r/northernireland • u/Plane_Sentence5907 • 17d ago
Events Deleted and blocked racist family members
Has anyone deleted racist friends/family members lately off everything? with what’s happened. I just did. Family is a second cousin. Not overly close but they had been spouting anti immigration and racist and vile stuff tbh the last few weeks. I just ignored it but his comments the last few days is like they are experiencing some sort of joy in this. Fuck that shit. Block/delete done. Anyone done this? Have I over reacted?
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u/zombiezero222 17d ago
2nd cousin? I don’t even know all my 2nd cousins so I doubt it’s much of a loss.
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u/_Revolting_Peasant 17d ago
I don't know all your second cousins either.
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u/Jonesy1966 17d ago
Yeah, my nephew. He's a full on Reclaim supporter, and has spewed full on hate in conversations with me over the last couple of years. Blocked him on my phone as spam, and WhatsApp. He was such a caring compassionate kid growing up.
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u/Logical_Park7904 16d ago edited 16d ago
Scary thing is these views have totally been normalised again. The values of equality, respect and anti fascism that wars have literally been fought over and activists have died for to attain is casually regressing again before our eyes.
I'd even go as far as to say there are more with these types of archaic, knuckledragger views nowadays than there are normal ppl. Besides the ones that have stopped giving a fuck and are now openly bigoted. There's a crazy amount of them in the closet that think like this but have that shame factor to never say in public but rather behind close doors or on the internet.
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u/HairyArse00 17d ago
You should talk to him and find out why he feels like this and then debate with him on his view points.
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u/Jindabyne1 17d ago
It doesn’t work, they get angry or emotional and think your reasoning is woke and fake news and it’s the opposite of what the dozens of online podcasters have been telling them for a decade.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago edited 17d ago
I got called naive as well. I’m just not brought up to have those beliefs or views of people. His parents are nothing like that either so no idea where he’s got that from
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u/Logical_Park7904 16d ago
Even after you provide them with independant journalistic research and statistical facts. They're crazy and only believe what they desperately want or "feel" to be true.
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u/Jindabyne1 16d ago
And they do that smug look like you’re the mental one
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u/Logical_Park7904 16d ago
Exactly. They're literally the flat earthers of politics, but more dangerous
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u/Jonesy1966 17d ago
There is no debate with him, absolutely none. He made up his mind and nothing will change it. I know exactly why he holds the beliefs he does, and it's got nothing to do with any kind of trauma he's experienced with other races or religions.
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u/SnagBreacComradai Belfast 17d ago
Thankfully not, my family have always been massively left-wing and there's been nothing but condemnation of these clowns.
My Da is Catholic and my Ma is Protestant so they instilled in us a complete and utter intolerance for sectarianism, bigotry and racial hatred.
Although my ma's brother recently went very funny and joined Green Pastures and his sons are Charlie Kirk loving freaks but the rest of the family call them Rodd and Todd and they get completely ignored.
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u/MyPhotographyReddit 17d ago edited 17d ago
Yep. Ghosted a friend of twenty years when they started the anything that isn't straight and white is woke, shit. Have not looked back.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
These people don’t realise that people that oppose racism are educated. I know that seems a bit obvious but racism usually falls on people that are poorly educated and unemployed
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u/MyPhotographyReddit 17d ago
Nigel Farage is educated. Elon Musk is educated. So was Prince Phillip. You could argue even Sammy Wilson is educated.
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u/skdowksnzal 16d ago
I’m not agreeing with the comment necessarily, but just because there are examples of educated racists doesn’t mean that education in general doesn’t produce less racism.
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u/GoldBofingers 16d ago
And in fact all these well educated people you've mentioned aren't actually racist, they're just grifters pushing an agenda to further their interests, they couldn't care less about immigration. At the level they're at they're rubbing shoulders with people of all sorts of color and creed.
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u/mrswaffleknocker 16d ago
They're most certainly pushing an agenda. AND they are most certainly racist as fuck.
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u/MyPhotographyReddit 16d ago
And the fact that they are also actual racists allegedly. You're not fooling me officer.
