Yes, I sign this too.
I don’t find what Morrissey said was racist. It was (so we hear and read) taken out contents of the conversation with the journalist and the editor of the magazine edited it for some sort of controversy; but given as the journalist and editors don’t really live in the, what I would call the ‘real world’ (they live & work in a small environment of people who work in music journalism in central London. As in, they are white, middle class with a university education, yes, I sound like a snob, but ups yours
) , These people, I believe are yet to really know or hear and see what the face of hatred and racism is. It is more then what they have read on a leaflet.
It is interesting, this whole saga of Morrissey vs. the NME (again).
Morrissey does speak some rubbish sometimes. He tries to put his ‘oscar wilde’ head and come out with a witty social comment or to belittle and bitch about people.
I sit on the bus every day and I noticed that every other accent I hear is from Eastern Europe. Thinking this or saying this, does it make me racist? I do realize that these people are on the bus and are going to work. This wasn’t near Harrods but in Finchley, then the bus goes through Goldess Green which is a dominantly Jewish area of north London. Thinking this or saying this, does it make me racist? I walked through Marlborough & up the Edgware road which has a dominantly Middle Eastern population, I have noticed. Thinking this or saying this, does it make me racist?
When Morrissey flirted with skinhead imagery and the union jack waving at madstock, I did and still think ‘you silly bugger’ it was a disaster for him. The crowd didn’t like it or him; I thought that this would happen. Calling it racist was easy but to wave a union jack flag at a dominantly middle aged skin head concert wasn’t a clever thing to do on Morrissey’s part, but to me the union jack is more in common with Mod culture and pop art,. If he waved a George’s cross flag then I could see a bigger problem.
But I missed all this; we had tickets for the next day, so I had to read about it later on in the press. Ian Drury and the blockheads were excellent.
Thinking about racism and people being racist is a big issue and I do see it as easy word to use and to brand someone for their simple ignorance.
I remember being called a “white c***” several times by a customer when I worked in a store.
The other week I was listening to a colleague complain about this “f***ing country” because the place she rented had bed bugs, which she believes she doesn’t them have in her country (as well as rats and cockroaches) & that it is dirty here.
Also this year I have heard about “all gays should be killed”. (This I understand is another issue) some one also reported someone else for calling them a “batty boy” as the guy is gay and doesn’t mind or care that people know his sexuality.
Since working here, I also heard the most stupid racist joke about black women, which I told the person wasn’t at all funny. I have stopped talking to this person. As well as this joke, this person also reported a black colleague for a very mundane thing.
One time a colleague told another colleague that he shouldn’t use the term ‘coloured’ to describe someone. They didn’t understand and still use the term.
Also, once I was joking about a another department and said “you people”, this was taken the wrong way, after I got a stern look from a black women who asked “what is that suppose to mean?”, I sighed, and told her I didn’t mean it like that! Words or an expression can be taken the wrong way. And in the written form can be edited to change the meaning.
Now I am rambling with my thoughts and not going anywhere really. Sorry.
Right now, on nearing my 11,000 post. I want this to be the last post of my username THE MORE YOU EXPLORE ME! I am sick of it (not the site but the username)…I want a new one.
TTFN solo xxx