Discrimination (the example being 'anti -ginger')

[Tanthalos]

Speaking as someone who people have almost killed due to the ignorance of others may I suggest something.

I tend to ignore the verbal abuse completely when I hear it and mock the person exceptionally the next while in casual conversation; ("You should have seen this one guy...") while that doesn't stop the first douche it does make other people aware of how stupid their ignorance sounds. As time and ridicule go on people tend to say less stuff in general because the ridicule level for such things gets too high.

Every time I have been beaten, threatened by knife point, gun point, choked or whatever I always ALWAYS look them in the eye and never waver. This tends to unnerve the average person and they will stop usually citing "Your not worth my time."

I know getting hit sucks BUT the problem is if you escalate things so will they.

 

[Thais]

Sometimes, though, people are just plain racist and act that way because it's what they were taught. For example, a girl I had crush on for the longest time insulted me because of my race. She said I had diseases and she didn't want me near her. It kind of threw me off and I didn't say anything because she went on a long rant on how my race was such a plague on America and other ignorant stuff. I was mad, but I didn't react violently and simply ignored her for the rest of the year (which was weird because I kept bumping into her).

Mind if I ask you what your group is? Because that "diseases" thing is just wierd.

 

[Kovash86]

Filthy gingers...sorry knee-jerk response.

I don't dislike races, I dislike factions which are typically associated with certain races, those generally being Nazis, Commies, terrorists, most emo/goth (although the rare few who only dress as such and are actually quite chipper beings are typically more acceptable), rednecks, some pirates, some ninjas, all mascot characters in shows (save Scooby Doo), homophobes (I tend to think they are actually gay and won't admit it), racists, most religions and all of their evangelists (I think the Norse had it right more than most others), and idiots, I'm sure there are more but I can't think of any bringing up religion set my mind into a loop which will take a few minutes to settle.

 

[Saskwach]

Sometimes, though, people are just plain racist and act that way because it's what they were taught. For example, a girl I had crush on for the longest time insulted me because of my race. She said I had diseases and she didn't want me near her. It kind of threw me off and I didn't say anything because she went on a long rant on how my race was such a plague on America and other ignorant stuff. I was mad, but I didn't react violently and simply ignored her for the rest of the year (which was weird because I kept bumping into her).

I could "react violently" for you. Can I, can I, can I?

 

[Drmortuss]

Has that episode of SouthPark been referanced yet?

Anyhow, you're gonna get some sort of discrimination anywhere you go or even if you looked completely different. People just hate other people.

*starts singing... 'People are people, so why should it be, you and I should get along so awfully?...'*
ok i'll stop that now.
But on a more serious note, all red-headed people are decended from Vikings. And Vikings are awesome. So there.
Edit: Ok maybe that wasn't on a more serious note. Oh well.

Where did you get the information on all redheads being descended from Vikings? I must know if this is true!

 

[Therumancer]

Well this might sound odd coming from me, but understand that all fantasies of violent retaliation are just that. If nothing else in such a situation remember they have more witnesses than you do if nothing else given that your disliked. The authorities being people to might also disagree with them on some fundemental level.

*THAT* said, I can't comment too much on Ginger predjudice because it doesn't really exist here in the US. Red Hair is nothing special (and is considered very nice on women), we celebrate Saint Patrick's day, and where Irish were once discriminated against it's now considered to be fairly cool.

That said keep in mind that the whole Irish occupation thing didn't "end" that long ago and there are still tensions. What's more it's not a simplistic thing of the "England Invaded, they are wrong, they should get out" like some people would like to make it. I'm not picking a side really, just saying that there are reasons for hard feelings.

I guess the best way to deal with it is to relax, roll with the punches, and basically adapt. I think the situation will change given enough time. Heck there was once a time in the USA where people used to put out jobs and have "Irish Need Not Apply".

Try and be a nice guy in general, remember things will improve when your dealing with more adults (I'm guessing these are teens), and honestly it might not hurt if you did Dye your hair or something as ridiculous as that might sound.

It's a wierd kind of situation where violence, or vehemently refusing to adapt, is likely to just make the problem worse.

Not quite the great civil liberties message of our time, but I believe that in many cases, beyond a certain point you can't force change and tolerance. You have to wait for time to pass.

 

[AntiAntagonist]

Unfortunately, and quite contrary to popular beleif, ages 14-25, violence IS the answer.

