Not caring about the Africans dieing in Italy...

Lad Of Banter

Isthis normal?

Am actually not so bothered, if they were Asian, would be the same

But if they were100/200 caucaisians i would feel a lot more empathy, sympathy & sorrow.

Is this normal?

Mr Simpson

No

BeerWolf

A human's a human, if you feel indifferently to one's race then you're a damn racist - plain and simple.

Jonny Blaze

Yeah racism is pretty common alright unfortunately.

Peregrine

Lad Of Banter wrote: »

But if they were100/200 caucaisians i would feel a lot more empathy, sympathy & sorrow.

Is this normal?

Not really, no.

tin79

Lad Of Banter wrote: »

Isthis normal?

Am actually not so bothered, if they were Asian, would be the same

But if they were100/200 caucaisians i would feel a lot more empathy, sympathy & sorrow.

Is this normal?

Its normal for a weirdo, a racist or a troll.

Take your pick

Gee Bag

I really hope your just a bored troll

Hootanany

But would they care about us you only have say something to a African person and the race card is played, have a look at the screaming baby thread.

Muise...

Jonny Blaze wrote: »

Yeah racism is pretty common alright unfortunately.

yep, common - and widespread too.

Gee Bag

Kevin Irving wrote: »

It's not racist. What happened was awful, but you can't be expected to care about something that has very little relevance to you.

Not feeling empathy because some one has a different ethnicity is pretty much the definition of racism

biko

It is a terrible tragedy that people are dying trying to flee to a better life but people die for all sort of reasons and circumstances. You can't care for everyone or everything all the time.

Red Nissan

I wept when I heard that the Titanic had sunk. My tears have all been used up.

I could tell you how my wife and I were laughing when we were listening to how the asylum seekers set fire to the boat and then all ran to one side capsizing it, but that's private so I won't.

Where the *ell was Health & Safety, when a real job needs to be done, they are nowhere. That's where.

My name is URL

Can someone provide a bit of context for this thread? =/

NegativeCreep

Don't listen to Boards. You are not alone: https://ose.utsc.utoronto.ca/ose/story.php?id=2135

You can't control how you feel.

humbert

Lad Of Banter wrote: »

Isthis normal?

Am actually not so bothered, if they were Asian, would be the same

But if they were100/200 caucaisians i would feel a lot more empathy, sympathy & sorrow.

Is this normal?

Empathy (I believe) is the natural inclination to imagine what the other person is feeling, to put yourself in their shoes. The more you have to connect you to that person the stronger it will be. It's why there is such horror when there is a tragedy in the US but little reaction when there is a similar, or far worse, tragedy in Nigeria.

Such a sharp distinction seems a little odd but it doesn't seem racist to me.

From reading AH though, if you aren't at least as outraged/heartbroken as the poster before you you're some sort of monster.

kirving

Gee Bag wrote: »

Not feeling empathy because some one has a different ethnicity is pretty much the definition of racism

I deleted that post after I realised it wasn't worded as well as it could be. Nothing to do with race, just geography. It's just difficult to empathise with someone who effectively lives it a completely different world to yourself. That goes for Americans, Australians, Asians, wherever you want to talk about.

tdv123

No it's not. And let's all be honest here your just a c*nt.

Friend Computer

biko wrote: »

It is a terrible tragedy that people are dying trying to flee to a better life but people die for all sort of reasons and circumstances. You can't care for everyone or everything all the time.

The OP specifically says they'd care if they were caucasians, though. Pretty clear it's because of their race and nothing else.

bizmark

No one deserves to die afaird cold and alone in the sea reguardless of their race religion political beliefs etc

They where human they feel the same as you their family will be devastated the same as your family would any preventable death is a tragedy we should feel something about

Gatling

No mention of the Syrians ,Iraqis,Kurds ,Palestinian's
But yet metion africians the racism flag gets waved

MadYaker

I doubt any of us spent the evening in tears over it. Its all a bit distant when it doesn't happen nearby or involve someone you know.

