Is Ireland Racist?

WrenBoy · 07-12-2021 12:25pm

Demoralise, Demoralise, Demoralise..

Hamachi · 07-12-2021 12:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283221#Comment_118283221

It's pretty much the same everywhere you go. Irish people are not unique in this respect.

Of course, you'll have the usual bloodhounds on here salivating and waiting to brand them with the scarlet "R". The fact is that most humans are tribal by nature and tend to congregate with others of a similar background, with whom they feel most comfortable.

Ash.J.Williams · 07-12-2021 12:33pm

the Irish middle class will say Ireland as a country isn’t racist , head out and about and you see how your unwashed treat foreign people , it’s nasty

thefallingman · 07-12-2021 12:33pm

i think Ireland is pretty racist to be honest, look at the comments after that young black guy with mental issues was shot dead by a gang of 12 gardai, would that have happened to a white guy, and then his surviving family having to read all the stuff in the coming days, i don't think so. But in saying that i believe we as a country are getting better than we were, and we're alot better than Australia, i lived there for a year and they were really bad, especially to Asians and Turks

07-12-2021 12:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283211#Comment_118283211

Except that racism includes the aspect of culturalism. ie. the fear/hatred/contempt of another culture, which is generally the beef that Irish people have towards Travellers. i.e. it is Traveller culture that encourages them to behave as they do, and thus earn the negative perception of many Irish people.

Racism has lost any real definitive importance because it can be applied to just about any situation that involves race, culture, etc.

Mad_maxx · 07-12-2021 12:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283262#Comment_118283262

I wasn't actually thinking of our clannishness in terms of racism at all.

Not sure I agree that it's the same everywhere though

Most of us are a few generations at most from a farm ,Ireland still has a deeply rural mindset , if Brad Pitt walked into many local pubs in much of Ireland, the women would be more interested in Tommy local hurler

All about keeping it in the parish

Pussyhands · 07-12-2021 12:41pm

There's a sizeable cohort who wish Ireland was racist. It would mean they'd be able to show how loving and caring they are to strangers online and make themselves feel good.

There's even a sizeable cohort who believe in supporting criminality to show how anti racist they are.

07-12-2021 12:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283293#Comment_118283293

When groups (government advertising, the media, activists) emphasize race as being important and distinctive for years.... of course people are going to focus on it in considering such an incident.

You can't get one without the other. Expecting people to take notice of Black people, that they should be supported as a disadvantaged group, etc, especially considering how connected we are through media, seeing what has happened in the US.... and not expect the same recognition to bleed into other areas of life.

WrenBoy · 07-12-2021 12:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283293#Comment_118283293

I see we're just re-writing facts now to whatever we want.

Hamachi · 07-12-2021 12:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283293#Comment_118283293

Are you referring to George Nkencho, the 27 year old grown man, who swung for AGS with a machete? This was after they tried reasoning with him, followed him home at a respectful distance, and tried once more to disarm him, before he lashed out at members of the force. This is the same George Nkencho, who an hour earlier battered the manager of Eurospar in Hartstown, leaving him with horrific injuries. The manager of Eurospar was called Wayne, in case you're interested.

Let's not forget the behavior of George's supporters in the aftermath of this event. Going a rampage in the Blanchardstown shopping center, forcing the staff in Eurospar to pull down the shutters, whilst a baying mob outside were screeching about "white bastards", or his brother threatening to "do" members of AGS. I agree that there was a significant amount of racism around this incident, with much of it attributing to the African-origin community in West Dublin.

07-12-2021 12:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283293#Comment_118283293

Well there were definitely attempts to make it a racist incident.

It wasnt, of course, it had nothing to do with race, but that didn't stop some people

WrenBoy · 07-12-2021 12:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283464#Comment_118283464

You are right, the facts haven't stopped anyone from using it as a weapon to attack Irish people calling them racists.

thefallingman · 07-12-2021 1:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283464#Comment_118283464

I've never seen a white man shot dead by a crowd of 12 gardai in a garden in front of his family before that's what makes it stick out to me anyway, and the reaction then after, and much like Hamchis comments above just left a sour taste but i respect your opinion of course, this just happens to be mine. But like i said i also think we are getting better as a country in general.

Hamachi · 07-12-2021 1:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283518#Comment_118283518

There were 4, maximum 5 members of AGS outside his house.

Your attempted re-writing of the facts related to this incident leave a very sour taste I must say, particularly for those who live in the neighborhood and personally know some of the people involved.

07-12-2021 1:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283518#Comment_118283518

Never heard of John Carthy then? Or what about Mark Hennessey?