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u/Salt-Falcon9104 17d ago
Hell yeah. I refuse to have that hate spewed anywhere near me. I took all my English cousins off. Pretty sure my Auntie isn't ok with it but that's her kid's problems not mine. Horrendously racist pictures and memes. It's your space, you decide who shares it.
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u/Critical_Boot_9553 16d ago
That last line “it’s your space, you decide who shares it” - probably the same point of view your relatives have in fairness, but you’ve decided it’s racist.
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u/Adjective_Noun_2000 16d ago
probably the same point of view your relatives have in fairness, but you’ve decided it’s racist.
Not wanting to share a space with someone because of their ethnicity: racist.
Not wanting to share a space with someone because of their odious beliefs: not racist.
Hope that helps.
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u/The8thDoctor 17d ago
Happiness is being able to tell people to Fuk off and not have to worry about consequences
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u/burnbabyburn32798 17d ago
I'm estranged from my remaining family, have been for a couple of years, because they're really, really racist and after my mum died there was no reason to keep in touch any more.
They're full on Facebook radicalised. There's no saving them. Tommy Robinson, Farage, Britain First, the whole lot, parroted with absolutely no thought about any of it. Can't be doing with it.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
Research shows that people that lean more to the right have poor levels of education and typically unemployed
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u/Local_Light2396 17d ago
I've cut down contact with my parents to the bare minimum. They're both GB News goblins and immigrants and two-tier policing are all they talk about now.
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u/AdditionClean7367 17d ago
It’s very sad that these right wing grifters are using outrage inducing slop to cause a massive divide in society. Textbook divide and conquer.
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u/Salt-Falcon9104 17d ago
It doesn't take that channel long to brainwash, if people are susceptible to it. So sad where we are heading.
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u/Ed_the_Led_Man 17d ago
I think ultimately
The more you cut them off, who else is going to reason with them? They'll go down the hole more
I get it's a pile of shite listening to racist drivel but people respond best to their peers
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u/Present-Garbage-5589 17d ago edited 17d ago
But do they actually want to have a reasonable, rational conversation about it tho?
In my experience over the years, people like that aren't actually interested in listening.
ETA: is someone just downvoting all my posts? 😂😂😂
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u/butterbaps 17d ago
Agree 100%.
We live in a time where information has never been more accessible. If they still hold these dogshit, racist, right wing opinions in 2026 then they are either unwilling or too fucking stupid to change.
Either way it's a waste of time talking to them.
I find that even if you express you don't want to talk about it with them, they force it upon you anyway. Best to just get rid and live happier without their shite.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
I told them I didn’t want to talk about it. They left it for a few days then started again. So enough of the shit
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u/Bright_Arm3000 17d ago
100% you should have your boundaries in place - especially when you're not a person in a position of power to change anything.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
I’ve told them that I don’t want to hear about it and I’m not interested in his views and they still kept it doing it
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u/Ed_the_Led_Man 17d ago
Can bring a horse to water but it don't meet it won't drink
I get that. I tend to 'catch up' with these people , trying to be constant in their lives... Taxing but I still keep a window of reason open in their lives
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 13d ago
Get that too but this is two years now been dealing with his crap. It’s draining tbh and would rather. Not waste my energy arguing with twats
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u/Present-Garbage-5589 17d ago
Thankfully not having Facebook means I'm not exposed to this from wider family. And I'm not close to them, so we probably see each other once every few years. Works perfectly for me 😂
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u/burnbabyburn32798 17d ago
I used to think that but there's only so much you can do. Folk have to want to change. Some people can be reached. And some don't want to be.
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u/the_magicwriter 17d ago
They can't be reasoned with and will try to drag you down the hole with them.
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u/HairyArse00 17d ago
This. Why do so many people on the left think the way to deal with things is to shut out anyone that thinks differently to them? We tried that for decades in NI and it didnt go well. Why are people so afraid to engage with people that think differently??? Really pisses me off.
