Man sends banana to black mans table in Wetherspoons pub

[Junglist]

Good, glad he got fined. He wont be as stupid to do something like that again.
I'd say I'm surprised by people trying to justify this but then I forget OCUK is filled with wanna be alpha males who think they'll take the boxing stance at everything.

He knew what he was doing by sending a banana to the table. Everyone knows what he was doing when he did that. So why should he just be able to get off completely free?

You can reduce anything if you really want to. Put a bit of bacon outside of a mosque? Well it's only food mate. Spray a swastika on a synagogue? Just a bit of paint mate.

Stop trying to excuse this man for acting like a colossal prat.

 

[iamdjdz]

I normally wouldn't pipe up in the racism debate but this appears to have either been a moronic move with racist undertones or a stupid not well thought out prank. Guy deserves a fine tbh to teach him to be more considerate and less stupid. I dont think anyone can argue that a banana sent randomly in public may hurt the black guys feelings, or at least cause him to believe it was racially motivated.

 

[Bluecube]

What if he sent a large glass/bottle of whiskey across to me (a Scot), assuming I am a drunk?

You call yourself a Scot and spell whisky incorrectly?

 

[Hades]

Unacceptable behaviour. He got what he deserved.

 

[Dis86]

There is none, and that's the point. People should just leave each other alone regardless. Do something nice or don't do anything at all.

Completely agree. Also...wtf people were dumping on you for being a saffa? You've won on the accent stakes for a start!

 

[Dis86]

Because - Sending someone a banana to a table with someone who is black on it is clearly a racist motive and is a crime. If they had sent a drink over it would have been fine but no... has to be a banana.


What more is there to say?

Again...Why is race different to any other unchangeable physical aspect? It's amazing how few people seem to be able to answer that...

 

[Mr Badger]

But there is am equivalence because it's about outcome. There is no difference to you between me calling you a name because you're black or because you have small hands or because you have ginger hair.
All are things you have no choice over. All are things that have no measurable change to your character.

Again...Why is race different to any other unchangeable physical aspect? It's amazing how few people seem to be able to answer that...

Perhaps something to do with there not being a history of people being enslaved or subjected to segregation and discrimination due to their having small hands?

 

[fez]

Again...Why is race different to any other unchangeable physical aspect? It's amazing how few people seem to be able to answer that...

There honestly isn't a rational answer to many things when it comes to race and racism. Its too complex a topic to apply strict logic to and people are completely mental when it comes to anything race related right now.

The guy sending a banana deserves a heavy fine. He was being a massive **** and I have no time for people like that.

I have very pale skin and people have taken the **** about it all my life (95% of it is good natured and just joking about being a ghost or a vampire) but should people trying to be nasty about it face the same consequences as someone being racist. No, I don't think they should but we have gone mad with the race card to the point where anything that could possibly be construed as racist is taken as such. A whole language has popped up to describe how someone is being racist without having to explain how. Micro-aggressions, unconcious bias, hate speech for anything you don't like.

The one that has always baffled me is the old "where are you from" or "where are your family from" when you are clearly not white British. If I ask someone that question its because I am interested in their heritage. Its not because I want to offend or slyly suggest they are not British and don't belong here. When you are abroad and ask someone where they are from its because you are interested in them, not because you are deciding how you feel about them based on their country of origin.

 

[Bear]

Again...Why is race different to any other unchangeable physical aspect? It's amazing how few people seem to be able to answer that...

I already have but you have dismissed it. The fact that there are hate groups both in the political spectrum and in general for such things as race or sexual orientation etc that exist means it goes beyond someone calling out an insult. On top of that there are historic actions of hatred and violence towards these groups.

As said already most civilised societies see the difference and as such enshrined in law the protection of these groups, that in itself should show that your idea of equivalence in such things is flawed

 

[FoxEye]

Perhaps something to do with there not being a history of people being enslaved or subjected to segregation and discrimination due to their having small hands?

Discriminating based on sexuality or disability is also illegal, and there is no history of slavery involved there.

As a society, we have decided - probably to some extent due to pressure groups/lobbying - that some characteristics are "protected", and some aren't.

Therefore you can call someone a ginger ****** all day long, and even have a sign in your shop saying "We don't serve gingers", but you can't do the same to a gay person or a black person.

 

[Bear]

Therefore you can call someone a ginger ****** all day long, and even have a sign in your shop saying "We don't serve gingers", but you can't do the same to a gay person or a black person.

I would suspect that business would not last very long if they did due to societal pressures and it certainly would be warranted

 

[413x]

I sit in both camps.

How can a crimes like this be prioritised?

