Racism, Or Just A Bit Of Harmless Banter?

[OrcadianOil]

Music outlet HMV has been selling World Cup T-Shirts in its Scottish stores bearing the logo "ABE" (Anyone But England). A group calling itself the Campaign for an English Parliament (CEP) is claiming that such a logo is tantamount to "racial hatred". The retailer denies this and defends itself by stating that it's simply good natured banter.
So, is it? Can Scots racially discriminate against the English (or vice versa?). How can it be "racial hatred" when we're all British? Different cultures, yes, but aren't those of us in the UK basically of the same ethnicity, therefore unable to racially discriminate against one another?
Or is the CEP correct, and the Scots are indeed inciting racial hatred towards the English who are indeed a different race to the Scots, who in turn are also a different race to the Welsh etc etc etc?
Or is it all simply good natured banter as the retailer insists?

http://news.bbc.co.uk...scotland/10357018.stm

[Quizmonster]

Re the media frenzy and false hope, I was delighted to see that even the Sun has been using the motto, "Maybe, just maybe" in connection with England's World Cup prospects. What a wonderfully rational attitude for a change and a far cry from past anthems such as "It's coming home" (it didn't), "We're on Top of the World" (they weren't) and "There's No One You Can't Beat" (there was).
The current competition is not over yet, of course, but the plain fact is that, over the past four decades, England have - on the world stage - shown themselves to be on a par with Turkey, Korea and Portugal rather than Brazil, Italy and Germany.

Just as the Scots did after 1978, maybe English fans are coming to terms with reality. Let's hope so, but good luck to them whilst they are still in it.

[Count-A-Strong]

Sounds like a case of Scots envy once again. It must be difficult for a country who takes football so seriously not to be in the world cup. Again.

[OrcadianOil]

The dig at Scotland is as pathetic as it is wide of the mark. The difference between the Scots and the English regarding football is that the former know how mediocre their national side is at the moment as opposed to the latter who continue to delude themselves into believing that their own mediocrity will somehow metamorphose itself and transform ordinary players into world beaters - wake up and smell the coffee - it ain't gonna happen.

[joggerjayne]

Are the English a "race" ?

I thought English was just a nationality.

[jackthehat]

TCL-Mumping/The Corbyloon was wont to provide a link to a European Court Case (I think, but am willing to be corrected) where it was judged that the Scots are a 'race' and therefore protected under all *discrimination* legislation.

(I can't think quite how to find a link to the pertinent information, I'm afraid)

I don't think the English benefit from any similar legislation.......interesting, no ?

[rowanwitch]

After Andy Murray's 'anyone but england line' I printed an anyone but murray t shirt and wore it in Birmingham during Wimbledon fortnight, I had a number of people stop me and ask where I got it
The same 'comments tend to fly around between Australia and New Zealand as well.
I think it's all a bit out of proportion, there will always be rivalry between neighbours life's too short to get ones knickers in a knot over it

[Booldawg]

Interesting enough I know a few Scots that support their local teams but also are closet fans of English 'glory' clubs such as Man U, Chelsea etc. Allegience definitely has elastic borders.

[ludwig]

I can understand why the barrage of media nonsense p1sses people off and generates an 'anyone but England' feeling. I'm English, and it annoys the bejeezus out of me, so for a Scot it must be about 10 times worse. It's not as if it lasts the two weeks we're in the competition - it starts about 6 months before.

Having said that, there's about 50million English in the country and 5 million Scots, so I'm afraid yes, there is going to be alot of media bias and public interest in the england team's fortunes. Having chosen to live here, maybe the sour grapes ex-pat Scots amongst us should grow up a bit and accept that's the case - or if it becomes unbearable. go somewhere else where they don't have to listen to it.

As regards the issue of racism, the question of whether the english are a race or not is just playing with semantics to a certain extent. I don't think it's any more acceptable to hate someone because of the geographical location of their birthplace than it is to hate someone because of their skin colour. Lets call it pseudo-racism if that's more accurate. I don't see anything particularly objectionable about this t-shirt though.

What do you think about the T-shirt orcadianoil?, you've not really said yet.

[carrust]

The English song for the Europeans was 3 lions.

The Scottish song for the world cup is 3 matches.......