Prejudice & Hate

We grow up with it. It is instilled in our beings from an early age. To not trust, to blame , to hate those who do not look or behave like us. Nations have national prejudice against neighbours. They justify it using the excuses of history and treat fellow nations with contempt, suspicion and hate. I use the word hate a lot because that’s what it is. Don’t pretend there is another reason for racism, xenophobia, homophobia etc. You hate black and brown people because you are white. You hate members of the LGBTQ community because you are straight. You adopt the tropes of prominent haters and justify your behaviour by saying they can say so.

But why do you hate someone for not being like you? Is it because you are threatened by diversity? Don’t tell me its because your religion tells you to hate others. Every religion in the world claims to promote peace and harmony yet wars, murder, oppression have all been carried out in the name of a particular version of a god. Why are you so threatened by the colour of a persons skin or their gender/sexuality? Are they trying to dye your skin and turn you into being gay? Prejudice is justified by politicians, by their inaction, by false claims of it being political. When football players take the knee before a match; they are not making a left wing political statement. They are reminding the world that racism is never acceptable and they will take this action as long as politicians, football supporters and the wider world allow it to carry on or make excuses for it.

I, like millions of fellow England fans, watched the final of Euro 2020 on Sunday night. The pride and heartache of losing on penalties. Minutes after the result; three young black England footballers were racially abused by ‘fans’ for missing penalties. Missing a penalty for fucks sake! As if missing a penalty justifies any abuse, never mind racist attacks. Italian fans leaving Wembley stadium were attacked by ‘England fans’ for supporting Italy. Talk about being sore losers; England would top the world league in sore loserdom.

The racist attacks were roundly condemned including by a prime minister and home secretary who earlier in the tournament; had suggested taking the knee is more about gesture politics. The good people of England rallied around the heartbroken and abused players who had not only suffered an agonising defeat but had then been so appallingly treated by elements of their own fans. Football is a very tribal sport.

Teams supporters hate rival teams with a depth that is incomprehensible to many. They make up hateful songs about the other team They rake up tragedies and make jokes about it. Black players for decades were subjected to chanting from the terraces, bananas thrown on the pitch and missiles aimed at hurting black players for being black. Sectarian violence particularly in Glasgow has led to murder, intimidation and hatred of a depth many cannot begin to comprehend. Sectarianism is so deeply ingrained in Northern Irish culture that elements within the province will never accept the right of the other to exist peacefully; despite the huge efforts of those who see past the protestant/ catholic divide.

Residents of Yorkshire make offensive and prejudice comments about Lancastrians and vice versa. Wales is ridiculed by some in England; Scotland and England sit decidedly uncomfortably next to each other, fighting mini Cullodens and Bannockburns for what seems like eternity. You sometimes think there is so much hate, smouldering under the surface; you wonder how people manage to function throughout the day!

I was very lucky to have been brought up in a family where the colour of someones skin, their ethnic background, their gender or sexuality were irrelevant. Is a person a good person, regardless of these matters? There are millions of people in England who also have been given that advantage. We see kindness, humour, compassion, community and don’t see the colour of a persons skin or their gender/sexuality. We know everyone is different and that makes for a wonderful world. Hitler wanted to create an Aryan nation, where everyone looked and behaved the same. Difference was not tolerated. Difference was feared and lies were created to justify the slaughter of those different to his ideal German. If you racially abuse a footballer because he misses a penalty; how are you any different to that? You are using the colour of persons skin to spread hate and mistrust. You are no different. You may as well wear a white hood and stand in front of burning cross. Don’t tell me racist jokes are acceptable because they aren’t. Don’t justify homophobic or anti trans jokes or writing because you cannot. You are a spreader of hate. You who judge are nothing better than that pitiful little corporal who murdered 6 million Jews. In your own little way, you carry a banner of hate around with you everywhere you go. Racism and hatred is not exclusive to white people but historically, black people have come off a lot worse. Slavery was perpetuated primarily by white European people on black African people. They reduced people to a class of subhuman, a commodity. Hitler reduced Jewish people to the same status but also blamed them for the economic and social problems in post WW1 Germany.

Racism, prejudice are never acceptable. You, who do perpetuate it, are on a continuum that connects with Nazi Germany, with the slave trade, with sectarian bloodshed. You are no better and there is no excuse you could come up with that would justify your behaviour. You need to be more than educated. You need to be shamed and prosecuted. You need to understand that your actions have adverse consequences for you. Politicians should never try to nuance racism because you are just giving the green light to the haters to hate that little bit more. I’m done with shaking my head at the idiocy of a few racists and homophobes because those few are backed up by many more armchair racists and homophobes. I cannot excuse you any more because of your upbringing, background or any pathetic reason you may offer to hate another human so appallingly.

The time is up for prejudice.