Cannot believe this bigotry

My mother always used to say that we are a nation of mongrels even if our family all looked white and blue eyed and brown haired.

When I heard the news today about Europe "strengthening its borders" I did wonder if we will now see images of starving families huddled together in freezing conditions, pressed up against the wire fences.

So I have written to refugee action to see what I can do to help people if they manage to make it as far as our city, and have registered to be a home that welcomes refugees, even if it is only for a few days while other accomodation is found - perhaps they could have the 200,000 or so empty homes in the UK? www.emptyhomes.com/

I would be interested to know how many are to be settled in Camberley, Cheltenham Spa, Stow on the Wold, Stratford upon Avon and other leafy privileged enclaves. It always seems to be the large cities in the Midlands and the North that have to bear the brunt of migrant populations. As I have said on a previous thread, it causes tensions in areas already claimed by existing large ethnic populations as their own, because this is where they inevitably end up. We do not have spare capacity in housing stock either.

Anniebach,quite right,but that's not racism either,when my nephew moved to a village,it took a long,long time for them to be accepted.

Brighton said it would take 5 families. We have a housing list of 11000 but I am not aware of anyone objecting, but of course I am not on fb (getting with it now) When I see those little children and their bewildered faces my heart melts of course we must give them succour, no question about it.

Where's middle England, do you mean the Midlands?

Yet these immigrants are no longer remembered as immigrants who met with racism when they first came here
That's right anniebach

I saw a recording of Norman Samuels (Bristol's first black bus driver) being interviewed on the local news:
jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130403/news/news9.html

Which makes me think this is more fear of the unknown than anything else.

I live in the north and I would like to know where these huge empty housing estates are. Like anywhere else in the country we have a chronic housing shortage.

There's been a huge drive by the govt to try to get the North better populated and to move workforces out of the south and midlands, as they are perceived to be overcrowded. I think that's why - there are huge housing estates with no-one living in them in some areas of the north.

We need to remember we have never been a country who welcomes immigrants with open arms yet we think we are. The Jews were hated and feared . The Irish were certaintly not welcomed , what of the people on the Windrush ? Yet these immigrants are no longer remembered as immigrants who met with racism when they first came here

I have heard the refugees who are now coming to this country will not be housed in middle England but in the North, if true why ?

So glad to hear that- but it is seriously worrying to meet people who truly feel like my relatives, and say those things with convictions- and knowing they are vast in numbers, even in the North, and even more so in the South.

All our USA friends are Democrats- but our relatives ... well! TRuly shocking to hear them.

Never mind Granjura. I am proud of my American DiL (great-granddaughter of a French immigrant) and her liberal views and she is going to vote for Hillary.

Had relatives over from the USA last week, of very mixed descent- all second generations immigrants now in 60s, 70s and 80s. Some from very poor un-educated parents from Ireland and Naples. The vitriolic anti-immigration discourse was stagerring- as well as the anti-Obama (never thought I'd see a Moslem President of my own country! He is an Al Quaida plant, didn't you know!) and pro.... Trump. Truly disturbing.

The Americans are even worse. Considering that their whole population apart from the native americans is made up of immigrants and refugees from religious persecution there is some appalling stuff being posted by them.

My family are total mongrels. My father's father was an Irish immigrant, DH's grandfather was Italian, DD's husband is American and DS's partner is Hungarian and her baby is a quarter Roma gypsy (Olive skin and black eyes - gorgeous!) Not sure what we'd do if they started sending us back

Obviously the answer is for their countries to be made safe but there is no sign of that happening and hundreds of thousands are in fear of their lives.

... who HATE (not have).. sorry.

Ever read Arthur Miller's 'View from the Bridge'?

And yes, the National Front in the South of France if full of second and third generation Italian and Spanish immigrants- who have the North Africans and those from the Balkans. A well known phenomenon.

Saw on the news the other day about so many Syrian refugees being sent to Bradford, and I did think 'why oh why' - hasn't Bradford not got enough on its plate?!?

Yes,I'm well aware of my roots.And yes,we are a bit of a mixture,My Husbands family has a lot more of a mix.Thats got nothing to do with the situation now though has it? I certainly don't and would not ever,judge a person by the way they look.
I am saying that people,and they are the many,have a right to say they are not happy with the influx of immigrants,without being labeled.As I say,most are not racist,they just feel their way of life is being threatened.These people include a lot who's own parents were immigrants.

Yep, that is why I said I was aware it is not easy and that I was not being flippant. But Mark wrote about the 'tolerance' of the British people- which made me think about the rest of the post- it seemed incongruous and in contradiction.

A friend is moving back to Aberdeen next week with his wonderful malysian wife, so I hope this won't make it difficult for them.

Yes, I'm aware of all that.

I'm just saying that overstretched finances and lack of facilities for current residents is more of a perceived problem by those who are worried about taking in immigrants.

But they did have a massive influence on the culture and the country. The point being, that many of our forebears, recently, or a long time ago, were part of mass migrations that did have a huge bearing on shaping the country.

Some of our forebears came and took over the country with massive violence- imposing their culture and language, and often their religion. Others came and needed support and help for a while, before becoming hugely infuential in the country's progress in so many fields.

I don't really see how our individual origins relate to the views about immigrants to those people who are concerned about the effect it may or may not have on their area.

The UK was far less populated when our ancestors settled here.

Words 14 and 15 Mark...

I know not easy, and not being flippant.

But the UK as it is has always be a land of emigration- celts, Romans, Saxons, Angles, Picts, Vikings, Huguenots, Irish, Indians (in return), Apartheid refugees, Italians, French (London is full of them, and not particularly well integrated either) and so many many more.
It has made us a particularly tolerant and strong country- 100 Syrian refugees won't make much difference to Aberdeen, I'm sure.

I wonder what would come out of the envelope if any of us were lucky enough to be cases for 'Who do You think You are'. Do you have any idea about yourself?

Those people,have a right to feel threatened.Our free way of life our tolerance,the fact that we don't have civil wars is one the reasons the immigrants want to come here.So if they want to voice their opinions,they (at least most of them)are not racist.They are just saying,in a free country ,they don't want it.And apparently,they are in the majority.
Something should be done to make their own countries a better place to live.Mass migration is Not the answer.
And nobody who knows me could ever accuse me of racism.
But if anyone asked me if I wanted the immigrants here,I would say no.Only because of the vast numbers.Do I feel threatened ? Yes I do.

I think you are right jane - when you read stories about people who have been bullied and trolled online it does make you hesitant about posting a rational argument to an extreme view.

Annie You can't stop people holding certain views, however reprehensible you personally may consider them.
That's what living in a free country means, that people are free to hold views that other people find reprehensible.

The problem is that when they are posted on social media, unless people who oppose those views come out and say so, it gives the impression that those views are more widely held than they probably are. And Twitter and Facebook are not moderated or edited in the way that letters to the editor oif a newspaper are.

I will put my hand up and say that when I see extreme things posted, I don't respond, because I don't want to get into an argument with the sort of person who holds those views and expresses them in an abusive way.

Perhaps that's part of the problem.

Facebook is fine - it's what you make of it. Through it I am in touch with a lot of ex-colleagues and other friends that I wouldn't have been able to contact any other way. I receive posts from several special interest groups, too, on subjects as diverse as Variety performers, steam locomotives, and photo retouching!

It's Twitter that I can't be doing with... it just seems incoherent, but it is used by such as Dr Lucy Worsley, Eric Idle, Stephen Fry, Mary Beard, Brian Cox, Richard Dawkins - so I take a peek now and again...