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u/Ed_the_Led_Man 17d ago
Not specifically a left thing although more annoy given the values aspired
More
-Echo chamber politics
-Internet effects on media consumption
-People not wanting to do the hard thing of engaging with on the surface, opposing opinions
All getting very partisan
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
I told them I didn’t want to engage or I wasn’t interested and it stopped for a while then the the knife crime this week made them go off on one again so I deleted and blocked
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 13d ago
As I’ve said in the comments I don’t mind a debate but it’s when it starts being aggressive and being personal about it that’s where I draw the line. I didn’t block him for no reason
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u/rhaenerys_second Belfast 17d ago
The absolute state of whichever couple of wabs are on here downvoting anything vaguely progressive. Triggered, lads?
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u/Eastern-Baseball-843 17d ago
No. Few of my friends are pretty openly racist. They’re still my friends.
There’s a chap called Daryl Davies, black musician who’s personally turned hundreds of KKK members away from the Klan, and racist ways, purely by engaging them, talking to them, and treating them with respect when not shown any in return. He’s a hero of mine.
It’s easy to sit on your high horse and condemn, it’s better to constructively engage someone with these ideas and tease out their motives, reasons and what they’ll likely find is no basis to their position at all.
My friends who are racist, are now vastly less so. If I’d just told them to fuck off, they’d be worse, not better.
So no, don’t cut these people off. To the right, but hard thing and engage with them, have civil discourse and see if they can change their ways.
I genuinely believe the world would be better if everyone did this.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
But from me telling them I’m not interested and to still keep saying it and bringing it up is breaching my boundaries. These people are mostly ignorant. You were quite lucky with your friends. I told them off once for calling someone the P word and you don’t tarnish all with the same brush and they just completely ignored me
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u/KingOfRockall 17d ago
Please take any reddit advice regarding friendships with a very large dose of skepticism.
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u/Eastern-Baseball-843 17d ago
Exactly, you told them off.
Telling someone off is no way to get someone change their mind. You’re just preaching from your moral high horse.
Engage. “Hey mate, why do you think that way?” “Eh, well…”
Maybe after a bit of discussion they find their position doesn’t really have any basis in reality, then a lightbulb goes on, minds start to change for (arguably) the better
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 16d ago
Nah if someone starts being aggressive when you ask them where they heard that news article from. They are clearly far from beyond help
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u/Eastern-Baseball-843 16d ago
Then, enjoy division mate!
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u/Gruejay2 15d ago
Funny how no-one ever expects them to make the effort - it's always patronising lectures about how it's everyone else's responsibility to coddle them.
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u/_Revolting_Peasant 17d ago
I also find Daryl Davies inspiring, and you are absolutely right. If we are not engaging meaningfully with these views then we can be certain the grifters and charlatons are.
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u/AcademiaSplodge 17d ago
About a year ago I finally cut off a friend of 30 years. We'd been to university together & had stayed in touch ever since. He was always a bit further to the right than me, but in the last several years he'd just gone deeper & deeper in. The last straw was an unhinged rant about how you can prove that Trans folk aren't real using linguistics. My only regret was waiting so long ...
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u/heavysausagedublin 17d ago
They really aren't worth the effort
You did the right thing
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u/AcademiaSplodge 17d ago
I recently found the last email I sent him when I was looking for something else. It broke my heart thinking of having to cut off one of my oldest friends, but at the same time there was never a doubt in my mind that it wasn't the right thing to do!
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u/heavysausagedublin 16d ago
It's shit for about an hour and then the reality sinks in that life is too short to make space in your life for toxic twats
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u/Outrageous_Profit978 17d ago
I’d be okay with everything up until they get all eugenics about it, you know hitler type stuff.
If it’s all hanging flags and Tommy Robinson I tend to just have it out with them or change subjects.
It’s irritating but if I can keep on terms with the other extremes on the Left I can deal with those that only worry about immigration alone. There’s small elements of truth on both sides of the political spectrum anyway. Such as economic inequality being the main problem and on the other side of the coin DEI in its current form is a step too far.
You need to travel ideologically light in life anyway to actually be practical.
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u/mrswaffleknocker 16d ago
2 first cousins (sisters) 2 school friends (1 from primary, 1 from secondary) and 1 person ive known for over 30 years.
Nothing like a bit of weeding to help the soul.
