How Should I React When My Kids Do...
Family & Relationships0 min ago
Is calling someone a "Mars Bar" racisct
88 Answers
My 12 year old son has been charged with racial abuse for calling an asian boy a "Mars Bar" during a football match, which he denies, but is this racist?
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Yes gromit, yes quinlad - in this case, it sounds very wrong, but whatever happened to "sticks and stones"?
As I say, I wouldnt've used an expression like that myself, but on the face of it - why would anyone get upset by being called black, white - whatever??? Guess most of the people who moan are the ones who get called "short @rse" or something, because it amazes me how small people seem to be the ones who shout the loudest. x
As I say, I wouldnt've used an expression like that myself, but on the face of it - why would anyone get upset by being called black, white - whatever??? Guess most of the people who moan are the ones who get called "short @rse" or something, because it amazes me how small people seem to be the ones who shout the loudest. x
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Simple, Ice Maiden.
Black people are discriminated against. That might mean being turned down for jobs, verbally abused on the street, beaten up, refused tenancies or ostracised by neighbours or workmates.
The more it's deemed okay to slag them off and racially abuse them, the more the attitude that they are different, lesser members of society permeate into the community.
Funny that you mention stick and stones. My colleague's dad is an Asian taxi driver who used to work in and around Harpurhey - and it was sticks and stones that were sometimes thrown at his cab by blokes spilling out of Bernard Manning's club after listening to a bit of harmless racist fun.
Black people are discriminated against. That might mean being turned down for jobs, verbally abused on the street, beaten up, refused tenancies or ostracised by neighbours or workmates.
The more it's deemed okay to slag them off and racially abuse them, the more the attitude that they are different, lesser members of society permeate into the community.
Funny that you mention stick and stones. My colleague's dad is an Asian taxi driver who used to work in and around Harpurhey - and it was sticks and stones that were sometimes thrown at his cab by blokes spilling out of Bernard Manning's club after listening to a bit of harmless racist fun.
Mars Bar is a character in a children's book/film about bullying.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maniac_Magee_%28f ilm%29
http://www.dist102.k12.il.us/facilities/fr/Man iac/page1.htm#Mars%20Bar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maniac_Magee_%28f ilm%29
http://www.dist102.k12.il.us/facilities/fr/Man iac/page1.htm#Mars%20Bar
I don't think you hear me Quinlad. The situation you've just described IS awful, I agree - and so's an Asian bomber, sitting on a bus filled with innocent people. This could go on for hours. I have Asian friends as well as black ones, and we all get on brilliantly - including a lot of jovial banter when we get together. The difference here, is probably out and ouit racist slurs being bandied about by ignorant, ill-educated people from ALL colours, races and creeds. Intelligent people with a sense of humour, just grin about these things.
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Not 100% sure where your Asian bomber reference fits in? But anyway....
Intelligent people?
I'm not fully sure you understood my point. Maybe the Asian taxi driver is 'intelligent' enough to smile and ignore a racial slur. But that doesn't alter the fact that racist terms propogate racist behaviour in the wider world.
The words themselves might not bother him. What bothers him is that those words result in meatheads thinking it's alright to trash his car.
If schoolyard taunts of 'Oi! Big Ears!' led an increase in big-eared children being beaten up, would you still be telling those kids to be more intelligent and just grin about it?
Intelligent people?
I'm not fully sure you understood my point. Maybe the Asian taxi driver is 'intelligent' enough to smile and ignore a racial slur. But that doesn't alter the fact that racist terms propogate racist behaviour in the wider world.
The words themselves might not bother him. What bothers him is that those words result in meatheads thinking it's alright to trash his car.
If schoolyard taunts of 'Oi! Big Ears!' led an increase in big-eared children being beaten up, would you still be telling those kids to be more intelligent and just grin about it?
Gromit, I can see your point but I would no more do that than I would walk in to McDonald's and say "Oi spotty, I'll have a Big Mac please!".
Quin...... you're not Gary Linekar are you? :-P
I don't think ice is condoning racism atall, just that the majority or people, rightly or wrongly, will brush comments (not actions like your friend's father experienced) off like that, and rise above it. I'm not saying this is the right way to do it, or that it should even be happening in the first place, but that's how I interpreted ice's answer.
Quin...... you're not Gary Linekar are you? :-P
I don't think ice is condoning racism atall, just that the majority or people, rightly or wrongly, will brush comments (not actions like your friend's father experienced) off like that, and rise above it. I'm not saying this is the right way to do it, or that it should even be happening in the first place, but that's how I interpreted ice's answer.
May I just add a comment here.
Before I retired, I went on a training course about racism and the rules are biased. It doesn't matter what you say to a person of another race, no matter how innocent you think the expression is; if the recipient of the remark thinks it is racist then it is deemed to be so.
You can't win under those rules.
Before I retired, I went on a training course about racism and the rules are biased. It doesn't matter what you say to a person of another race, no matter how innocent you think the expression is; if the recipient of the remark thinks it is racist then it is deemed to be so.
You can't win under those rules.
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Yes, nat. I know she's not condoning it.
But rising above it a comment is one thing. You can't rise above what it leads to though - someone smashing your windows or kicking your head in. And it does lead to it.
To suggest that racial verbal abuse doesn't contribute to even more frightening racist behaviour (or to the perception that it's okay to target black or Asian people) is naive. It does.
But rising above it a comment is one thing. You can't rise above what it leads to though - someone smashing your windows or kicking your head in. And it does lead to it.
To suggest that racial verbal abuse doesn't contribute to even more frightening racist behaviour (or to the perception that it's okay to target black or Asian people) is naive. It does.
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