Sunday 14 January 2018

Stop making excuses for Racism, Bigotry and Misogyny…




Enough is enough. Are we really regressing into the past world of segregation and inhumanity? I make no apology in saying that unless these attacks are directed at you, you do not personally know what it feels like. 

My eldest son is mixed race. His Dad is British like me yet since Brexit, my son has suffered racism and a change in attitude towards him. I see it too when we are walking around the supermarket – the looks he gets, the disdain, the women who suddenly clutch their bags tighter, not to mention the under the breath comments.  It is repulsive and disgusting and legitimised by world leaders and politicians. He tells me how it makes him feel but I can't imagine it, just as he can't imagine how demoralising it is for me to be treated with contempt because I am female. I don't want tokenism, I want fairness and equality based upon my experience and hard work just as my son wants to be treated as the good, British citizen that he is. His patriotism is far stronger than any one flying a flag on a Britain First march. He cares about this country and exercises his right to question the cruel, inequality of this Tory Government, not for him but for his fellow citizens. 

Freedom of speech does not include allowing hate speech. I certainly feel that we are going backwards and if we do not get a grip of it, there will be irreversible damage. Equality is NOT political correctness. It is common decency and well, humanity. 

If we really want to address inequality, we must stop treating people differently and sticking labels on each and everyone of us. Forget the information based on gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. We are ALL human beings. I have never approved of equal opportunity monitoring forms. They do not help equality, nor do they serve any purpose other than to provide statistical analysis for employers and Government agencies. Let's face it…in the current climate, it is more than likely, the information will be used to discriminate. Flouting equality laws has become the new norm legitimised by changes in the legal systems making it impossible for any legal redress due to the cuts in legal aid and spiralling tribunal fees. The changes in the legal system was no coincidence. The Tories have planned this divide and rule strategy, systematically singling out sections of our communities for derision and attack.

Then there is our "special relationship" partner. Trump is a racist and was a racist before he was elected. His popularity repulsed me and to have even socialists, telling me he was a better choice than the Democrats, only demonstrated how little regard some people have for equality. There is no excuse at all for racism, bigotry and misogyny yet, during both Brexit and the USA presidential campaign, they were not only brushed off, they were actively incorporated into the campaigns. This is not ignorance, this is a calculated act of pure evil. Have we forgotten what our previous generations fought for? The fact that Trump made his "shithole" comments then could dishonour Martin Luther King just shows how ignorant we are becoming. This ignorance MUST be stamped out NOW. We must use our voices to educate our children and make sure they understand the struggles of the past do not become their new fights of the future. We need to arm future generations with the tools to promote true equality, to eradicate the world of labels, categories and types. We are ALL human beings. 

Now, more than ever, anyone who truly believes in equality, should be fighting together to stop any attempts of Governments and world leaders to try and divide our communities based upon gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs and sexual preferences. 


DO NOT STAND BY… STAND TOGETHER

Much love

 

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