Sometimes it’s a gut reaction that maybe you express before you have all the facts. Sometimes it’s a long-held belief that might be anchored in questionable history.
Both of these statements ring true. For example, I had never considered myself racist in the strict sense of that word, but I did have negative impressions of some groups of people and may have picked up influences that were less than healthy that no one had really brought into question before all of this. For example, I can remember moments from my teenage years where I already had a negative impression of the Romani and held that belief for years. I never had a bad experience with them myself, was smart enough to be wary of them. I’m an international student and really did not give too much of a damn about race in general (which is good) and it wasn’t really part of my set of interests anyway. That second post was very much premature in that there’s really no reason whatsoever for me to set my opinion in stone at such a young age on an ever-evolving issue such as immigration and islam. Best to leave your options open.
Thank you for your concern, anita, but I will stick around on that forum for a while longer. The people there have been very understanding and forgiving and right now I’m feeling quite lonely, so I’d like to connect with people. I moved out last summer and under normal conditions would’ve welcomed the peace with open arms but I haven’t been able to enjoy it due to all of this. I normally enjoy spending time on my own, but now I crave for relationships and activity that puts my mind out of all of this.
I will, however, steer clear of politics for the time being. I tried my hand at it, blew it and caused myself massive amounts of headache, so perhaps it really isn’t for me. Life was much more enjoyable and simpler when I stuck to other interests.
I generally try to make the best of people and appreciate a good debate for its own sake, but some people are quick to instantly jump into personal insults, mockery and so forth. Particularly the PC anti-racism crowd.
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 