Nodin

biko wrote: »

It is a terrible tragedy that people are dying trying to flee to a better life but people die for all sort of reasons and circumstances. You can't care for everyone or everything all the time.

Nobody stated that anyone should. The OP was quite specific that his concern was not based on distance etc, but race.

Nodin

Gatling wrote: »

No mention of the Syrians ,Iraqis,Kurds ,Palestinian's
But yet metion africians the racism flag gets waved

The OP is rather definetly racist.....

Red Nissan

Friend Computer wrote: »

The OP specifically says they'd care if they were caucasians, though. Pretty clear it's because of their race and nothing else.

If I were to take the OP seriously, it's pretty clear that or she is a normally passionate person and does feel for other human beings, but is wondering why he or she is not feeling the same for this boatload of people.

He offers a speculation that it might be colour, there are more reasons though.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

Lad Of Banter wrote: »

Isthis normal?

Am actually not so bothered, if they were Asian, would be the same

But if they were100/200 caucaisians i would feel a lot more empathy, sympathy & sorrow.

Is this normal?

Is it normal for you to care for every tragedy in the world everyday?
Do you want to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders every second that you're here?

Do you care that Zeng Jiang Dong from Nanjing in the Jiangsu Province in China was diagnosed with inoperable cancer today only a month after losing his wife to the same disease? There's going to be 2 children growing up without either of their parents soon and we all know how poor Chinese social services are. Are you sad and disconsolate for them? Do you care? If you're not crying for this man and the children he's going to leave behind than you are a disgusting and racist human being, a border line sociopath I'd say. SHAME ON EVERYONE!!!

:rolleyes:

Gee Bag

Kevin Irving wrote: »

I deleted that post after I realised it wasn't worded as well as it could be. Nothing to do with race, just geography. It's just difficult to empathise with someone who effectively lives it a completely different world to yourself. That goes for Americans, Australians, Asians, wherever you want to talk about.

Thats fair enough, everyone mangles posts from time to time.

The point your making is a valid one. Perhaps thats what the OP was trying to say but phrased it arseways.

MarkY91

the whole world is this way. hence why america makes such an over the top deal about the boston bombing and youll probably hear at the end of the news about 200 middle easterns being blown up.

Hootanany

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Is it normal for you to care for every tragedy in the world everyday?
Do you want to carry the wait of the world on your shoulders every second that you're here?

Do you care that Zeng Jiang Dong from Nanjing in the Jiangsu Province in China was diagnosed with inoperable cancer today only a month after losing his wife to the same disease? There's going to be 2 children growing up without either of their parents soon and we all know how poor Chinese social services are. Are you sad and disconsolate for them? Do you care? If you're not crying for this man and the children he's going to leave behind than you are a disgusting and racist human being, a border line sociopath I'd say. SHAME ON EVERYONE!!!

:rolleyes:

Do you know this chap personally.

Red Nissan

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

SHAME ON EVERYONE!!! :rolleyes:

OK lads and ladies, listen, I'll take all of this SHAME and toss it into the river Lee ~ carry on people

humbert

Nodin wrote: »

Nobody stated that anyone should. The OP was quite specific that his concern was not based on distance etc, but race.

But is that actually racism?

Gatling

Red Nissan wrote: »

OK lads and ladies, listen, I'll take all of this SHAME and toss it into the river Lee ~ carry on people

Why the Lee and not the Shannon or Liffey

Well why

humbert

Gatling wrote: »

Why the Lee and not the Shannon or Liffey

Well why

Because shame belongs in Cork.

Red Nissan

Gatling wrote: »

Why the Lee and not the Shannon or Liffey

Well why

Listen I'll take ALL the SHAME but I'm not driving 60 miles up the road when I have a perfectly good river half a mile away.

Nodin

humbert wrote: »

But is that actually racism?

............you're asking me if discriminating on the grounds of skin colour is racism?

Femme_Fatale

Lad Of Banter wrote: »

Am actually not so bothered, if they were Asian, would be the same

But if they were100/200 caucaisians i would feel a lot more empathy, sympathy & sorrow.