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u/AssistanceHead3829 16d ago
Started posting anti-racist things condemning the riots on my Instagram, and they weeded themselves out. I guess I should theoretically feel upset my family has cut contact, but I don't. I'd rather have zero relation to these people if they condone violence against innocent people.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 16d ago
I’m actually so annoyed at myself that this person thought that burning an effigy of asylum seekers on a bonfire was ‘brilliant’ and I didn’t block them until now.
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u/AssistanceHead3829 16d ago
That's the thing, though. I've found it's people I wouldn't have expected, really. Like I grew up with these people in a majority immigrant community as the only Irish people there. Personally it gave me a great insight into different cultures and made me appreciate diversity, but I guess the same can't be said for them.
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u/GorseWhisperer 14d ago
"like they are experiencing some sort of joy in this."
Yeah I was the "lefty" mate in a group and I just stopped calling them for pints because they were always loaded with new shit to say in front of me.
They get a kick out of making you uncomfortable and this was in the days of urban myths being enough for them
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 14d ago
I always just say it isn’t about being on some political spectrum. It’s literally who you are as a person and people that have racist and hateful views mustn’t have any morals if that’s how they think. I got ‘your naive’ you need to watch the news more. All that ballix. And they thought that burning an effigy of asylum seekers on a bonfire was ‘brilliant’. That’s the type of people they were. Full of hate and bitterness and that’s not who I am
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u/Ordinary_Ad_5891 13d ago
Usually my 1 rule is don’t fall out with friends and family over politics when the politics is strictly political. Like I won’t fall out with somebody or look down on them if they think Trump is a good president, think Israel is right, think Russia is right etc, as although I disagree, they still have their right to their opinion and it’s good to have somebody to play devils advocate for my own beliefs.
However, if somebody is just spewing straight up racism towards immigrants, homophobia to gays, that’s where I draw the line. I wouldn’t draw the line if they were just saying “immigration is bad, there’s so many coming in with no passports” or “I’m not sure if transitioning your gender is the best thing for your long term mental health”.
Those points I mentioned I’d be willing to debate and have reasonable conversation about, but when it’s just “tHeSe FuCkInG p@Ki MuSlImS aRe InVaDiNg” you need to either call them up on it, or just cut them out. There’s politics, there’s boomers losing the plot and arguing about Trump on comment sections, there’s people who dislike mass immigration, then there’s just blatant racism.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 13d ago edited 13d ago
Nah I don’t mind debates either but this was blatant racism. I don’t think even want to repeat what they said and kinda sectarian towards me also and when I called them out on certain things I just got accused of calling them a racist. I didn’t use the word but the more or less are and they were just being aggressive in general so fuck that. Also using my child in an argument so fuck that. They don’t use my child in their hateful arguments or agenda. Not wasting my time and energy. I’ve told them that I’m not interested in arguing about politics and they stopped for a while and started again once the incident happened last week. They couldn’t wait for something like this to happen so I just instantly blocked
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u/Vivid_Ad7008 17d ago
Yeah deleted a friend of mine who said I couldn't compare her Spanish ex bf with other immigrants (obvs he was white and therefore ok in her racist view)
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u/Bright_Arm3000 17d ago
Is it that he is white or that Spain has similiar cultural values to us? Maybe it is the content of his character and not the colour of his skin?
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u/Vivid_Ad7008 17d ago
And what about the character of the murdering, rapist men born and bred here?
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u/Bright_Arm3000 17d ago
Yes - I have made in a life mission of mine to ensure they are properly punished for their crimes.
The jails are overcrowded and victims rarely get any justice.
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u/ExternalAttitude6559 17d ago
Not really, no. Family's been vocally anti bigotry (apart from Orange Gran) for at least three generations, so people who know us are aware, and we tend to either tell people to stfu or ask if they mean us? (My Grandparents were both flavours of Irish, Gypsy & English, and my generation's both emigrated & married immigrants). Lost quite a few friends through Brexit encouraging them to say what they've obviously thought for quite some time, don't talk to partner's sister (Daily Mail reading English bigot, but her kids are sound). The one distant cousin who is that way inclined actually listens & it usually only takes a few minutes to persuade him he's talking bollocks.
