraud and they were both convicted!

yes, maybe you are just “extremely lucky”

Hi Claire, I share your experience. I have witnessed dozens of of racist incidents both here and in South Africa, but I’ve never encountered the attitude described by Mike and friends. I am however, very familiar with the same old defensive arguments and urban legends (“reverse racism”, “the race card” etc.) whenever someone highlights the very real problem of racism.

You will find racist people in every race whether it be against, black white, eastern European, Asian whatever. No entire race is innocent of it. I think the point some people are trying to make is that racism is wrong no matter who it is against. Noone should have to tolerate it.

So I am a bigot because I wouldnt give up my parking space to a lady with black skin. Cop on… I am anti racism but I will not let myself be falsely accused of it.

Gert I think your views probably better describe Apartheid and racism in South Africa, they don’t make sense in the Irish context.

Ed, how is racism in one context different from racism in another context? I’ve lived in Ireland for the past 12 years, and I can honestly tell you that there is no difference between a Dublin taxi driver regaling his passengers with vile racists jokes (I’ve endured a few of those) and an Afrikaner bigot spewing racist diatribes (I’ve endure plenty of those too). In fact, the tone of many of the comments here would be depressingly familiar to anyone who’ve lived through apartheid.

Because unlike White South Africans we don’t kill people in this country just for being black.

Besides, you are missing the point Mike is trying to make, that because he would not allow himself to be bullied he was called a White pig.

Exactly Ed. When ordinary people tolerate racism and bigotry, violence is never far away. You don’t have to look far for examples: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/22/belfast-racist-sectarian-attacks

some bizarre comments to make Ed. Gert is right there are some disturbing similarities between white Irish racists and apartheid South Africa. Overt racism is vile in any context. The subtle racism of some Irish people, supposed educated decent people, who ignore overt racist behaviour toward non nationals allow violence an opportunity to flourish.

That is not what I have said Gert, Africans are a minority in Ireland unlike South Africa where they had been long before the whites.

Glen and Gert what racism am I guilty of? why are ye telling me? this story by the way is about why incidents of racism are not reported and my point is that the race card is often played just because people are standing up for what’s right, you 2 seem to be rhyming off some liberalist sphiel about racism in response to a question that nobody has asked either of ye on here. Would either of ye mind being called white pigs for taking a parking space?

@ Gert your article is about Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, I have no intrest in what their system promotes or does not. It also has nothing to do with a story on why 4 out of 5 don’t report racism, it’s like you are just repeating some liberalist mantra despite it having nothing to do with anything!

Ed, your stories are a tiny minority of the overall picture of people in Ireland. I had a scroll through your comments. I haven’t read any of them. The volume though, suggests your a some sort of psu

Oh dear, we are veering into the realm of the bizarre….Are you implying that racism directed against minorities and immigrants, is any different from racism directed against indigenous peoples? In my view racism is abhorrent in any form or context. Full stop.

for the record and I don’t know why I even have to say this, I condemn those attacks in the North on peaceful law abiding immigrants to any country. You 2 guys are the ones that have turned this thread in to a race issue against back when in fact Mike was the one who was victim of racial abuse in his own country for nothing more than trying to park his car.

psuedo intellectual racist apologist. I say this because I feel you have been called a white pig only once. Get over it. Your bound to be made of stronger stuff. don’t allow it to colour all your thinking. Racism manifested in any way is inexcusable

No Gert, once again, it is you who are implying it. Correction to my above post, blacks, not “back” “PSU” Glen, lol, do I want to know!

Glen it was Mike who was called a white pig for trying to park his car not me, I don’t know what your trying to say Glen other than informing me that you are not able to abbreviate Pseudo Intellectual racsit apologist. I don’t appreciate being called racist, but I will defend Mike because he is a victim of racist abuse but I think a larger problem is people who wade in to conversations proffering anti racism rhetoric that’s is unrelated to the issue and has it’s roots in liberalism for the sake of liberalisms sake.

I’m Chinese and have experienced horrendous racism growing up in Ireland. I’ve had names shouted at me on the street in broad daylight, spat at, bottles and stones thrown. I’ve been physically attacked as well.
If my racist experiences were as minor as Eds and Mikes and I’d be laughing. However I still have great experiences with Irish people and know this is a small minority. Get a bit of perspective lads, if a few Africans call you names, well that doesn’t make them all bad.

Glen, now i’m probably going to regret asking but how does the “volume of my posts” as you say make me a pseudo intellectual racist apologist? this is an issue I feel strongly about and yes i’ve a lot to say about it, people should not have to be afraid of being racially abused in their own country for doing the right thing like Mike was.

The problem I have les enfants perdu is more so that people like yourself are accusing me of being racist and accunsing me of thinking that all blacks or bad which is deeply insulting and ignorant, although I have said absoloutely noting like that and believe it even less! I am defending Mike on here against racist abuse for trying to do the right thing, and I despise any Nationality or person of that Nationality that would play the race card when they don’t get their way and racially abuse somebody for it then. Those people don’t belong in Ireland. Sorry to hear of your poor experiences but Irish people are not all the same either.

So you believe the race card is never played. That’s a clichés that’s bandied around by the delusional !!

Knowing your remarks Tom from previous articles I think it’s the Catholic that’s being “attacked” more than the Irish.

Ok maybe Traditional Irish might be a better way of explaining what I mean.

I know what your saying fizi but this partiular taxi driver gives all black taxi drivers a bad name

This taxi driver ONLY gives all black taxi drivers a bad name if you’re the kind of person who would assume all black taxi drivers were the same. I understood where you were coming from for a while, I’ve been accused of racism before because I’m white. My father-in-law is black and before he met me he assumed racism was a white thing, which itself is a racist assumption. A black guy I work with said “white people are racist” and he wasn’t trying to be ironic. Racism is a trait that pops up in most nationalities, mainly due to ignorance and lack of exposure to diversity, if you had stopped at making this point I could have agreed with you. However, the idea of giving a race a bad name from the actions of one, or even of many, is a lazy stereotyping assumption and it is racist. I’d encourage you to meet each person without a preconceived notion of what they are probably like based on people you have already met. Try to see the individual rather than making assumptions and generalisations based on race, nationality, gender, sexuality etc.

Probably shouldn’t respond to that I’ll informed pile of drivel you’ve just posted but can’t help myself. First you’re grasp of Irish history is appalling, if you are going to comment in it you should probably read some books first. Could you please explain what a cultural bloodline is? I just can’t see how a culture can have a bloodline, a culture is basically a loose collection of ever changing ideas, I don’t think it has a pulse.

@chaz

Explain your view of history if you think mine is not correct.

A cultural bloodline is symbolic not literal, next time I will give a warning in advance