Is it worse or not than theft? If thefts can't be investigated in depth then neither should stuff like this.

But its clearly racist and the guy doing it should be fined.



Its strange how police resource is dictated by the current trend or social pressure. Like madeline for example.

 

[Junglist]

I sit in both camps.

How can a crimes like this be prioritised?

Is it worse or not than theft? If thefts can't be investigated in depth then neither should stuff like this.

But its clearly racist and the guy doing it should be fined.



Its strange how police resource is dictated by the current trend or social pressure. Like madeline for example.

My guess is that this was an easily provable case. Low hanging fruit.

If anyone should be blamed of wasting the police's time it should be the tool that sent the fruit in the first place. It started with him

 

[gord]

Again...Why is race different to any other unchangeable physical aspect? It's amazing how few people seem to be able to answer that...

You've asked this about 30 times in the thread, and I understand the literal nature of your argument. But surely the answer is legacy. Years of slavery and oppression, segregation and maltreatment of human beings based purely on skin colour. It's not just about this insult, it represents a larger problem that society is overcoming. It is not funny or appropriate to do this. I know it's frustrating to see police resources having to deal with these matters, but attitudes need to change and dismissing it by saying it's just name-calling won't help. The fact this was done anonymously is the kicker here for me, if he could have challenged the act he may well have done so.

In a similar vein, the N word. It's just a word right? No, it has a stigma attached to it.

Therefore you can call someone a ginger ****** all day long, and even have a sign in your shop saying "We don't serve gingers", but you can't do the same to a gay person or a black person.

There absolutely is a societal scale for discrimination but none should be "unprotected". I don't imagine you intended how this came across, but just to be sure, it's not OK to have a sign in your shop saying "We don't server gingers". Racism probably sits at the top of the scale, followed closely by gender. Those are at the top because they have a continuing legacy of oppression. Attitudes are changing, just look how far we've come in the last 50 years, but it requires incidents like these to be challenged, otherwise racist acts are normalised.

 

[Ayahuasca]

I'm not sure how there's even a debate over this. Even if the guy isn't a racist and it was "just a prank bro", surely you think it through first in your head and realise if caught it's likely going to ruin you for the rest of your life.

The intention doesn't matter, he's now viewed as a racist whether he likes it or not.

 

[Tony Edwards]

Usual suspects again.

 

[Dis86]

I already have but you have dismissed it. The fact that there are hate groups both in the political spectrum and in general for such things as race or sexual orientation etc that exist means it goes beyond someone calling out an insult. On top of that there are historic actions of hatred and violence towards these groups.

As said already most civilised societies see the difference and as such enshrined in law the protection of these groups, that in itself should show that your idea of equivalence in such things is flawed

But the guy wasn't a member of a hate group. He was just a plonker in a pub. There are hate groups against football teams, should we be charging them criminally? It's farcical.

 

[Dis86]

You've asked this about 30 times in the thread, and I understand the literal nature of your argument. But surely the answer is legacy. Years of slavery and oppression, segregation and maltreatment of human beings based purely on skin colour. It's not just about this insult, it represents a larger problem that society is overcoming. It is not funny or appropriate to do this. I know it's frustrating to see police resources having to deal with these matters, but attitudes need to change and dismissing it by saying it's just name-calling won't help. The fact this was done anonymously is the kicker here for me, if he could have challenged the act he may well have done so.

In a similar vein, the N word. It's just a word right? No, it has a stigma attached to it.

There absolutely is a societal scale for discrimination but none should be "unprotected". I don't imagine you intended how this came across, but just to be sure, it's not OK to have a sign in your shop saying "We don't server gingers". Racism probably sits at the top of the scale, followed closely by gender. Those are at the top because they have a continuing legacy of oppression. Attitudes are changing, just look how far we've come in the last 50 years, but it requires incidents like these to be challenged, otherwise racist acts are normalised.

Could you explain how sending a banana to someone is oppressing them?

This isn't about discrimination, oppression or exploitation. It's nothing more than name calling.

 

[NVP]

You can reduce anything if you really want to. Put a bit of bacon outside of a mosque? Well it's only food mate. Spray a swastika on a synagogue? Just a bit of paint mate.

Stop trying to excuse this man for acting like a colossal prat.

Well said.

 

[Bear]

But the guy wasn't a member of a hate group. He was just a plonker in a pub. There are hate groups against football teams, should we be charging them criminally? It's farcical.

I never said he was, not even once. You are only saying it as a deflection tactic to hold an opinion no civilised society seems to agree with you on. If there were political hate groups that existed and there was a history of hatred and violence against short people, which would be a threat to short people today, Im am pretty sure they would be included in the protected group of people