While Black Lives Matter so do women's lives in extremist countries

[EmmDee]

How many people posting here have a gay friend? Do you have to have one to think that gay people should not be discriminated against?

That's true. But it's hard to fully understand the discrimination that went on if you didn't have gay friends. I don't think the full scale of the problem is really apparent if you don't have some insight into what is happening.

I was talking to someone in work - a very senior banking professional in the US. To hear her explain how there is a constant concern every time her son goes out as to whether he'll return or not is mind blowing. This wouldn't be "inner city low income" areas - all black people in the US have to be taught how to handle and diffuse confrontation with police irrespective of background or activity

 

[Purple]

That's true. But it's hard to fully understand the discrimination that went on if you didn't have gay friends. I don't think the full scale of the problem is really apparent if you don't have some insight into what is happening.

I agree. I have a older gay family member.

I was talking to someone in work - a very senior banking professional in the US. To hear her explain how there is a constant concern every time her son goes out as to whether he'll return or not is mind blowing. This wouldn't be "inner city low income" areas - all black people in the US have to be taught how to handle and diffuse confrontation with police irrespective of background or activity

There is a general level of fear amongst normal people in the US which is not supported by fact which drives a lot of the root causes of their current unrest. I've asked quite a few Americans if it would be better to get a backbone instead of a gun.

 

[WolfeTone]

But it's hard to fully understand the discrimination that went on if you didn't have gay friends.

True. I recall hearing part of a radio programme discussing Irelands criminalisation of homosexuals around the time of referendum. I'm can't recall exact amounts but it was mentioned that some 150 (mostly) men were criminalised under these laws. Many of whom subsequently lost their jobs, careers destroyed, ostracised from family and community, and felt forced to emigrate. Some 80 of them were said to be still alive in 2015.
Hearing that really struck home how malignant our society was then, and can be.

To hear her explain how there is a constant concern every time her son goes out as to whether he'll return or not is mind blowing.

Yes, it is these type of accounts that really demonstrate the discrimination. When people live in fear, in no small part fear of the police, it is destructive element to a civil society.

 

[Purple]

Yes, it is these type of accounts that really demonstrate the discrimination. When people live in fear, in no small part fear of the police, it is destructive element to a civil society.

What I have heard described as a form of pre-traumatic stress; the anticipation of mistreatment. I suppose the same thing holds for the police; they presume that a black person is more likely to shoot them. Given the misuse of statistics in the creation of false arguments that black people are more likely to shoot the police than white people that is not surprising.

 

[Thirsty]

The Swiss would give them a good run for their money there [democracy]

In spite of the fact that women did not have the right to vote in federal elections until 1971?

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I was flicking through one night and Jimmy Fallon had the leader of the NACCP on (this was just after Fallon's apology for blackfacing) and another African American guy whose name escapes me. I didn't see all of the interview but one of them made an interesting point when he asked, "how many of you white people have a black friend?, I don't mean people you know from work or people you know from sport but a genuine black friend"?

Until American gets to that state, and I'd include Hispanic's in that scenario as well, it's hard to see things changing.

Well it's the exact same in NI. I grew up in a very RC part of West Belfast, I'm prepared to say there wasn't a Prodie within a two mile radius. I went to RC (Boys') schools. I presume I met Prodies at Queens but I can't tell (though there was a theory they had more angular features). Certainly no friends of the OR.

Of course, NI is not a role model for social harmony but I think folk "down here" don't realise how unusual they are to have such a homogeneous society, at least until recently. How many Eastern European immigrants can the average Paddie count as friends?

 

[Betsy Og]

How many Eastern European immigrants can the average Paddie count as friends?

The fairer question is how many have kids who have friends who are East European? I know my young fella does. Now I'm a self-confessed 'Liam gan cairde', but even your average fella has mates he knows from college and before, after that its just work colleagues etc.

As regards the US, from the few chats I've had with work colleagues, even in mixed race schools (& affluent areas) the kids segregate themselves, to the point that the Koreans with hang around with each other, and the Chinese likewise. Maybe the white kids are in their sub-groups geeks, jocks and what not. So there seems to be a touch of "natural order of things". Like of the (ethnically) Chinese I've been chatting to, they're only really interested in going out with Chinese, or at least Asian, people, asked why??....."cos its just easier". So I suppose the general point of this is that people are inclined to stick with their own ethnic groups, and maybe is not entirely blatant racism by white folk. Note I didn't mention African Americans, not because I didn't want to, but in Silicon Valley they don't feature much. Also I acknowledge that SV is atypical of the US, but then where is typical in that crazy ass country.