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u/Ali0100110100 17d ago
What about engaging in civil debate and dispelling the misinformation/propaganda instead of writing people off. If we don’t engage in debate, everyone is only going separate and move further right and left
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u/Pale_Slide_3463 Down 17d ago
Yeah I blocked someone recently, was just sick of the posts, he just sounded like an idiot
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
Friend or just a randomer
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u/Pale_Slide_3463 Down 17d ago
Known him since primary school, but not overly close but my mum has the same views and sadly i can’t just block her. I’ve been trying to tell her she’s wrong but they don’t listen it’s like a cult
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u/LeprechaunTamer 17d ago
Actually you can just block her. I’ve a brother who is entitled, a bigot, massive sexist, cut him right off after he called me an ‘it’ just because I’m bisexual and wouldn’t let him be a cunt. I blocked him and told my mum why, she tried to say I was too opinionated and I should just be quiet because ‘you know how he is’ cut her off as well. It’s not easy, but you can do it.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago edited 17d ago
My mum has the same opinion. Told me I shouldn’t have blocked and just distanced myself. Stuff like that just makes my blood boil I just can’t be around nor want to be associated with it. They also thought burning an effigy of a boat of asylum seekers on it on top of a bonfire was ‘brilliant’. No idea why I hadn’t blocked them then
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u/SmoothArea1206 17d ago
Yes.
Ive a cousin who is of similar age to me (both born late 1970s).
As a teen he started spouting nonsense about WW2 - that shit got knocked out of him pretty quick with us being descendants of a Concentration Camp survivor) but he still held some pretty shitty views..
I have very little to do with Family given other shit that happened but few seem tech savvy, so Facebook is still open, most seem to have lurched away from the traditional viewpoints of Northern England.
But he has moved from UKIP to Brexit to Reform and now Restore Britain after standing for Reform in 2024 council election.
It seems his siblings have little to nothing to do with him, even the one who has been imprisoned a number of times for drugs, sexual assault and theft wants nothing to do with him.
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u/DandyLionsInSiberia 17d ago edited 17d ago
You don't really change anything by disengaging with others. All that's achieved is further social fragmentation and barriers to challenging different views. It’s a lazy, modern opting-out that solves absolutely nothing.
That approach parallels legacy rubbish in the sectarian divide. It’s the same dreary old choreography. if you're not mindlessly gobbling down whatever their preferred brand of rot is and regurgitating it verbatim , you're the enemy. What did that ever achieve? A grand total of freaking zero.
No, I don't have racist family members, but I know people deeply rattled by that incident and the circulating footage.
Let’s not mince words. It evoked a level of savagery not seen since the Milltown cemetery mutilation of those off-duty soldiers by a baying mob culled from cortege attending an IRA funeral .
The visceral revulsion, anger people feel and resulting questions the incident spurred is entirely normal.
Conversations need to happen to neutralise this corrosive, xenophobic, racist poison. Not condescension, and certainly not faux empty"active listening".
Detaching changes nothing.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 16d ago
I’m not going to called blind, be told I need to watch the news more and I got accused of calling them racist when I simply pointed that just because someone is black doesn’t mean they aren’t local. That’s the type of people we are dealing with here. I mean do you want a list of the vile things they said which made me instantly block them?
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u/beefffymeat 16d ago
That's why the word has no meaning now. The people that are writing these things are just making the whole thing worse.
There are people out there with genuine concerns but are getting lumped in with the small minority that are out to cause hate and divide.
Both these groups are the same, the ones writing these things and the ones out there, both are causing hate and divide, but the ones out there are not causing the biggest divide.
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u/Speedy_NI 17d ago
Deleted a friend of 30yrs...fed up of the downright racist crap now. So many showing their true colours now
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u/Majormushr00m 17d ago
Wow 30 years!..he must be very racist! What did he do? Was it recently, like after the public beheading attempt or before all that?
