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Covid disinformation in the BAME community

My City is in the top ten CV19 hotspots. I can state that our area's with high minorities (Note: this includes IC1 foreigners, so it's not a race thing) has just about zero compliance with Cv19 rules.



I would question that. Last year my income was the most I've ever made in a year, and its noticeably below the national average. So I can hardly be considered middle class. I've been screaming for the vaccine for as long as its been about. When I got my shot I was getting frustrated with all the 'Are you sure you want the vaccine' questions, and just wanted it in my arm. Of the 20 or so white working class types in my job only one was vaccine hesitant, and he'd already caught it (but obeying the CV19 rules stopped it from ripping through our workplace... funny that!). He relented later and had the vaccine.

So from my POV the problem is people not obeying the rules. And there seems to be some other factor. It can't be intelligence levels, as I would venture the Foreign workers who have learned some of a language and had the drive to get up and move to a foreign country would require a certain level of intelligence to do so.
I'd bet its a combination of factors, but I've not got an idea what it is.

I know I'm replying to a post from over two weeks ago and I don't normally get involved in threads with the potential for racism or racist justification, but I have an opinion on this. So here goes.

I come from a family with no racist background. I have held a few jobs where challenging racism was part of the job spec and SOP. I have always been happy with that. I've worked and travelled widely on this planet of ours and have acquired a liking for foreign foods and things which I have been happy to satisfy in the various 'ethnic' shops and restaurants on our high streets. I've just dropped in and eaten, ordered or shopped. No problems.

However, I recently (four months) moved from rural England to a small commuter town to the North of London. Since moving here I have encountered a number of challenges to my former open views which I think bear consideration in relation to Covid.

First I found that I was receiving no post, a number of small parcels had not arrived. I trotted down to the sorting office. When I eventually found it open ("Covid innit") I was informed, by the white supervisor, that I couldn't expect anything that required opening the gate and walking to my letter box, because, "If Abdul or Karim see a white name, they won't get out of the van". Disgusted? I certainly was. Obviously some racial tension in the sorting office, I thought.

Then I tried buying stuff in the 'ethnic' shops on the lesser high street. In each of them I picked up what I wanted and went to the counter and waited........ and waited.......... and waited. Others came in and were served and I waited....... then gave up. They just didn't want to serve me. I have now tried above a dozen shops and been served in only two of them. In neither of them could I get a receipt (I was picking up items for work).

In and outside each of these shops and the various takeaways there is, habitually a group of young men either Eastern European or South Asian following no Covid precautions. People come and go but the groups hover round the five to eight figure. I mentioned this in a phone conversation with a Polish friend and he said (having lived in the area) that its been like it for years and (his words) "You don't get English customers in those shops, but the Polish and Asians get on together." I asked why that was, when racism is pretty evident in Poland. "Cigarettes and doing up houses." was his answer.

This made me look about me for other signs. I've found plenty; too many for this post.

Now, I emphasise, I'm a not racist. I'm only making the point that, what we seem to have in this town is several communities, each operating in the same space but hardly interacting at all. There is no 'buy in' and neither is any wanted by any party. The shop keeper doesn't want me to buy his goods in the same way that he doesn't want to pay tax to my government (I use the term in a non party sense). Neither are anything to do with him. The Eastern European and Asian lads don't want to use 'local' facilities and act to keep English people that they don't know away, so they own the space. The shop keeper is happy with this as he can operate to his own rules i.e. dynamic pricing, no (or few) price labels and mainly cash. This is an analogue for the separation of this community from indigenous Britain. If you add to this the proliferation of satellite TV channels from round the world, there is no need to interact with Britain. This closed environment is rich in opportunity for Covid misinformation.

As a result we move around like ghosts occupying the same temporal and physical, but not psychological space. Almost through each other and certainly within covid coughing distance. Masks, sanitiser, space and normal precautions belong to a culture the very existence of which is only begrudgingly recognised. Infection passes easily amongst those who do not see precautions as being theirs to own. Both precautions and infection are the province of that 'other community' that apparently brings only negatives, so must be rejected and ignored. Ignore it and it goes away. If it doesn't, then play the cultural sensitivity card and be protected. Unfortunately Covid is entirely uninfluenced by anti-racism legislation. This deeply ingrained belief is very hard to alter, leaving the unconvinced vulnerable.

BAME is a particularly difficult issue. Yes, there are many BAME individuals in customer facing roles but are they more at risk there than in their homes and communities where precaution compliance is not valued and at worst is seen as cultural treachery? I have been told that open discussion of this is potentially racist as it is seen as a criticism of culture.

Some of the local BAME groups operate in a cash economy where their earnings or business turn-over are high but undeclared. Never mind the drug dealers whose shiny black cars occupy the corner of my road each evening, most of what I am talking about is otherwise legitimate activities, which operate within the community, entirely untroubled by HMRC. I am unsure how much this contributes to the perception that all BAME people are poor and, in my opinion, definitely confuses the argument. But, if it is possible to live entirely independent of the strictures of society then why would there be any inclination to follow the rules of infection control.