Is this normal?

Maybe it's because you feel closer to, and therefore more empathy with, caucasians. As someone said, you can't choose how you feel. If you said "**** them, glad they're dead" on the basis of their skin colour, obviously that would be racist, but what you're saying is more ambiguous IMO.

Then again, it could be racist. I don't feel any differently about this tragedy than I would about any race of people being killed in similar circumstances.

My name is URL wrote: »

Can someone provide a bit of context for this thread? =/

Here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2442347/Lampedusa-boat-tragedy-Italy-declares-day-mourning-300-drowned-African-migrants.html

Can't understand why some thread-starters don't post a link in their opening post.

Gatling wrote: »

No mention of the Syrians ,Iraqis,Kurds ,Palestinian's
But yet metion africians the racism flag gets waved

That's a pretty straightforward one: because the thread is about Africans, not Syrians/Iraqis/Kurds/Palestinians.

Gatling

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Maybe it's because you feel closer to, and therefore more empathy with, caucasians. As someone said, you can't choose how you feel. If you said "**** them, glad they're dead" on the basis of their skin colour, obviously that would be racist, but what you're saying is more ambiguous IMO.

Then again, it could be racist. I don't feel any differently about this tragedy than I would about any race of people being killed in similar circumstances.

Here: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/europe/article3885507.ece

Can't understand why some thread-starters don't post a link in their opening post.

That's a pretty straightforward one: because the thread is about Africans, not Syrians/Iraqis/Kurds/Palestinians.

But nearly all the above national's have different color skins some light some dark and all have seriously real world problems

bizmark

humbert wrote: »

Because shame belongs in Cork.

hey now dont be a langer

Femme_Fatale

Red Nissan wrote: »

I could tell you how my wife and I were laughing when we were listening to how the asylum seekers set fire to the boat and then all ran to one side capsizing it

Deliberately set fire to it for the laugh like?

Surprised the OP is getting all the grief - the above is way more c*nty.

Femme_Fatale

Gatling wrote: »

But nearly all the above national's have different color skins some light some dark and all have seriously real world problems

Again, this thread is specifically about Africans - hence people responding specifically in relation to Africans.
Hardly that difficult to grasp, surely?

humbert

Nodin wrote: »

............you're asking me if discriminating on the grounds of skin colour is racism?

Well,no, I'm asking if a lack of empathy is discrimination/racism. Definitions seem to vary a bit but racism generally implies making assumptions or judgements about a person or people due to their race. Is not feeling the same amount of empathy discrimination? I know that technically it is in that to discriminate is simply to make a distinction but in the context of racism it is generally used to imply a person or people are being regarded negatively due to their race.

humbert

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Again, this thread is specifically about Africans - hence people responding specifically in relation to Africans.
Hardly that difficult to grasp, surely?

Emm, he also mentioned Asians?

Gatling

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Deliberately set fire to it for the laugh?

Yes they deliberately set a fire on the boat to attract the attention of the coast guard ,
But in an almost homer Simpson moment the fire spread and the passengers ran to one side of the boat

Red Nissan

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Deliberately set fire to it for the laugh like?

The radio said, a group of African asylum seekers were trying to illegally enter Italy off some island [named but I forget] and they [the asylum seekers] set a fire to signal the smugglers on shore.

That fire then took hold of the boat and everyone ran to one side causing the boat to capsize and throwing three hundred of them into the water.

Cody Pomeray

I was just thinking about something similar earlier.

I've been zoning in and out of news channels and news websites on and off over the past day, and it wasn't till this lunch time that I actually heard, for the first time, how many people actually died.

Compare this to the Costa Concordia, when all those white folk died. I can tell you off the top of my head the approximate number of people who died - 30, which is less than a third of those killed in this latest boat, whose name I don't even know, and I would consider myself an avid news watcher.

So the OP might be guilty of saying it, but I think there is a definite feeling that this tragedy is less relevant to us. The next question is important.

Lad Of Banter wrote: »

Is this normal?