I once got drunk while speaking with an old racist. He was known for getting into physical confrontations with people who argued with him. I argued with him and used non-violent interaction techniques while changing subjects between political & emotional. He eventually broke down crying. I was 23 at the time.

I also study martial arts, and fully recommend it. I can't remember the last serious physical tussle I had, but I also studied psychology and (if you read my other posts) try to be thoughtful. As you will learn in kung fu (whichever styles you take) that blocking a punch ideally doesn't mean taking the force, but redirecting away from the body (similar to redirecting thought and intention). You'll probably enjoy it if only because it helps balance, flexibility and focus to various degrees.

It's also really funny when I meet someone from another country and sarcastically self-deprecate about my country. They either don't know what to do or laugh while breathing a sigh of relief.

 

[Xhumed]

Filthy gingers...sorry knee-jerk response.

I don't dislike races, I dislike factions which are typically associated with certain races, those generally being Nazis, Commies, terrorists, most emo/goth (although the rare few who only dress as such and are actually quite chipper beings are typically more acceptable), rednecks, some pirates, some ninjas, all mascot characters in shows (save Scooby Doo), homophobes (I tend to think they are actually gay and won't admit it), racists, most religions and all of their evangelists (I think the Norse had it right more than most others), and idiots, I'm sure there are more but I can't think of any bringing up religion set my mind into a loop which will take a few minutes to settle.

most goths are very chipper, in my experience. I've yet to meet one of these mythical gloomy goths who waunder around with their hands to their brows in a perma-swoon.

Has that episode of SouthPark been referanced yet?

Anyhow, you're gonna get some sort of discrimination anywhere you go or even if you looked completely different. People just hate other people.

*starts singing... 'People are people, so why should it be, you and I should get along so awfully?...'*
ok i'll stop that now.
But on a more serious note, all red-headed people are decended from Vikings. And Vikings are awesome. So there.
Edit: Ok maybe that wasn't on a more serious note. Oh well.

Where did you get the information on all redheads being descended from Vikings? I must know if this is true!

thats in the UK at least.
can't remember where i first heard it, i thought it was fairly common knowledge but i guess not. Apparantly redheads are older than that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hair

worryingly, looking for a source i also found this: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1322006/posts

 

[Silver]

Most goths are very chipper, in my experience. I've yet to meet one of these mythical gloomy goths who waunder around with their hands to their brows in a perma-swoon.

Really? Here we only have dark and mysterious and hard goths. The difference between them and the emos is that the emos gather in herds, while the goths sit alone and glare at them.

 

[Kovash86]

Ugh...no kidding...the goth kids at my school looked like they traveled in herds but that wasn't by choice, there were just so many, of course it didn't help that I had been forced to wear black through a portion of high school, I had a momentary lapse in judgment when buying clothes and since I'm just barely this side of homeless(basically I have a home by virtue of luck and spending my taxes on house bills), I have to wait forever to get new clothes.

 

[BlazeTheVampire]

lol, the "goths" I know are pretty awesome, actually. Intelligent, worldly, and some of them downright BEAUTIFUL (have you looked at the Suicide Girls? Oh man). Some of my closest friends tie wads of yarn into their hair every morning, but they're the least depressed and generally happy people I know because they're comfortable with who they are.

 

[werepossum]

Most goths are very chipper, in my experience. I've yet to meet one of these mythical gloomy goths who waunder around with their hands to their brows in a perma-swoon.

Really? Here we only have dark and mysterious and hard goths. The difference between them and the emos is that the emos gather in herds, while the goths sit alone and glare at them.

Laughing my ass off, thanks! Now I finally know how to identify Goths and emos. (And now I know my grandkids are actually emos even though they think they're Goths.)

And none of the red-headed girls I've known were fiery and hot-blooded; they ran the gamut from smart and thoughtful to very sensitive. I feel so deprived...

EDIT:

lol, the "goths" I know are pretty awesome, actually. Intelligent, worldly, and some of them downright BEAUTIFUL (have you looked at the Suicide Girls? Oh man). Some of my closest friends tie wads of yarn into their hair every morning, but they're the least depressed and generally happy people I know because they're comfortable with who they are.

And because the yarn gives off intoxicating vapors. lol

 

[Kovash86]

And none of the red-headed girls I've known were fiery and hot-blooded; they ran the gamut from smart and thoughtful to very sensitive. I feel so deprived...

