I was going to start my diary site tomorrow, on the 1st July so it had a nice neat first-of-the-month date, but just now a flyer came through my door which basically sets the tone for this diary. I am recording racism and how racist actions inform my everyday life. I am going to be including my own conscious and barely conscious acts, thoughts and feelings of racism. I am not proud of these.
It is my understanding that everyone harbours racist prejudices. We live in a racist society and it gets into the most liberal of people. By virtue of how we were brought up, our minds are filled with stereotypes, fears and assumptions. Some of these have the weight and authority of hundreds of years of prejudice. Others may be said to be born of years of abuse and oppression. whatever. I don't care where my prejudice came from. I want to examine my own openly.
A Flyer came through my door from the National Front, delineating policies for a "free Britain". I wasn't ready for this. Of course we had the BNP (British National Party) campaigning over the election. We harranged our postman for delivering the material but of course, he was just doing his job.
why now?
I guess the National Front are trying to capitalise on "ethnic tensions" up in the north of the country, trying to chivvy support with southern supremicists. Our building definately houses some, it appears. We had grafitti in the stairwell until we requested that it was removed. Racist abuse is supposed to be an offence with the housing association. You are meant to be removed from the building. If you are caught - I guess that's the unwritten clause.
I am not going to pollute this site with what the National Front are calling for. suffice to say, it's all the old cliches, drawing on World Wars as rationale and mixing decent social ideas around health with violent exclusions.
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