Am actually not so bothered

Yes, that might be normal (i.e. normative, I mean)

As a species we seem to instinctively relate to those other species with whom we identify. It's tribalism; we are a tribal species. We didn't get this far by identifying with strangers and not with our own kin. The most efficient breeders, throughout human history, have been those who have managed to get the balance right between willingness to share projects with the outsider whilst maintaining a distrust of the outsider. Hence a fragmented but usually cordial world geography.

I think it's normal to identify less with those of other cultures than with those who are proximal to you on the cultural - and racial - spectrum.

Certainly we should get over that and shake ourselves down from our crude instincts, but of course its normal. On an unconscious level, I *undoubtedly* care less about these people than I would if they were Irish. However, because we are all intelligent human beings, we are able to expand on our animal instincts with our grey matter, and consciously make an effort to empathize and mourn this tragedy.

But it doesn't always come naturally. It didn't to me, anyway.

GT_TDI_150

To be fair, ive more important things going on in my life like keeping food on the table for my kid and a roof over our heads to feint interest in who died where in and whether or not i should or shouldnt feel sorry for them based on their race/religion/gender ....


It doesnt matter that these 200+ people are white, black, ... It's a tragedy for their families but it hasnt changed my day/week one little bit ...

bnt

On one day less than a decade ago - December 26, 2004 - over 230,000 people died in 14 countries. Those people had little or no control over the circumstances that led to their deaths. So pardon me if I'm not prostrated by the deaths of people who chose to get on an unsafe, overloaded boat, to undertake an illegal migration to an overloaded continent.

I'm not anti-migration. Migration is normal. I'm a migrant to Ireland, and that wasn't my first migration (though it was the first that I freely chose to do). It's not a yes/no, black/white question: the numbers involved are the problem. Too many are migrating, to specific "soft targets" like Italy, France and the UK, in too short a period of time. Is anyone surprised that there's anti-migrant friction, as in e.g. Malmo or Saint-Denis? A city can sink under the weight of migrants, if overloaded, just as a boat can.

Femme_Fatale

humbert wrote: »

Emm, he also mentioned Asians?

And the story in question is about Africans, not non white groups in general. I'm one of the people saying the OP might actually not be racist btw, but what relevance does the "Africans have a monopoly on experiencing racism" claim have?

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

humbert wrote: »

Emm, he also mentioned Asians?

It isn't the Chinese he's after it's the Greeks, oh wait, who are we after, the Mexicans, who invented gayness, I'm even more confused than I usually am.

Too Tough To Die

You're hardwired to care more about those you identify more closely with. It's really not your fault. You are however also a racist.

Cody Pomeray

bnt wrote: »

Too many are migrating, to specific "soft targets"

eh, lol.

Ya like all those citizens who were misfortunate enough to be grow up in corrupt, impoverished societies where they have no hope of a life shouldn't be targeting the "soft spots". They should set themselves a challenge, pick somewhere really hard to emigrate into.

jesus christ i know it's AH but how can someone type this sh1t and think "yeah that sounds like a smart thing to say"??

Wattle

bnt wrote: »

On one day less than a decade ago - December 26, 2004 - over 230,000 people died in 14 countries. Those people had little or no control over the circumstances that led to their deaths. So pardon me if I'm not prostrated by the deaths of people who chose to get on an unsafe, overloaded boat, to undertake an illegal migration to an overloaded continent.

I'm not anti-migration. Migration is normal. I'm a migrant to Ireland, and that wasn't my first migration (though it was the first that I freely chose to do). It's not a yes/no, black/white question: the numbers involved are the problem. Too many are migrating, to specific "soft targets" like Italy, France and the UK, in too short a period of time. Is anyone surprised that there's anti-migrant friction, as in e.g. Malmo or Saint-Denis? A city can sink under the weight of migrants, if overloaded, just as a boat can.

Pretty much all of those boats are unsafe and overloaded. It's a measure of how desperate they are to escape the basket case countries they come from. I'm sure they'd love to wait for the next ferry but they probably can't afford the fare.