Ok, so this happened...
June 19, 2017 at 6:36 pm
(This post was last modified: June 19, 2017 at 6:38 pm by BrianSoddingBoru4.)
Before I tell this, it bears on the story that I was raised in a household where heavy emphasis was placed on social manners and personal politeness. As a result, I tend to call men older than myself 'sir' or 'mister'. Ok, that's enough to go on with.
I do most of the marketing at our house (only fair, as I do most of the cooking as well) and I was queued up at the local farmer's mart this morning, and started a conversation with the man behind me. He was clearly senior to me, so - as noted above - I called him 'sir' a few times. Very nice fella, we chatted about food and the weather, nothing heavy.
On a sudden, I heard someone from further back in the queue (almost) shout, 'I wish you'd stop that!' I picked out the speaker and said, 'Stop what, exactly?' And this piece of filth says, 'It makes me sick to hear a nigger called "sir".'
There was a collective gasp from everyone in earshot, and my new friend next to me looked gut-punched. Now, I want it clear that I had no intention of fighting this moron (aside from a fleeting vision of how he'd look with his features shuffled about), but I did suggest that he go elsewhere while he was still able to do so under his own power. So - naturally - fuckface starts ranting about how society is crumbling, and 'mud people' and how the rights of white people are being eroded and on and on.
And then it happened: everyone, and I mean everyone who heard the exchange started saying things like, 'Pay him no mind, SIR' and 'He's a fool, SIR' and 'Move to the front of the queue, SIR'. Microbrain dropped his shopping on the floor and stomped out. I can't remember a time when I've been so disgusted and so elated in so short a time. I hung about and walked my new mate to his car, just to be sure he'd be safe.
So, have any of you been witness to anything like this blatant, unapologetic racism? I never even encountered behaviour like this in NI, where the national pastime is despising other people.
Boru
addendum: My new friend's name is George. He's 63, a retired house painter, a widower, and is coming to the house for supper at the weekend.
I do most of the marketing at our house (only fair, as I do most of the cooking as well) and I was queued up at the local farmer's mart this morning, and started a conversation with the man behind me. He was clearly senior to me, so - as noted above - I called him 'sir' a few times. Very nice fella, we chatted about food and the weather, nothing heavy.
On a sudden, I heard someone from further back in the queue (almost) shout, 'I wish you'd stop that!' I picked out the speaker and said, 'Stop what, exactly?' And this piece of filth says, 'It makes me sick to hear a nigger called "sir".'
There was a collective gasp from everyone in earshot, and my new friend next to me looked gut-punched. Now, I want it clear that I had no intention of fighting this moron (aside from a fleeting vision of how he'd look with his features shuffled about), but I did suggest that he go elsewhere while he was still able to do so under his own power. So - naturally - fuckface starts ranting about how society is crumbling, and 'mud people' and how the rights of white people are being eroded and on and on.
And then it happened: everyone, and I mean everyone who heard the exchange started saying things like, 'Pay him no mind, SIR' and 'He's a fool, SIR' and 'Move to the front of the queue, SIR'. Microbrain dropped his shopping on the floor and stomped out. I can't remember a time when I've been so disgusted and so elated in so short a time. I hung about and walked my new mate to his car, just to be sure he'd be safe.
So, have any of you been witness to anything like this blatant, unapologetic racism? I never even encountered behaviour like this in NI, where the national pastime is despising other people.
Boru
addendum: My new friend's name is George. He's 63, a retired house painter, a widower, and is coming to the house for supper at the weekend.
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
