General Chat

Thanks, Georgina will look out for it in my usual haunts, charity shops and if not, get it from amazon, have quite a stack of books waiting to be read, how lucky am I?

It looks good.

Lizx

Yesterday I realized just how much I like NICE people of different races and colours.

Supermarket Shopping- Indian lady on check out, what Service. No chattering about what we had bought, like some of them do. What politeness and a thoroughly lovely person.

As a Senior Citizen, I resented one English White check out operator saying to me, 'You are alright, you Pensioners are the only ones with money' I replied, 'Yes and we saved our money, not spending it foolishly'

In the evening meet up with friends, amongst them a lady from Malawi. She did make us laugh, as she said people in her father's village look down on her, because she cannot carry a pot on her head, and cannot stand the smoke from the wood fires they cook their food on. Although an Academic, she is looked down upon in this village, as she cant do these things.

Mo

Barack is a wonderful man, and so is John McCain God bless them both
Dx

Barock didnt get in because of the colour of his skin - he has charisma,youth, enthusiasum and a good representative of a new america. Good luck to him he will need it!

Liz

Have you read The Colour of Water by James Mcbride?

If not, available on Amazon.

Thanks Mildred,

I stem from a number of nationalities, raised children in the country of husbands birth. The children call themselves hubby's nationality, not part Belgian, English, Irish, or Indian.

Georgina

You are so right :o)))

As far as I am concerned where ever you were born and raised is what you are. President Obama is American.

I am not bothered by race,creed or colour and find it difficult to understand though how my mixed race neice is called breed by her black half-brother! he seems to have more of a problem with it than us.

A few weeks ago, We were in the car listening to the news on the radio. It was talking about barack and if he could/would be president and the fact that he is black.
My 8 year old son was listening and when the story ended he said to me that he thought it was "Really bad that people don't think he sould be the president because he is black. He is just the same as anyone else and his colour should not matter".
It was then that I knew, I have brought my children up correct.

Pat

Coincidentally I started reading another book at the weekend, called Small Island and it is all about colour prejudice etc, enlightening me in many ways as I had not realised some of the problems there were in this country and America.
Andrea Levy's award winning book 'Small Island' is a story about prejudice: Britain's and American GI's racism towards the "invading darkies"; middle-class Londoners snobbery towards the Cockneys; the Jamaicans towards the "small islanders"; the British empires treatment of its Caribbean and Indian colonies.
Told from the perspective of four different characters, it tells the story of the first wave of Caribbean immigrants to Britain following World War II, through the life of Airman Joseph Gilbert and his wife Hortense. Despite fighting against the Nazi's as a member of the RAF, when Gilbert returns to his 'Mother Country' with ambitions of training to become a Lawyer, all he finds in London is unfriendly faces, hatred, and a job as Royal Mail driver. However, he does find accommodation with Queenie Bligh, who, in need of rent, lets the empty rooms of her house to immigrants and faces just as much scorn and hatred from her neighbours as a result. Events soon come to a head when Queenie's husband, Bernard, returns home from India two years after the War has ended.

Andrea Levy's writing is superb - rich, observant, engaging and funny - her characters each have a unique voice and the story or characters are never patronising or preaching, which is a great achievement for a book about racism and bigotry. 'Small Island' is a beautiful and accomplished novel, and well worth reading.


~~~~~
It took a bit of getting into but is now an extremely good read, the sort of book you don't want to put down.


I feel the same as you Dave, I have friends with many different backgrounds, race and creed and it bothers me not one iota! So long as they treat me ok and are good to their fellow men, I don't care about the colour of their skin or the religion if any they follow.


Lizxx

Hi Mrs Blue Eyes,

again I say I'm not an expert, but I think that to say mixed race is fine - if someone is of mixed race hopefully they would wish to embrace and celebrate both aspects of their family history and so the "label" is not derogatory or discriminative, but "inclusive" and a positive thing.

Maria x

aso both my sons are of mixed race but consider themselves black.i suppose its tradition in any culture for children to want to emulate their father. nitex

Hiya Dave....Good to see you on here again hun!
Hope life is treating you well!

Obama seems like a genuine bloke..Love to hear his speeches and reckon he wants to do the best for his Country...I wish him well.

Love Kim xxx

ps Remember the olden days R Dave when me and thee used to argue British Politics? We had a good old debate then went to a fancy dress party together..and you used to sing me Elvis Songs...

Oh Happy Days

****sighs***

LOLOL

;o)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That's ok Helen, I'm not professing to be an expert. I think you summed it up when you said we're all the same. It's far better, surely, to ask the question what's the right thing to say, and ask it with a kind and caring heart, than to not care either way and sit in ignorance. I don't know you but from the way you asked the question I'm guessing you fall into the first group.

Maria x

hello Dave, you have brought back memories of my beautiful mum. 50yrs ago my mum told me we were all Gods creatures and we were all the same beneath our skins. godbless her, nite. x

Is it considered offensive to call someone "of mixed race"

Maybe having both white and black parents allows Barak to have a foot in both camps and see things from both side.

Thanks Maria.
Helen x

Helen,

Black & Asian yes
Brown or Coloured no

Maria x

Dermot, I agree that would be another really great wrong righted, assuming of course that the Native American in question is the (wo)man for the job.

Maria x