[Mystic Mock]

I didn't know where to put this,and I got this thread idea from another thread I was viewing on here.

Anyway to answer the question,yes I can understand the elderly being racist more than younger people should as it's alot of change for them to get used to where as I don't get younger people's reason for being racist.

Also I understand the elderly more as when we reach they're age we will have prejudice against something more than likely.

Im not saying that all elderly people are racist by the way.

[Kizzy]

I understand where you are coming from, they have seen more change than us. Culturally and religously.
In the 'Make Bradford British' docummentary for C4 an ex police officer 70 years of age was given a hard time for re-living the countries (and the police services) racist attitude.
It serves no purpose sweeping things under the carpet in an embarrassed silence pretending they didn't happen.....
Accept it and move on, if a bloke his age can we all can.

it'z cuz they is comin over ere' nickin our jobs, innit.

[InOne]

I don't think old people are as racist really, they were the ones who fought for equality in the country. They probably see most young peoples racism based on ignorance. I do feel sorry for the old peoples areas that has been totally transformed by multiculturalism though, and they're basically being driven out. The ones on Make Bradford British lived in very WASP areas.

[GypsyGoth]

I think it's cause a lot of them die out. So there are not that many old people, but I'm sure more of them are nice, but the racist ones are probably the loudest, so they get more notice.

[Bollo]

My Nan was brought up in the Era of the British Raj/Indian Empire in Burma and I do think that has a bearing on the way she views things, it was a completely different way of life. She's not overtly racist but I get the distinct impression she would not approve if I, or others in my family dated/married a person of different ethnicity (?) I do still love her very much anyway...

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Jesus.H.Christ

it'z cuz they is comin over ere' nickin our jobs, innit.

You are intelligent if you have something to say say it...

[MTVN]

Different time and different values, not true of all old people though, see quite a few involved in left wing activism

[Ammi]

..they can say things sometimes and not realise how it sounds..maybe more...tactless than racist

[Shaun]

I suppose many were alive before the large amount of immigration in the 60s and 70s and probably viewed the country before that with rose-tinted spectacles. That, or they just didn't understand the culture of those coming here for work.

But I find old racists much more infuriating than younger ones - you at least can brush off the young ones as idiots, but the older ones are so stubborn and deadset in their views about it, and how they've "ruined Britain" or some other balls.

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Shaun

But I find old racists much more infuriating than younger ones - you at least can brush off the young ones as idiots, but the older ones are so stubborn and deadset in their views about it, and how they've "ruined Britain" or some other balls.

I completely agree with this, although I'm not British, I have seen some disgusting racism from elderly Irish people, it's not needed at all, and if they are told differently they just wont listen, unfortunately I have seen much more idiotic racism from people of my own generation, but I think it's worse from people who are completely stubborn about it.

[arista]

New Labours 13 years
changed the UK
Blairs vision went wrong.

[Marc]

Nice to know my post made you want to start a new thread Jedward_fever

I think the elderly are more 'not-sorry-for-saying-racist-things' and more ignorant to the changing multiethnic make up of our country.

[Marc]

Not all elderly people though, I don't say they all are and I'm sorry if my original post in the other thread made it seem that way.

[joeysteele]

Difficult one but a very good point jf. I guess there are likely as many racist among the young as the elderly, thankfully there seems to be more tolerance now.
Having said that, I do think among the older population, there is greater resentment,rather than racism especially as to the changing population of the UK and the way employment seems to be going as to the various cultures we have now in the UK.

The elderly don't like change as much as maybe we the younger generation do,from experience,they likely have seen that very often change does not improve things really so perhaps hold others responsible for that.
We have had over the last 30+ years 2 Governments one of 18 years of Conservative strong overall rule and a further 13 years of strong Labour rule, neither of whom addressed this issue effectively.So sadly racism is allowed to continue especially in certain areas.

So the elder population may appear at times in part to be more racist,a minority certainly but perhaps it is frustration at what they see as not retaining the rights of people that many of them and their fathers fought for.As I say a difficult one, that would be my view, (at this present time), on your point but I am open to all other views on it too.

[Shaun]

The thing with the change of employment though is that there's a great number of Britons who've gotten used to benefit culture that they've become quite spoilt and don't want to go for low-paid jobs that migrant workers are quite content with. I'm not sure if Britons are blindly hoping they'll grab an X Factor chance (in which case the problem lies in stupidity and the media), are just inherently lazy/think they're above low-paid jobs (in which case the problem is our attitude and upbringing) or businesses have been exploiting working conditions and purposefully offer minimum wage and few career prospects (in which case the problem is businesses)...

...but in summary not one of those outcomes leaves the blame with migrant workers and the consequential racism is ridiculous. You could go on about how we should be stricter on immigration but the fact is until more people pull their heads out of their arses and accept work it's not going to change.

