Andrew, I am Irish - I well remember what it was like when all of us were seen a bombers and terrorists. Being spat on going to and from school (London, Convent) is a memory that lasts...........
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
This has been a very wordy thread but what has come over to me is that none of us are racist but some of us have preconceived ideas about immigrants that might be based on colour or nationality.
I know my attitude and reaction to black people has changed since I was young because I have met more of them through the years and learnt they are the same as us whites. (I hope I phrased that properly).
We have to get to know our immigrants to understand them and their culture but it is vital they do the same. Anybody who has moved to a completely new area knows how difficult it can be to fit in, think how hard it must be when it is a new culture and you do not or hardly speak the language.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
Britains efforts to promote economic growth will slip backwards over the next three years because of new immigration
rules.
The report comes as business and political elite gather at `World Economic Forum` in Davos on Wednesday.
90% of business leaders polled feared a rise in protectionism measures and a migration cap would limit firms to
compete with other countries.
#102 A lovely voice of reason!
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Jan/Bern, people of other cultures are not entirely the same as us but they are our equals. The differences should be celebrated and kept alive in a spirit of co-operation and mutual respect. To treat everyone as if they are the same is an insult to everyone and will eventually destroy the multi-cultural society the do-gooders are desperate to promote by their legislation and intimidation of those who speak their minds.
As the host nation it is incumbent on us (and I mean us as individuals, not government) to welcome genuine asylum seekers and legal immigrants and help them to integrate, rather than leave them to fester in English language-free ghettoes with hostile Little Englander neighbours.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
When I lived in London a long long long time ago, we had some lovely vibrant and diverse communities as you describe Peter. Differences were celebrated and there was, overall, a good spirit of welcome and partial integration. There was a recognition of a "host nation" and the responsibilities that brings, but also the responsibilities of the immigrants to be flexible and to integrate. That reciprocal responsibility seems, or feels, to have gone and there appears to be much more hostility both ways. This is clearly partly in response to the tabloid agenda and partly in response to fiscal anxiety. It is also partly in response to terrorism and politics, like we Irish experienced in the 70s. Different times.......
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
peter;
in my previous postings i explained many UK citezins have no interest in immigrants becoming part of the community and intergrating.
So we have a fair deal of educating people before we get any where near integration
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
In order to achieve any degree of integration, both immigrants and the local population must both desire it and know how to achieve it. In many cases the mutual desire is absent and there is nobody with the knowledge to build the links.
So why have the groups with that aim in mind failed so badly ?
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
In order to communicate the 'foreigner' has to speak some English, there is no way that I am going to night school to learn theirs. We still have some that come into the shop after several years who do not speak even the most basic words of English and rely on their children to translate for them.
This is why the groups Peter mentions fail.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
that is the main problem, our local groups send out material in several languages - they still get little response though.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
had a eastern european as a niebour in the last 2 years,kids used to translait but both parents speak good enough english for good chat.so there are some that are willing learn.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
we look at this all one way jan;
as brian says there are a large number of people from other countries speak good english and part of communities.
but we still have a big education theme to get through where locals also need to look at themselves and accept others in our society
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
We had a lovely Indian lady who volunteered at the shop who spoke very good English so we had some really good chats during our coffee breaks.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Bern *106, the only conclusion I can come to, is that according to you, we have to take in millions of immigrants, and then get told off for it. Just listen to never-ending complaining because we were not good enough and because we are not taking in more millions of immigrants.
As already stated, is there no other country you can find to send millions of people to? And perhaps tell them off too? This is all too hard to believe!
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
what was that about a reasonable balanced debate alexander?
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Ireland is just over half the size of England but has one-tenth of the population, let's send them all there.
But seriously, even half the Irish seem to want to live here. Must be something about our warm welcome to incomers.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Alexander, Whatever you are drinking I want some.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Just musing over some of your postings, Bern.
The part about being Irish. In the Army, we had many Irish neighbors from Eire. It was totally unknown to me that anyone ever considered these people as immigrants or anything other than like us and part of us.
The bit about terrorism. Shocked! The first bomb that went off, in Aldershot, I was living there, my sister was the first person to see it go off, it exploded in front of her eyes. Never seen or heard of anyone, then or after, even say one bad word to or about the Irish, either living in Britain or in Ireland.
The local Irish catholic priest in North Camp later got killed in Northern Ireland, and the people in our area were sad and shocked.
I'm not saying you haven't had some other experience, but the picture you paint of Britain's people is not that which I can testify to.
It is rather disturbing in some way, and perhaps to see the uncountable positive feelings and gestures that have come from us Brits could help. It's beginning to look as if we're being imprinted with a stigma.
Tabloid agenda and fiscal anxiety... what about all the tolerance we have shown over the decades to millions of people who have moved here, everything they received to be a part of our Country, houses, livelihood, education, cultural freedom... what more can we do, Bern?
