In case you think racist BS only happens in the USA

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Mrs.Anteater said:
Seems like he came to realize how people in crowds are- very few ever take a risk and stand up for others. Unfortunately, he could move to any country being a visible minority, and encounter the same behaviour. Or possibly worse, like being a Rohinga in Myamar. Its probably not much consoling that at least in Canada he can post this online and it actually gets into the news, other countries this is not so likely to happen.
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Remember the rule:
  1. You must keep your head down ...
  2. Kneel at the kerb and beg because the powers are determined about the gutter ... and where the lessor folk should be ...
 
Luce NDs said:
Remember the rule:
  1. You must keep your head down ...
  2. Kneel at the kerb and beg because the powers are determined about the gutter ... and where the lessor folk should be ...
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What I meant, Luce, is that this isn’t Canada specific. It’s the people. Anybody knows any country where indigenous people have been treated equally and with respect from the get go?
I mean, there might be countries that do better with some minorities, maybe Sweden does better with the rights and services for handicapped population than other western countries, but that doesn’t mean people don’t move away from different looking people in a restaurant.
 
I try to appear differently ... and it is wild to see how folks avoid, and deny my existence with a passion ... one individual on this site even denied the existence of a branch of my ancestral tree ...
 
Maybe they were jealous because he was the best looking person in the restaurant. Seriously, though, he in no way looks “scary” or threatening. If he had white skin he’d be considered to have “classic good looks” and would be treated differently, subconsciously.
 
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I had the pleasure of listening to Micah Bournes at Skylight Festival.

Powerful spoken word.

 
Mrs.Anteater said:
What I meant, Luce, is that this isn’t Canada specific. It’s the people. Anybody knows any country where indigenous people have been treated equally and with respect from the get go?
I mean, there might be countries that do better with some minorities, maybe Sweden does better with the rights and services for handicapped population than other western countries, but that doesn’t mean people don’t move away from different looking people in a restaurant.
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And i notice that Can and USA (so Can and USA are outliers and fringe and not normal) are different than most countries in that most countries have been colonized and recolonized and invaded again and again and again...and i wonder how that affects the spirituality of the citizens? The psychology? Does it affect the various spiritual flora and fauna? And so forth.
 
Is psychology a dark spirit and thus avoided as shadowy ... unseen follower in loyalty to that absorbing light indeterminately?

This may resemble an unknown ide AL-ism!

It is said that the Hebrew in people accepted the soul as spirit ... albeit dark and hidden in idioms, icons and strange marks on the matrix ... a psychic incident of passing anonymous nature?

I'm not sure as a common (pagan) I'm not allowed to under the laws set out by authorities on the subject in complete ignorance of the vastness of the object of vast Ness ... a dark pool! Thus the friction, rubbing and Mu representing the friction index causing resistance ...

Tis tough to get under that hard place ... like that old Lady in The Ten Commandments who was almost crushed while greasing the moving cubit of stone ... cupid at work in the crush syndrome disposing of psyche?

Passions are like that when they invade the Muses ... all 9 've em ...
 
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This was subtle, but still racism, I suspect.

Yesterday I was at food court kiosk and there was a white couple, and me, standing back looking at the menu. Someone was ordering at the right hand till - the girl working at that till was South Asian or Middle Eastern - while the woman working at the left hand till had gone to the back for a minute. Once the person was finished ordering, the woman said, “Can I help the next customer?” The couple who had been there waiting, before me, didn’t say anything, they just stood there. She said it again looking at them and they said nothing. And when the other employee came out they made eye contact with her - she was white - and ordered from that till. I wanted to think maybe they let me go first, except they didn’t say anything to me either. They were waiting to be served by the other employee. It dawned on me that they were being racist, but I can’t say for sure. I just got a negative feeling about the exchange.
 
I think my point is that racism and other forms of bigotry are more subtle most of the time, but they still lurk in people’s hearts. It’s upsetting to see it happen. I got the impression that the South Asian employee felt snubbed just by the look on her face in that moment. I don’t want to think that racists live here, but they do. If I had said, “Excuse me, she’s talking to you.”, that might’ve made her feel worse. So, I just stepped up and ordered.

How do we fight the subtle forms so they don’t fester?
 
Kimmio said:
How do we fight the subtle forms so they don’t fester?
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First of all, by making sure it isn’t just your perception. Saying something like “ its your turn”, might have changed the situation. People over 50 don’t always hear right or might still be distracted by trying to choose what they want.
And if it then turned out to be racism, then out in the open would have been your chance to support the employee.
 
They were maybe over 50. A bit older than me but not seniors. They looked right at her, it was obvious what the protocol was unless they’ve never been to a food court kiosk. They were waiting their turn but it seemed that they wanted their turn to be by the other employee.

There is racism here in this town. It is subtle but I have heard it more blatant from time to time, also. Actually, that’s an understatement. Lots of times. But it’s hard to know, isn’t it? There’s such a thing as covert and overt racism. The former can show up as the latter even among “respectable” citizens.
 
Kimmio said:
They were maybe over 50. A bit older than me but not seniors. They looked right at her, it was obvious what the protocol was unless they’ve never been to a food court kiosk. They were waiting their turn but it seemed that they wanted their turn to be by the other employee.

There is racism here in this town. It is subtle but I have heard it more blatant from time to time, also. Actually, that’s an understatement. Lots of times. But it’s hard to know, isn’t it? There’s such a thing as covert and overt racism. The former can show up as the latter.
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Well, you asked what to do about it, and I gave you an answer.
 
Mrs.Anteater said:
Well, you asked what to do about it, and I gave you an answer.
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Your first instinct was to negate that subtle racism exists and that I must be perceiving it wrong (when I think I was perceiving it right but didn’t want to believe my eyes). Regardless of how I interpreted that situation yesterday, it exists. So that doesn’t answer my question.
 
Saying "It's your turn" is probably a good solution to the dilemma.

I can't think of a better one, can you?
 
That doesn’t address subtle racism more broadly. Yes, I could’ve done that but I thought it was better to just step up and order because I didn’t want any more awkwardness for the employee. She might’ve thought I didn’t want to order from her, either. Likely it would’ve resulted in more awkward pauses.
 
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I think it's pointless to attribute racism to possibly common idiocy. I'd step up promptly to the next available server and get them the "orders per minute win"...
 
BetteTheRed said:
I think it's pointless to attribute racism to possibly common idiocy. I'd step up promptly to the next available server and get them the "orders per minute win"...
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To what would you attribute their idiocy, in this instance? What’s common about it? They seemed to know exactly what they wanted to order. I heard them. They didn’t waste time ordering.
 
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