(but then what with the unemployment figures at the moment all of the above seems quite irrelevant )

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Marc

Not all elderly people though, I don't say they all are and I'm sorry if my original post in the other thread made it seem that way.

I know you didn't mean all of them.

[SoBig]

They are ignorant that's why. Disliking or feeling superior to someone only because their skin colour differ from yours or because they come from a different background is ignorance at its purest form.

Only ignorant people are racist.

[swinearefine]

Pretty much every old person I know is racist, and only a few young people are. Also the old people are very open and vocal about their racism, while the young people think they're not racist and try to pretend they're not.

Actually now that I think of it almost everyone is racist against two groups here: (1) The native tribe that lives here. A large percentage of them are alcoholics and criminals, but people stereotype them and if you mention someone from the reservation pretty much every older person and a lot of younger people automatically put their noses in the air and decide that that person is a loser. And (2) The foreign students at my school. I go to a private school with about 100 international students (mostly from China but also a lot from Jamaica, Vietnam, Bermuda, Spain, Africa, etc.) and whenever my school wins a sporting event there are always people from different schools (mostly parents) bitching that "they just won because they have tiny Chinese girls on the cheering team" or "it's not fair that they have black kids on their basketball team." And the students and some teachers treat the Chinese students like they're not people.

So yeah, most people here are pretty prejudiced, but I think younger generations are becoming more and more open and informed.

[fruit_cake]

if you compare the older generation to the one above them, then you'll understand just how far they themselves have had to come. It's not an excuse but an insight. Ultimately I think I agree with SoBig that it really is just ignorance.

However, I think we also need to be careful not to become too PC and stop judging things as we see them because racism normally comes from fear, and fear is an instinct that is vital to our own survival. There is nothing wrong with feeling fear, which often I think people confuse with being racist.

It might sound a bit of a contradiciton but if people want to be discriminatory on grounds of colour, I have no problem with it as long as they keep it to themselves, don't act on it unless they themselves are threatened and that they don't let it effect how they interact with decent people.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by fruit_cake

if you compare the older generation to the one above them, then you'll understand just how far they themselves have had to come. It's not an excuse but an insight. Ultimately I think I agree with SoBig that it really is just ignorance.

However, I think we also need to be careful not to become too PC and stop judging things as we see them because racism normally comes from fear, and fear is an instinct that is vital to our own survival. There is nothing wrong with feeling fear, which often I think people confuse with being racist.

It might sound a bit of a contradiciton but if people want to be discriminatory on grounds of colour, I have no problem with it as long as they keep it to themselves, don't act on it unless they themselves are threatened and that they don't let it effect how they interact with decent people.

I really found all you said here interesting fruit_cake, some strong and good points there, I can agree with all of your post. Well said.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Shaun

The thing with the change of employment though is that there's a great number of Britons who've gotten used to benefit culture that they've become quite spoilt and don't want to go for low-paid jobs that migrant workers are quite content with. I'm not sure if Britons are blindly hoping they'll grab an X Factor chance (in which case the problem lies in stupidity and the media), are just inherently lazy/think they're above low-paid jobs (in which case the problem is our attitude and upbringing) or businesses have been exploiting working conditions and purposefully offer minimum wage and few career prospects (in which case the problem is businesses)...

Thats usually because the benefits almost outweigh the pay from those jobs, so they just stick with benefits because that's what seems easier.

However some do want to go out and change their lives, if not just for the moral and feeling better about themselves.

[Marc]

Though having said that, benefits are probably falling now and what with the income tax cut that might change

[bananarama]

The expression "racism" is used as foolishly as the expression "love". Often said but little understood.

Old people or not some rightly want to retain their "own" culture. Just as immigrants want to retain their culture. It seems a person born in a country wanting to retain their own heritage is somehow a "racist" but an imigrant rejecting the culture of the host country is not a racist........How strange the way people analyze life.......

Standing up for ones own way of life is not racist. Racist is when people hate someone just because they are of a different race or colour and no other reason....

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by bananarama

The expression "racism" is used as foolishly as the expression "love". Often said but little understood.

Old people or not some rightly want to retain their "own" culture. Just as immigrants want to retain their culture. It seems a person born in a country wanting to retain their own heritage is somehow a "racist" but an imigrant rejecting the culture of the host country is not a racist........How strange the way people analyze life.......

Standing up for ones own way of life is not racist. Racist is when people hate someone just because they are of a different race or colour and no other reason....

I agree with this, I feel that older people are more resistant to change. Younger generations are more tolerant and are used to the countries state of flux as we adapt to the changing face of the UK. Schools educate children in multiculturalism, but the elderly are still confused and as said ignorant towards other cultures that differ greatly from our own.