(no subject)
She deleted me after I blocked her. Have resisted a childish urge to post a ditty along the lines of "one less racist, writing on my wall" and left it at that. I will probably be super-scared next time I have to meet her but I haven't done or said anything untoward.
Even though she can't see anything any more I have been hesitating about posting my usual sort of stuff today which is stupid. I happened to see an article on twitter about immigrants being left to die on a boat and I posted that because it highlights exactly why I find comments about immigrants coming here for an easy life offensive. I do think there is a difference between "soft" and "hard" racism, and her comment was what I would think of as very soft racism, which I associate generally with ignorance rather than hatred, and I don't often challenge it if I see it elsewhere, although I am starting to think I should. However her reaction combined with her putting the bnp as her political views mean I don't have any sympathy for her being called a nazi. She claims to only agree with some of their policies but any of their policies which are not hateful and racist could be easily found elsewhere if she was that selective.
My parents took in an asylum seeker from Zimbabwe for a year or two a while back. She's a mother, I think of about 5 or 6, the youngest of whom was at the time about the age Megan is now. She had to flee from Mugabe's men after working as an official in an election. I cannot begin to imagine what it must feel like waking up every day so far from your children, not only not knowing what they were doing but also not knowing if they are safe, (I know the feeling I get in my stomach when I go away overnight for my marking and stop mid task to suddenly wonder what they are doing), and she was very stoic throughout, but it must have eaten her to tiny pieces.
Even though she can't see anything any more I have been hesitating about posting my usual sort of stuff today which is stupid. I happened to see an article on twitter about immigrants being left to die on a boat and I posted that because it highlights exactly why I find comments about immigrants coming here for an easy life offensive. I do think there is a difference between "soft" and "hard" racism, and her comment was what I would think of as very soft racism, which I associate generally with ignorance rather than hatred, and I don't often challenge it if I see it elsewhere, although I am starting to think I should. However her reaction combined with her putting the bnp as her political views mean I don't have any sympathy for her being called a nazi. She claims to only agree with some of their policies but any of their policies which are not hateful and racist could be easily found elsewhere if she was that selective.
My parents took in an asylum seeker from Zimbabwe for a year or two a while back. She's a mother, I think of about 5 or 6, the youngest of whom was at the time about the age Megan is now. She had to flee from Mugabe's men after working as an official in an election. I cannot begin to imagine what it must feel like waking up every day so far from your children, not only not knowing what they were doing but also not knowing if they are safe, (I know the feeling I get in my stomach when I go away overnight for my marking and stop mid task to suddenly wonder what they are doing), and she was very stoic throughout, but it must have eaten her to tiny pieces.