Lunchtime racism

[Mr JP Fugley]

it isn't that easy to locate and deport all those people not to mention they lived in britain for years and some had political issues.

I don't think busy gives a fuck about illegal immigrants in Britain. Other than as a conceptual issue.

[Squeamous]

So there I am sitting in the canteen, eating my soup, reading a newsaper when all of a sudden my 3 colleagues decide to go a rant about how those damn illegal immigrants should all be sent back to their own countries straight away and how the ones that are legal but aren't working and their families should be kicked out as well.

They then went on to say that they should definitely not be allowed to wear any cultural headgear (or, as it was stated 'those rags around their heids'), shouldn't get council houses until all the Brits were getting free houses first and how they should be forced to pay for health care instead of getting it free.

Of course, then they went on to say that myself and the guy who runs the Pakinstani shop around the corner are ok.



When the conversation was brought up by my pal this afternoon, our manager failed to see what the problem was, as obviously the remarks weren't aimed at me. They were obviously talking about people with a different skintone with no money and no complete grasp of the English language.



Please tell me, when did it become appropriate to spew disgusting racist opinions in the work place?

Did you think to discuss it with them and express your opinion in a calm and rational manner? Or did you just take it silently and then complain to your boss?

[Skweeky]

So there I am sitting in the canteen, eating my soup, reading a newsaper when all of a sudden my 3 colleagues decide to go a rant about how those damn illegal immigrants should all be sent back to their own countries straight away and how the ones that are legal but aren't working and their families should be kicked out as well.

They then went on to say that they should definitely not be allowed to wear any cultural headgear (or, as it was stated 'those rags around their heids'), shouldn't get council houses until all the Brits were getting free houses first and how they should be forced to pay for health care instead of getting it free.

Of course, then they went on to say that myself and the guy who runs the Pakinstani shop around the corner are ok.



When the conversation was brought up by my pal this afternoon, our manager failed to see what the problem was, as obviously the remarks weren't aimed at me. They were obviously talking about people with a different skintone with no money and no complete grasp of the English language.



Please tell me, when did it become appropriate to spew disgusting racist opinions in the work place?

Did you think to discuss it with them and express your opinion in a calm and rational manner? Or did you just take it silently and then complain to your boss?

No, I didn't think to discuss it with them. It was a fucking rant, not a conversation. I'm not attempting to have a rational calm conversation with someone who is pretty much shouting.
And I didn't complain to my boss, someone else brought it up. Get your facts straight.

[Squeamous]

Just wondering. Next time if it bothers you have the guts to say something, otherwise these people go unchallenged. Getting 'teacher' to have a go on your behalf (or you friend doing it, it doesn't really matter) just makes them think their behaviour isn't appropriate at work. It won't change how they feel.

[manker]

I'm with Squeamous (or Penis, as bemonikered by our new chum grimms).

Generally, to ignore it is to condone it. You'd have lost nothing if you'd have spoken up at the time, Skweeks. It would have been awkward, sure, but at least these people would have your point of view to contend with and it might have made them realise that all people have the same basic needs and are, as such, equal.

Might not have, of course, but sitting quietly while views you heartily disagree with are spoken loudly can only give the impression to these people that you tolerate - or even endorse - such opinions.

[Biggles]

These lunch time rants are self propelling. Once one guy goes off on one it becomes a game of slap to see who can out rant the other. Usually a reality check brings them back to earth. However, one can't appear upset as the racism then becomes secondary to the game of "wind up"

We don't have a big immigrant population in Scotland I recall a couple of guys at work having a rant about illegal immigrants taking up all the council housing. Knowing where they lived I expressed surprise that there was such a large immigrant population there. It transpired neither had even seen a fecking illegal immigrant in their locality let alone be swamped by them. The conversation finished on a pithy "I was only saying what I heard".

[manker]

These lunch time rants are self propelling. Once one guy goes off on one it becomes a game of slap to see who can out rant the other. Usually a reality check brings them back to earth. However, one can't appear upset as the racism then becomes secondary to the game of "wind up"

I've seen people do that in the lounge

Actually, I've just looked back tho' my posts via the gift of my mind's eye and notice that I do it every day about one contentious topic or another.
Usually feminism, that's the funniest.

[Mr JP Fugley]

I'm with Skweeky, why should you have to get into a confrontational situation. It's clearly a management issue. In large offices there would normally be someone specifically allocated to deal with this type of thing.

Ignore people here, on their "moral high ground" telling you what you should have done in the situation then judging you because you didn't do what they say you should have. They weren't there and don't know the full circumstances or personalities involved. So fuck what they think about it.

[manker]

I'm with manker. That chap reacted to the words on the screen and the personality that wrote them, rather than make up a situation that he knew nothing about.
The words said that some people said some stuff that another person thought vile, and that person sat there and didn't say 'owt.

That person should have said something.

[Biggles]

I'm with manker. That chap reacted to the words on the screen and the personality that wrote them, rather than make up a situation that he knew nothing about.
The words said that some people said some stuff that another person thought vile, and that person sat there and didn't say 'owt.

That person should have said something.

or done something else