Viewing Thread:
"That's odd..."

So the sun is out today, and it's a glorious day.
Except for one simple thing, and I'll try to explain.

There have been a number of posts here recently concerning foreign and domestic issues and immigrants/refugees etc, and I have had several discussions with folks here about what it means to be "British" and "Proud of England".

My stand is that I have no particular allegiance to this country, and as far as I'm concerned this is just another piece of rock floating on the sea that happens to have been labelled “England”.
We’ve seen a rise in the right-wing politics in France over the past couple of days, as well as a surge of right-wing votes/candidates in Germany, Italy and previously calm Switzerland.

There is the argument that “being proud of your country doesn’t mean your racist”. I agree with that idea, to an extent.
The way I feel, the moment you start saying “Well you live here then you observe our customs and ways” starts to sound a little strange to me. You have nothing to do with the fact that you are English, your parents do. Aside from the language you speak and the geographical location, you are exactly the same as Mehmet/Abdul/Nu-Gyen etc etc, and to insist they follow your traditions merely because they live in the same borders as you strikes me as odd.
But that’s just me.

To be “proud of your country” would suggest that you’ve done something for it. Fought in a war maybe, or just done something other than…well…nothing at all.
Being born here doesn’t make you any more worthy of being “proud to British” in my eyes.
And the fuss that gets caused because some council in Birmingham wants to rename Christmas etc etc is so utterly pointless, it doesn’t affect you at all.
So, to Wookie, YH and everyone else that has been banging on about being proud of being British etc (not specifically you two, but the only two names that spring to mind), I have 1 question:

Why has nobody mentioned the fact it’s St George’s Day today?

I would have thought that staunch UK Supporters might have made a little post about it somewhere.

Gurning wrote:
> i still dont know why anyone would call themselves goatboy unless they
> like goats

Then presumably your name is "Gurning" because you're an ugly bastid?

Myself, YH and Goatboy may not agree on these issues but at least we can contribute differing opinions without resorting to childish insults.

If you have nothing worth contributing, naff off.

Gurning wrote:
> i still dont know why anyone would call themselves goatboy unless they
> like goats

And I don't know why anyone would call themselves Gurning unless they were really ugly.






Oh.

i still dont know why anyone would call themselves goatboy unless they like goats

Be fair - I've not said anythiing about getting rid of anyone or anything. I simply feel we must stop accepting immigrants so willingly before we drown under what is becoming a flood.

As well as the "right wing" points in my last post, I also agree with some of Goatboy's points. I don't think that the British Empire was the 'right thing to do'. It was everything that we try to prevent these days. But having said that, there are many countries who today are proud to be part of the Commonwealth - proud of their ties with Britain.

But is it right to harp on about the British Empire, when it was generations ago? How long do the British people have to be beaten down with it? On the one hand (previous race discussions) you criticise the mindless mass of England football fans who keep digging up "two World Wars and one World Cup" whenever we play Germany. But on the other hand you contantly beat us around the head with "remember the British Empire". It's like my mum constantly slapping my butt today for peeing on the carpet when I was a kid.

Just as we can't hold today's Germany responsible for the two World Wars, you can't hold today's Britain responsible for the wrongs of the British Empire. We can't forget about the mistakes, otherwise we'll repeat them; but we do have to put them behind us and move on.

I also agree with YH on many points. The issues regarding racial slurs often border on ridiculous. We have Chinese food quite regularly, and we always refer to it as "getting a c***ky". I don't know how offensive the Chinese would find that, but I personally have never, ever intended that as an insulting term. I absolutely LOVE the oriental people - their culture, food, sense of history, honour, respect etc. have always amazed me, and I have nothing but admiration and affection for them.

But I don't see why why "c***k" should be filtered, as it is a legitimate English word. "Oh, he must have a c***k* in his armour somewhere."

And then there's left-wing councils banning the term 'blackboard' and insisting it's called 'chalkboard'. I'm sorry, but who the HELL first linked 'blackboard' to a racial slur? Or "Baa baa black sheep"? And this wasn't nonsense reporting by papers like The Sun - a friend of the family works in a nursery in London's East End, and she verified it years ago when it was first reported.

While we're at it, why don't we take "yellow" out of the Rainbow song? But we won't even consider taking out "pink". Should we rename these colours to avoid offence?

These are the the types of action which I believe do more to disrupt racial harmony than they do to encourage it. I also don't believe that most black people would really give a crap about these issues - it's just over-zealous do-gooders making stupid rules. Basically, white people turning white people against other races, inadvertant though it may be.

I'm all for preventing racism, but there is such a thing as taking it too far.

everythings weird this country is one very weird place

Goatboy wrote:
> All governments are as bad as each other.
> Labour/Conservative etc, nothing changes but the faces.
>

All to true I'm afradi to say.

Goatboy wrote:
> You, Gurning, are one of the stupidest people it has ever been my
> misfortune to come across.
>
> That's the problem with the net, people act without consequence and no
> threat of being treated exactly how they deserve.
> Get back to your school work you insect and try not to drop my burger
> on the floor.
>
> #######


listen just listen to the millions and millions of people calling u a complete idiot when all the smoke as gone and it goes deadly quiet you will never forget the name of shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gurning

You, Gurning, are one of the stupidest people it has ever been my misfortune to come across.

That's the problem with the net, people act without consequence and no threat of being treated exactly how they deserve.
Get back to your school work you insect and try not to drop my burger on the floor.

#######

finally gurning has come back to make u people enjoy the topics and my english oh its true its damn true

Gangsta Hamsta wrote:
> zaphod beeblebrox wrote:
> my point being that goatboy is an idiot
>
>
> How Ironic. No, it has nothing to do with metal

what in the blue hell are you talking about?