I'm in danger of undermining my personal non-racist stance My whole point is simply: that so long as we are living as separate groups in the same space we will have no effective infection control and vaccine take-up will not spread to these closed communities. If we don't name it, we can't discuss it. Without discussion we can't put it right. It is not wealth, class, race, colour or occupation which is important: it is behaviours.
 
I know I'm replying to a post from over two weeks ago and I don't normally get involved in threads with the potential for racism or racist justification, but I have an opinion on this. So here goes.

I come from a family with no racist background. I have held a few jobs where challenging racism was part of the job spec and SOP. I have always been happy with that. I've worked and travelled widely on this planet of ours and have acquired a liking for foreign foods and things which I have been happy to satisfy in the various 'ethnic' shops and restaurants on our high streets. I've just dropped in and eaten, ordered or shopped. No problems.

However, I recently (four months) moved from rural England to a small commuter town to the North of London. Since moving here I have encountered a number of challenges to my former open views which I think bear consideration in relation to Covid.

First I found that I was receiving no post, a number of small parcels had not arrived. I trotted down to the sorting office. When I eventually found it open ("Covid innit") I was informed, by the white supervisor, that I couldn't expect anything that required opening the gate and walking to my letter box, because, "If Abdul or Karim see a white name, they won't get out of the van". Disgusted? I certainly was. Obviously some racial tension in the sorting office, I thought.

Then I tried buying stuff in the 'ethnic' shops on the lesser high street. In each of them I picked up what I wanted and went to the counter and waited........ and waited.......... and waited. Others came in and were served and I waited....... then gave up. They just didn't want to serve me. I have now tried above a dozen shops and been served in only two of them. In neither of them could I get a receipt (I was picking up items for work).

In and outside each of these shops and the various takeaways there is, habitually a group of young men either Eastern European or South Asian following no Covid precautions. People come and go but the groups hover round the five to eight figure. I mentioned this in a phone conversation with a Polish friend and he said (having lived in the area) that its been like it for years and (his words) "You don't get English customers in those shops, but the Polish and Asians get on together." I asked why that was, when racism is pretty evident in Poland. "Cigarettes and doing up houses." was his answer.

This made me look about me for other signs. I've found plenty; too many for this post.

Now, I emphasise, I'm a not racist. I'm only making the point that, what we seem to have in this town is several communities, each operating in the same space but hardly interacting at all. There is no 'buy in' and neither is any wanted by any party. The shop keeper doesn't want me to buy his goods in the same way that he doesn't want to pay tax to my government (I use the term in a non party sense). Neither are anything to do with him. The Eastern European and Asian lads don't want to use 'local' facilities and act to keep English people that they don't know away, so they own the space. The shop keeper is happy with this as he can operate to his own rules i.e. dynamic pricing, no (or few) price labels and mainly cash. This is an analogue for the separation of this community from indigenous Britain. If you add to this the proliferation of satellite TV channels from round the world, there is no need to interact with Britain. This closed environment is rich in opportunity for Covid misinformation.

As a result we move around like ghosts occupying the same temporal and physical, but not psychological space. Almost through each other and certainly within covid coughing distance. Masks, sanitiser, space and normal precautions belong to a culture the very existence of which is only begrudgingly recognised. Infection passes easily amongst those who do not see precautions as being theirs to own. Both precautions and infection are the province of that 'other community' that apparently brings only negatives, so must be rejected and ignored. Ignore it and it goes away. If it doesn't, then play the cultural sensitivity card and be protected. Unfortunately Covid is entirely uninfluenced by anti-racism legislation. This deeply ingrained belief is very hard to alter, leaving the unconvinced vulnerable.

BAME is a particularly difficult issue. Yes, there are many BAME individuals in customer facing roles but are they more at risk there than in their homes and communities where precaution compliance is not valued and at worst is seen as cultural treachery? I have been told that open discussion of this is potentially racist as it is seen as a criticism of culture.

Some of the local BAME groups operate in a cash economy where their earnings or business turn-over are high but undeclared. Never mind the drug dealers whose shiny black cars occupy the corner of my road each evening, most of what I am talking about is otherwise legitimate activities, which operate within the community, entirely untroubled by HMRC. I am unsure how much this contributes to the perception that all BAME people are poor and, in my opinion, definitely confuses the argument. But, if it is possible to live entirely independent of the strictures of society then why would there be any inclination to follow the rules of infection control.

I'm in danger of undermining my personal non-racist stance My whole point is simply: that so long as we are living as separate groups in the same space we will have no effective infection control and vaccine take-up will not spread to these closed communities. If we don't name it, we can't discuss it. Without discussion we can't put it right. It is not wealth, class, race, colour or occupation which is important: it is behaviours.
Why do you think that the racism card is played so readily by some communities?

Protectionism, and some very high stakes.

You've stressed throughout your post that you're not racist. I've no reason to disbelieve you, nor have others reading it - unless they're absolutely determined to be offended by what you've written.

You've described what you've seen and given reasoning. How could that ever be construed as racism?
 
Why do you think that the racism card is played so readily by some communities?

Protectionism, and some very high stakes.

