CONFRONTING RACISM

My dearest readers (if there are any people out there who I haven't pissed off yet and as such are still reading this), how many of you are exposed to racism? Now when I say exposed to it, I don't actually mean you are the victim of it, but see racism being perpetrated upon others? If so, what do you do about it? Anything?

Last night on the train ride home I was confronted with a racist. Now I am not the sort of person who just lets things go. It's why I will often get into arguments, shoving matches and sometimes fights.

The train was packed, as is often the case, there were a lot of people of East or South-East Asian backgrounds, a couple of whom were young children who were crying and whingeing, as all children do. However a redneck got on the train, and proceeded to start yelling "Shut up and go back to China." Now initially the train was so packed I couldn’t see who this was. However after a few people got off, the individual in question moved past me and continued to say "Shut the Fuck up and go back to China." He also muttered under his breath "I should kick them in the c*nt."

At this point I stepped in and said to him, "Why don't you shut the fuck up you piece of redneck, convict scum." Now, my comment may also be viewed as being racist, but I said it for a reason. I do not believe that all people of Anglo-Celtic background are convicts or scum. The reason I said this was that people like him have likely never been racially vilified. As such they do not know what this feels like. By racially vilifying him, hopefully he will know what his actions makes others feel like, and as such not do it any more. Naive? Maybe.

He replied "What did you say?"

I repeated,"Why don't you shut the fuck up you piece of redneck, convict scum."

As he had moved past me, being the tough guy that he was he said, "Why don't you come here and say it." Now people, when somebody says that, they do not actually wish to fight. Similarly when someone pushes you, they are not really looking for a fist fight. When people come to and start punching, then they are looking for a fight. Trust me, I know.

So I went right up to him, looked him in the eyes and repeated, "Why don't you shut the fuck up you piece of redneck, convict scum."

His response "You're such a tough guy."

To which I responded "I'm not the one abusing women and children and threatening to assault them under my breath, you low life."

Some further pleasantries were exchanged where it turns out he had actually been in prison (a sixth sense on my part?), and he was proud of this. I was tempted to make a joke about him dropping the soap in the shower a few too many times, but I refrained. Suffice to say he let me know what he thought of me again, and I let him know what I thought of him, before I moved off.

So what did my actions achieve, if anything?

1. He did not make any more racist comments on the train after I challenged him. This in itself is reason enough for doing what I did.

2. He will think likely think twice about making such comments again on the train for fear of somebody challenging him on it and showing what a coward he is.

3. Maybe, just maybe, as mentioned above, after I turned the tables on him he may reconsider his position, unlikely as it may be.

The reason for mentioning this? We all have a duty to challenge racism. There is a slippery slope out there: if you allow racist comments in public this can lead to racist law and policy, that can lead to racist violence and murder. Please remember this people. When confronted with racism, don’t sit there quietly, challenge it.