Racial Prejudice And Our Children

It’s really easy to forget your kids you know. It is. You don’t mean to and, most likely, you don’t think you have but you have you know – even if you kind of haven’t. The thing is you’re old – or older. Well, you’re older than you were before you had kids and, if your kids are older than little kids then you are older still and that, methinks, can be the nub of the matter. Being older you have formed your opinions and prejudices whether justified or otherwise and, even if subconsciously, you are spouting your views assuming them to be cool whilst your kids are looking at you and thinking ‘mum?’ or ‘dad?’ – ‘are you nuts?’ or ‘what the hell are you saying dad / mum?’ – or possibly more accurately, ‘what the fuck are you saying?’. I mean, let’s face it, we tend to forget that our kids say ‘fuck’ and stuff. We did when we were kids but they are ‘our’ kids so they don’t. Oops.

I say “There are too many immigrants in Britain and we have to stop immigration and even, in extremis, repatriate some”

My daughter says “Daddy? I have black and Asian friends who you have met and driven home from clubs with me. Should they be repatriated?”

I say “Don’t be silly babe. They were born here and they’re your pals and I like them so of course not” – and

My daughter says “But their mums and dads were immigrants so how can you repatriate them if you like them and my friends?”

I say “Er – um – well – you see – it’s like this – er – OH! The football’s on TV!! We’ll talk later”

We forget don’t we? We forget our kids. Well, we don’t exactly forget them but we forget that they have grown up in a completely different world to us. We grew up in a world were Asian immigrants didn’t really exist. They were here in Britain but they were, well, somewhere but nowhere near where I was so they sort of didn’t exist. Black people? Excuse me?

Actually, that’s not strictly true in my case. I did have black friends much to my parents dismay. I was into ska and reggae (still am) so I somehow had black friends when most kids of my age thought ‘black people’ were still swinging from trees and appearing in Tarzan movies which, I like to think, makes me a dyed in the wool liberal who doesn’t hold racial prejudice in his system. How can I? I had black friends in my teenage years for God’s sake (or the deity of your choice) so I am clearly immune to being racist or colour prejudiced.

I say “Bloody Somalians!! Scrounging off Britain’s benefits system!!! Kick ’em out!!”

My daughter says “Daddy? You taught Fatima to drive and her mum made you dinner and they are Somalian!”

I say “Shush love – the football’s on!”

Of course, it’s even more complicated than that. Two Somalian men called Fatima a ‘whore’ for being in a car with a white man. They said it in their language and it took me a while to get her to tell me what they had said. I was cross and punched one in the head at the next set of traffic lights. I wasn’t having it. My driving student is not being abused by anyone on my watch. That, incidentally, is how I got dinner at her home. Fatima told her mum and her mum was grateful that I protected her daughter.

I’d like to think that our kids are the future. A future where race and skin colour and everything else no longer matters. A future where everyone in the world lives peacefully alongside each other. My daughter could do that. So could her friends. So could Fatima and her mum.

Perhaps it’s just me and people of my age? Immigration to Britain is certainly a major problem as our infrastructure breaks down purely due to the number of people now residing on our island. Even my daughter, the future, recognises this. Our solutions vary wildly mind you.

Last year during a visit to my home town of Oldham in Lancashire, England, I dropped my mother off at her keep fit class. As I waited I wandered around the market and passing a few empty market stalls I was shocked, startled and saddened.

Several Pakistani boys (born in Britain I assume but of Pakistani parentage) were sitting on an empty market stall. I think there were perhaps five of them. Three white girls walked by as I did and the Pakistani boys shouted “How much for a shag white bitches?” The teenage girls (no more than 14 or 15) replied “Fuck off you Paki wankers!”

Kids are our future. Our legacy if you will. They have grown up in a world so totally different to the world we grew up in and yet there is still hatred amongst them. Hatred or, at least, a complete lack of respect from the Pakistani Muslim boys. Hatred at least from the young white girls – and in this instant it was indeed the Pakistani boys causing the friction.

Based on this the world will be no better when we ‘oldies’ are long gone.

I cry for the children. Don’t you?

They should have inherited a far better world. We have let them down so badly.

Right! Enough depression and self loathing! Fuck it! Send home the Somalians and pull up the drawbridge and  kick out the immigrants who won’t adapt to Britain! Bollocks! Kick the bastards out!!!

Ahhhh – I feel better for that – sorry? What was that oh daughter of mine? Me? No! I didn’t say that! I’m watching the football! 😉

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