Paul Hyett wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 at 11:26:42, "ghostwhistler@googlemail.com"
> wrote in uk.legal :
>
>> On Dec 20, 7:18 pm, tom wrote:
>>>
>>> I find I don't relate to people from other cultures and ethnic groups
>>> and vice versa. It is probably a PC thing to call this "racist"
>>> however I'm asking if I am able to state this sort of a preference as
>>> I feel safer with those of my own ethnic group.
>>>
>>> Any ideas?
>>
>> Why would you want people from only your ethnic group? Do you believe
>> only such peopel are able to discharge their responsibility
>> approprately?
>
> Surely that's a lesser issue than that of freedom of choice, though?
Thin end of a BIG wedge - "piss off I don't like smelly indian waiters",
"sorry I don't like pakis working for me", "do you have any white
teachers?", "no blacks on this bus" and a thousand other expessions of
an individuals 'freedom' of choice'.
> If you weren't comfortable, for whatever reason, being treated by a
> person of the same ethnic group, no-one would bat an eyelid if you asked
> them to be changed. However, if a white person+ objected to being
> treated by a person of another race, even if the reason was *nothing* to
> do with race, they'd likely be accused of racial discrimination regardless.
Not true - I worked with a chap who treated his fellow indian workers
like crap 'cos they were of a lower caste. Got repeatedly disciplined
then sacked, he also got beat up twice but that's not neither here nor
there. I've also issued written warnings to a devout muslim man who
treated female muslims poorly in many ways. The chap left as he couldn't
stand treating them with respect. Strangely apart from that I liked the
guy, genuinely nice and quite open to debate about modern islam.
> + a non-white person in the opposite situation would, ISTM, be far less
> likely to face heat over such a choice. An intolerable double-standard.
The OP is not have a personal issue/disagreement with an individual -
they are talking about specifying no blacks/muslims/pakis/spics/jews or
may be no whites. That's entirely different to taking a dislike to
someone 'cos they are brusque, incompetent, rough or whitter on
endlessly like a hairdresser/taxi driver on speed.
We are all entitled to take a dislike to someone however objecting to
someone performing their job 'cos they is black etc is not legal nor is
it right in most peoples minds. As I've said before being old,
distinguished military service or just being an otherwise good egg does
not entitle you to discriminate against someone because of their race.
What would the OP say if an indian carer refused to treat their relative
as they were a "smelly white guy"?
Mike
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