Also, there were not 12 gardai in the garden, you need to get your facts right.

When a shooting by armed gardai take place, there is one thing investigated, is it legal and justified? If it is, it does not matter one smidge whether the dead guy is white, black, traveller, or a middle aged white bank manager.

All that matters is that it is legal. And that shooting in Blanchardstown was legal.

If it is not legal, then you see prosecutions of the member that shot him, and various motives and reasons may be explored then. Just because a black man was shot, does not make it racist. I'm fact, given that we are a predominantly white nation, it stands to reason that most people shot by gardai have been white, I expect that to change as our population does.

thefallingman · 07-12-2021 1:25pm

This is from wiki and is anywhere else you google, turns out there was more than 12 gardai there, i'm not saying he was innocent clearly, but did he deserve to be gunned down the way he was with bullets flying into the house full of kids, i don't think so and i genuinely don't think it would happen to a white guy either, that's just my opinion.

Timeline[edit]

Prior to the standoff with armed Gardaí, Nkencho was involved in an altercation in a Eurospar supermarket in Hartstown, where he allegedly assaulted a manager who received a broken nose which required him being taken to Connolly Hospital.[5][6] Nkencho then produced a kitchen knife from his pocket and threatened staff and later the Gardaí.[7][8] He was followed by twelve unarmed Gardaí, later backed up by members of the Armed Support Unit, who instructed him to drop the knife and then used tasers and pepper spray in attempts to disarm him.[9][10] At 12:35pm, a member of the Armed Support Unit fired six shots at Nkencho outside his family home.[11][12][13] Nkencho received first aid at the scene from members of the Gardaí and was taken to Connolly Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.[14][15]

07-12-2021 1:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283677#Comment_118283677

Well official investigators will disagree with you, a legal and lawful killing is just that. Your opinion doesn't really cut it, in official legal terms, no offence.

I'm not saying that it's a good thing, it's a terrible thing, but it was legal.

fyi, don't take your facts from Wikipedia 🙄

mikethecop · 07-12-2021 1:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283677#Comment_118283677

your probably better off not using wiki as a source to form your opinions , especially considering the lack of self awareness your displaying here 😀

for clarity though anyone trying to murder gardai or anyone else deserves to be "gunned down "

thefallingman · 07-12-2021 1:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283706#Comment_118283706

i never said anything about legality, the amount of gardai there was never in dispute, just by a few here, like there was a machette, when in actual fact it was a kitchen knife. Anyway this is getting onto a different discussion than the op's original question so i'll leave it there people will make up their own mind anyway which luckily we are entitled to do.

ELM327 · 07-12-2021 1:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283301#Comment_118283301

Culture (boss?) is not a race.

07-12-2021 1:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283743#Comment_118283743

You never mentioned legality?

That's the whole point, if the incident was legal, how could you possibly believe it was racist? That doesn't make sense.

07-12-2021 1:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283801#Comment_118283801

I didn't say it was. I said that culturalism is part of racism. Which if you do a little bit of reading, you'll find it to be the case. As such, feeling contempt towards another culture can be interpreted as racism.

I'm not saying I agree with such an expansion of the scope of the term racism. I don't. It takes away from the impact/importance that the term has, but it is what it is.

07-12-2021 2:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283743#Comment_118283743

There is a difference between the ASU and general Gardai. You might want to reconsider what Hamachi said.

As for the kitchen knife reference, that could include a wide variety of shapes and sizes. You've sought to downplay Nkencho's part in all this... and pass responsibility on to others, namely the Gardai, and use this as an indication of racism in Ireland. When, in fact, Nkencho went nuts, attacked multiple people with a weapon, repeatedly refused to back down, and was shot as he threatened the police. His race wasn't a factor until his family started complaining about what happened.

The Quintessence Model · 07-12-2021 5:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283305#Comment_118283305

And long may that continue as far as I'm concerned.

enricoh · 07-12-2021 11:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118283518#Comment_118283518

Top tips to avoid getting shot dead by the cops- don't go down to the shops and batter the manager, then swing a knife around in shop as this will attract the cops.

Also when armed cops are trying to get you to drop the knife don't swing for them!

Fairly basic stuff I would have thought but some people find it very hard to grasp and instead want justice!

07-12-2021 11:30pm

I think the only real way to determine how racist this country is is to speak to people of other races living here. What is their experience. And i mean real ordinary people not some of the hucksters whose wage depends on portraying the Irish as racist.

Id imagine most have had experiences of racism here. How bad i don't know. Joe Duffy did a show a year or 2 ago where he interviewed people on their experiences and it seemed pretty bad for some of them.