You've stressed throughout your post that you're not racist. I've no reason to disbelieve you, nor have others reading it - unless they're absolutely determined to be offended by what you've written.

You've described what you've seen and given reasoning. How could that ever be construed as racism?

Because it acts to the advantage of certain "communities". Who know the word "racism" is likely to get them what they want.
 
I know I'm replying to a post from over two weeks ago and I don't normally get involved in threads with the potential for racism or racist justification, but I have an opinion on this. So here goes.

I come from a family with no racist background. I have held a few jobs where challenging racism was part of the job spec and SOP. I have always been happy with that. I've worked and travelled widely on this planet of ours and have acquired a liking for foreign foods and things which I have been happy to satisfy in the various 'ethnic' shops and restaurants on our high streets. I've just dropped in and eaten, ordered or shopped. No problems.

However, I recently (four months) moved from rural England to a small commuter town to the North of London. Since moving here I have encountered a number of challenges to my former open views which I think bear consideration in relation to Covid.

First I found that I was receiving no post, a number of small parcels had not arrived. I trotted down to the sorting office. When I eventually found it open ("Covid innit") I was informed, by the white supervisor, that I couldn't expect anything that required opening the gate and walking to my letter box, because, "If Abdul or Karim see a white name, they won't get out of the van". Disgusted? I certainly was. Obviously some racial tension in the sorting office, I thought.

Then I tried buying stuff in the 'ethnic' shops on the lesser high street. In each of them I picked up what I wanted and went to the counter and waited........ and waited.......... and waited. Others came in and were served and I waited....... then gave up. They just didn't want to serve me. I have now tried above a dozen shops and been served in only two of them. In neither of them could I get a receipt (I was picking up items for work).

In and outside each of these shops and the various takeaways there is, habitually a group of young men either Eastern European or South Asian following no Covid precautions. People come and go but the groups hover round the five to eight figure. I mentioned this in a phone conversation with a Polish friend and he said (having lived in the area) that its been like it for years and (his words) "You don't get English customers in those shops, but the Polish and Asians get on together." I asked why that was, when racism is pretty evident in Poland. "Cigarettes and doing up houses." was his answer.

This made me look about me for other signs. I've found plenty; too many for this post.

Now, I emphasise, I'm a not racist. I'm only making the point that, what we seem to have in this town is several communities, each operating in the same space but hardly interacting at all. There is no 'buy in' and neither is any wanted by any party. The shop keeper doesn't want me to buy his goods in the same way that he doesn't want to pay tax to my government (I use the term in a non party sense). Neither are anything to do with him. The Eastern European and Asian lads don't want to use 'local' facilities and act to keep English people that they don't know away, so they own the space. The shop keeper is happy with this as he can operate to his own rules i.e. dynamic pricing, no (or few) price labels and mainly cash. This is an analogue for the separation of this community from indigenous Britain. If you add to this the proliferation of satellite TV channels from round the world, there is no need to interact with Britain. This closed environment is rich in opportunity for Covid misinformation.

As a result we move around like ghosts occupying the same temporal and physical, but not psychological space. Almost through each other and certainly within covid coughing distance. Masks, sanitiser, space and normal precautions belong to a culture the very existence of which is only begrudgingly recognised. Infection passes easily amongst those who do not see precautions as being theirs to own. Both precautions and infection are the province of that 'other community' that apparently brings only negatives, so must be rejected and ignored. Ignore it and it goes away. If it doesn't, then play the cultural sensitivity card and be protected. Unfortunately Covid is entirely uninfluenced by anti-racism legislation. This deeply ingrained belief is very hard to alter, leaving the unconvinced vulnerable.

BAME is a particularly difficult issue. Yes, there are many BAME individuals in customer facing roles but are they more at risk there than in their homes and communities where precaution compliance is not valued and at worst is seen as cultural treachery? I have been told that open discussion of this is potentially racist as it is seen as a criticism of culture.

Some of the local BAME groups operate in a cash economy where their earnings or business turn-over are high but undeclared. Never mind the drug dealers whose shiny black cars occupy the corner of my road each evening, most of what I am talking about is otherwise legitimate activities, which operate within the community, entirely untroubled by HMRC. I am unsure how much this contributes to the perception that all BAME people are poor and, in my opinion, definitely confuses the argument. But, if it is possible to live entirely independent of the strictures of society then why would there be any inclination to follow the rules of infection control.

I'm in danger of undermining my personal non-racist stance My whole point is simply: that so long as we are living as separate groups in the same space we will have no effective infection control and vaccine take-up will not spread to these closed communities. If we don't name it, we can't discuss it. Without discussion we can't put it right. It is not wealth, class, race, colour or occupation which is important: it is behaviours.
If any this is a suprise or shock to you then you have been operating and opining from a position of deep delusion for some time . Are you blind ? Have you no ability to read between the lines at all ? . There are none so blind as those who will not see . Bloody frightening. Just think about all the nonsense you have droned on about to people more aware of the situation than you .
Duh . Eyes open now .? Or are you still reading?
The_Diversity_Kittens_on_Meltingpot_Mountain.jpg
 
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