Scotchegg
Well-known member
- Joined
- 14 Dec 2017
- Messages
- 13,887
Prior to recent events I would have argued that ALL lives matter and that any suggestion otherwise was simply playing the race card. However, the more I've seen of things happening in America, and reading the experiences of ethnic minorities both in the US and the UK I now believe that racism still exists in all aspects of society.
The vast majority of ethnic minorities in the UK live in the poorest communities, with the worst schools and limited opportunities to escape from this. Role models outside of sport and music are rare, and many families are broken.
A far greater proportion of those from these backgrounds end up in prison. People aren't born bad, so the environments they grow up in must contribute to the lifestyles people lead.
For too long, we see the actions of our ethnic minorities without taking any responsibility for what has created divisions. Tony Blair famously said "Tough on Crime, Tough on the Causes of Crime" but did absolutely nothing to address these issues.
Maybe it's time we took seriously the idea that Black Lives Matter, and accept that even in the 21st century the colour of your skin dramatically affects the opportunities open to you.
The vast majority of ethnic minorities in the UK live in the poorest communities, with the worst schools and limited opportunities to escape from this. Role models outside of sport and music are rare, and many families are broken.
A far greater proportion of those from these backgrounds end up in prison. People aren't born bad, so the environments they grow up in must contribute to the lifestyles people lead.
For too long, we see the actions of our ethnic minorities without taking any responsibility for what has created divisions. Tony Blair famously said "Tough on Crime, Tough on the Causes of Crime" but did absolutely nothing to address these issues.
Maybe it's time we took seriously the idea that Black Lives Matter, and accept that even in the 21st century the colour of your skin dramatically affects the opportunities open to you.