Chrismac.
There's discrimination based on hate, discrimination based on ignorance and discrimination based on thoughtfulness.
Google "affirmative action", something that came out of the 60s civil rights movement. I agree with the idea. When I started a business my first employee was Peruvian which created a few administrative headaches. Give people a fair chance and they'll seize the opportunity to prove you right IME.
I'm an immigrant, people gave me chances, I did my best to prove them right.
Sorry to her that some of us have been kicked off Facebook groups because they've chosen to address the issue of race, though I'm not entirely surprised. I've been mountain biking on and off for 30 years and always loved the TDF etc but always been conscious that my sport might be a bit prejudiced.
The confirmation for me came a couple of years back when Gianni Moscons' appaling behaviour was backed up by SKY management. They went into panic mode, more concerned about potential sanctions that might be imposed on their rider than the plight of the victim. 'Gianni apologised so there's nothing to see here' seemed to be the line.
Racism has always been visible in working class sports but it's more hidden in middle class ones. Take Lewis Hamilton, surely the most trolled and abused individual in the country over the last few years. There's no end of people queuing up to tell is that it's not his colour but his personality that causes offence.
Owing to the inherent dangers of motor racing, drivers have been traditionally been given a wider berth than other sports figures, . Their arrogance, conceitedness, obtuseness, recklessness and sometimes difficult personalities have been priced in as part of the package.
Not for Lewis, he gets his ear pierced and Twitter goes into meltdown, he platts his hair and the internet breaks. He's also the only racing driver ever to have lived in the tax haven of Monaco.
And then there's tennis.....
EDIT
Keep up the good work faerie and keep us informed. You know you've got the support of many on here.
Looking at what's been posted I can see what (I certainly hope) Poah is trying to say. That he treats people no differently in his everyday interactions regardless of skin colour.
Now to me that sounds like he would say the same things and act in the same way, treat them with the same amount of individual respect (you wouldn't show your white vegan mate pics from inside a slaughterhouse just as you wouldn't try to dupe a Muslim into consuming something that's haram). Yeah, know your audience but that goes for everyone.
See people as individuals rather than colours. That in no way negates anything they have experienced due to racism nor does it have to fail to acknowledge those experiences.
In a bigger picture sense I hate the term 'positive discrimination' as its all too easy to be [deliberately] misinterpreted as meaning equality of outcome when in fact its about equality of opportunity (equity). Lifting people up so they are all on the same starting line rather than several paces behind.
I think the two go hand in hand, if I've got it wrong then please tell me where.