Really? Seems like every red-head I've ever met in my life was short tempered, although I will admit one of my friends isn't so bad she was actually a lot of fun to hang around with, frankly I miss her and her husband since they were both some of my best friends...since they are military I'm thinking about rejoining the service so I can more easily hang out with them, in the near future.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

most goths are very chipper, in my experience. I've yet to meet one of these mythical gloomy goths who waunder around with their hands to their brows in a perma-swoon.

I have! Met and hung out with a couple of them. Even in the goth subculture you have offshoots within that; the deathrockers, the rivetheads (of which I am one), etc.

 

[Gitsnik]

The kung-fu is a just in case, and the muscle is an extra precaution.

This is going slight off topic but that's not the way to deal with it (the kung-fu bit). I'm a brown belt in 4 major martial arts styles, and black in both jujitzu and wing-chun and if you're doing these arts for your protection you're looking at them for the wrong reasons. Find a self-defence course somewhere explicitly defined for self defence. Sure you will learn some martial arts moves but they will be targeted at what you want them to be targeted at.

Having the muscles is good, but they're also not the most necessary thing for your protection. I'm 6.2ft or so, and despite my training still have a bit of a gut and fairly thin arms (geek arms!). It's all about presence. If someone is getting into you, don't cut back but don't ignore them either. I find a completely blank face and an unblinking stare is useful, perhaps add a small smile if you're bored. If they raise a fist go for a smooth "flow" back a step and raise both of yours.

Looking prepared is enough to deter most attackers.

That said, if anyone smashed me in the face with a football I'd have some testicles on the sidewalk as fast as possible - random violence like that makes no sense and that sort of person should be pruned from the gene-pool IMHO.

 

[mark_n_b]

LOL Emo kids on this thread ;P

Socially acceptable discrimination against people with identifiable disabilities. Being in a wheelchair I've actually had people say they would not hire me for a job because the copier paper needs periodic changing, because being a card dealer is "too physical", because... well it goes on.

It's ridiculous, how does being in a wheelchair prevent me from replenishing a photocopier's paper tray?

I don't compare it to being in black america, but it is a challenge.

Ginger hair? dye it or put up with it. These are 15 year olds, teenagers are dicks, it's part of being a teenager.

If you find yourself a big victim of bullying though, I can understand that being an issue and not one a ready made solution exists for. Step one, find a new place to be for a while, join a gaming club or something, be around people who are like you, it's a way of finding acceptance which makes everything a lot better. Gives you a stronger foundation for dealing with the rest of it.

 

[Xhumed]

most goths are very chipper, in my experience. I've yet to meet one of these mythical gloomy goths who waunder around with their hands to their brows in a perma-swoon.

I have! Met and hung out with a couple of them. Even in the goth subculture you have offshoots within that; the deathrockers, the rivetheads (of which I am one), etc.

Well, being one, i know that lol. I just haven't met any woe-is-me goths, either in the UK or Australia. Not to say i haven't met any arseholes within the subculture, just not melodramatic ones.

 

[Nicksus]

As someone who lives in a town full of hippies, there aren't many chances for me to get assaulted by random strangers. It's only at the skate park where I'd have to worry about that.

On a side note, I saw the ginger episode of South Park, and I thought it was hilarious.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

most goths are very chipper, in my experience. I've yet to meet one of these mythical gloomy goths who waunder around with their hands to their brows in a perma-swoon.

I have! Met and hung out with a couple of them. Even in the goth subculture you have offshoots within that; the deathrockers, the rivetheads (of which I am one), etc.

Well, being one, i know that lol. I just haven't met any woe-is-me goths, either in the UK or Australia. Not to say i haven't met any arseholes within the subculture, just not melodramatic ones.

Oh they're in Australia, trust me ;-) Good people though, for the most part.

 

[Silver]

Ginger hair? dye it or put up with it. These are 15 year olds, teenagers are dicks, it's part of being a teenager.

I'm just curious, would you say this to a black person as well? Or a person with any other kind of heritage that they're being discriminated for?

It's basically the same thing. You shouldn't need to hide how you were born. Do something about it instead. Report it to the police every single time it happens, sure, the police are going to be pissed at first but if enough people do it, and it happens enough times they're going to realise that it's a serious issue that needs to be dealt with. Talk to your teachers in school, or the annoying parties parents.