Monday 28 May 2012

Would you say half these things if you weren't hiding behind the internet?

I hate how people hide behind 'no offence...but' 'i'm not a racist...but' and many more and how people think they can say '140 characters hasn't expressed what I was trying to say, I didn't mean it like that' as an excuse...well start a blog or tweet 1/3 etc.

I've noticed over the last few weeks how nasty things are becoming on twitter.

I find it really sad that people think because they hide behind a screen, a cartoon character and an alias that they can say what they like, when they like.

OK fair enough if someone posts a direct racist, sexual (there have been many more) comment, but not call you a Nazi or Stalin because they don't agree with your opinion or even worse a racist...becuase again they don't like the comment you made on their original tweet.

Football is a heated discusion at the best of times...it is a game of opinion and unfortunalty, your oprion doesn't count, unless you happen to be the referee.

At the Champions League Final I tweeted that it would be nice if The FA would teach the players to sing the national anthem when it was played in their country or the country in which you played.

Striaght away I got involved in a debate...'yeah but half the players are foreigners, why should they sing the English national anthem' my response... 'oops sorry, should've said the English players at least' there were many more amusing and interesting comments, lots in agreement, and the friendly banter ensued...isn't this what twitter is for?

But one tweeter took it too far and said to my original tweet 'no offence, as I said earlier, half the stadium full of nazis, the other half German' and also called me Stalin for forcing people to sing the national anthem of my country and not their own...well I'm Welsh and I sing it as she is the Queen of the UK, despite Wales is another country and I live in South Africa and make an effort to join in with the English sung bits.

The second example of such nastiness occured this weekend.

Someone posted a comment 'when you are a strong woman, proud gay person or a conscious black person is when you see how truly sexist, homophobic or racist people are'

I didn't disagree with her I replied 'you don't have to be any of those to witness it at all'

Her reply was 'you do to truly understand it'

I then replied as a strong woman, proud straight person and a conscious white person, with 'how about being a victim of physical racial abuse for being English in South Africa as I was by someone the same colour as me'

She replied with 'I hate this kind of discussion for reasons that can't be expressed in 140 characters. I don't think that's comparable'

I wasn't trying to make a comparisson, I was explaining to her that I do understand what it's like and you don't have to be female, gay or black to witness discrimination.

In the meantime she tweeted to the person who thought they should apologise for my 'attack' 'I know you'd never send twats my way deliberately!! She saw what she wanted to see' and ' Love that as sson as I start tweeting opinions it takes less than quarter of an hour for an idiot to appear again'

A Twat???? an idiot???? who the hell does she think she is? she tweets a statement and if someone supports it and gives another example of how it affects everyone regardless of sexual orientation, colour of skin or sex...they are a twat...I think not.

But then 'and if another white person attacks you how the hell is that racism?! Look the word up. And also grow up'

but then she tweets in the main timeline '.@chickenruby was attacked by another white person in SA for being English. This is why she thinks I should acknowledge black2white racism??'

At this point I google her, she's a comedian...with a few links to some guest appearances she's made on the telly, hence the large number of followers...but can someone explain to me where she got the bit about me trying to get her to acknowledge 'black2white' racism and what right she has to call me a twat? an idiot?

I didn't disagree with her I just said that racism isn't just about her.

6 comments:

  1. Oh the internet is all about "me" didn't you know? If someone agrees they are lovely, if they disagree they are a twat.

    gather "yes men" its the only way to feel clever. ;)

    As women i'm sure we have experienced all sorts of discrimination, and yes racism/discrimination is all over the place, some worse than others, but its not a competition!

    I'm rambling. And i'm not even drunk

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    1. As ever you make perfect sense, there is nothing in the dictionary or online that says racism only applies to colour of skin

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  2. Don't know how I've found myself here, but great post! I don't know where that woman is from, but in the UK at least, in legal terms something is racist if it relates to where you're from or perceived to be wrong. Ethnicity is only one manifestation of it. If your experience is not comparable perhaps she might like to explain that to lawmakers, because they don't agree.

    I find a good rule is to not say anything behind someone's back or on the internet that you wouldn't say to their face. I think I'm in a minority though!

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    1. Thank you for your comment, I tend to avoid people in life that start with 'no offence, but....' the trouble is people get defensive when you tell them they've upset you with their comments. I think the minority is getting stronger judging by the support I've had on twitter when these tweets have been posted

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  3. People forget the impact of their words when they're not there to see their effect. They can be someone they aren't in real life - probably in real life you wouldn't give them the time of day. I don't see anything wrong with any of your statement and think it's terrible that someone abused you on Twitter like that - Z-list celeb or not.

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    1. Well the football tweeter wasn't a celeb...a few others who challenged me have gone on to be mutual followers who i now tweet with regulary

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