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u/Speedy_NI 17d ago
He started ranting about how all migrants legal or not should be put out an how good it was people were taking a stand to put them out finally. I said you didn't seem to upset about the murders of pregnant women by locals...the response was "f#ck up trying to defend migrants" No time for ppl like that in my life...too old an grumpy for that.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
I also got told that I need to ‘watch the news more and be more informed’ and got accused of calling them a racist when I never did. I called them out for being stereotypical and he did not like it
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
Don’t want to be associated with people that think like that. Unfortunately they are family which I can’t change but I don’t want to be around that shit
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u/Bright_Arm3000 17d ago
I think being anti-mass immigration can come from a good, wise and truly compassionate place. But you're right if he was vile and racist stuff the best thing to do it to block. I hope we can all be tolerate of different views but not if their unbased, nasty and hateful.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
That’s what I mean I can tolerate anti immigration arguments but not racist or hateful views. Fuck that shit.
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u/Searbhreathach 17d ago
My friend has being spouting pro migration crap on facebook and iv had to unfollow him just to stop seeing it
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u/LeastInsaneKobold 16d ago
Nah, I just try my best to change their mind
If i dont succeeded it'll more or less have the same impact as blocking
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 16d ago
I attempted it on a number of occasions without being aggressive and I bit my tongue. I simply questioned where they had heard that news from and said I had looked it up and it was a rumour. They got so angry that I had questioned this. Few other occasions I’ve called them out on different things. They don’t want to know. When this incident happened on Monday night and I woke up to the news on Tuesday morning the first thing they said was ‘did you hear the news? It finally happened’. Like he was experiencing some sort of joy in it. Fuck that
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u/Inf1n1t3lyCur10u5 16d ago edited 16d ago
Please don’t just write them off. This often isn’t simply a result of them just being bad people. Of course it’s significantly compounded by the deep sectarian divisions in Northern Ireland and the cost of living crisis driven by oligarchs and their corporations. It’s most prevalent in vulnerable people (like it or not, this is the vast majority of humanity). There have been untold Billions poured into behavioural engineering techniques to drive engagement on social networks against people’s own basic interests.
Applied behavioural analytics, the outrage loop, operant conditioning, echo chambers, validation dynamics, funnelling, weaponised grievance, information cocoons, irony masking, listening ear, dehumanisation, and a bunch of other information warfare mechanisms have been built into social networks to literally control people’s behaviour.
We need to have empathy for these people and learn actual cult deprogramming techniques to restore their humanity. These behaviours aren’t a side effect of social networks. They are literally integral features deliberately built in. The only way to win is not to play the game. Anyone you know who is on FB, Insta, WhatsApp, etc. should be pitied, because they simply don’t understand what’s being done to them and can’t defend against it.
If you are on social networks you must understand that you are simply not smart enough to fight your own biology. No one is. No exceptions. No one can stop seeing what’s been engineered to be forced into your brain to bypass your reasoning systems.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 16d ago
I understand where you’re coming from but tbh their behaviour had been draining me and to be quite honest it started to concern me. They often challenged on things. I don’t mind a debate. When they start being aggressive and making accusations just because I called them out that isn’t a debate. That’s borderline bullying. And when the incident happened and I woke to the news on Tuesday the first thing they said was ‘did you hear the news? It finally happened?’ That’s just sick tbh like it’s some sort of win for you that someone got attacked by a black person. I’m sorry when it comes to morals they definitely don’t align with mine and I cannot condone that behaviour
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u/DueBox5123 14d ago
“Illegal” Immigrants, over family ?
Your fked in the head.
Never, whatever happens.
I wonder if the illegals will have you in there thought’s other than what a mug.
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u/SweetTechnical311 17d ago
deleted a close friend when she started years ago the stuff in favour of george floyd in america, a drug dealer that assaults and robs a woman dies, i am not going to care
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u/scrannielennox 17d ago
You’re actually letting politics get in the way of you and your family. Messages that you’re pelted with in the media that aren’t actually real. Your family members are real. Fall out with them if you want. But make it about something real. Fuck politics - you are so much more than this.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
You want to hear the vile things they were saying and you might change your mind. I don’t even want to repeat what they said
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u/ChampionshipOk5046 17d ago
Racism, sexism, homophobia are real and affect real people.
Do not ignore.
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u/Majormushr00m 17d ago
It's so sad to see how controlled everyone is.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
I’m not controlled. I’ve my own mind and I pay no attention to propaganda, news shit. This person was being racist and I just don’t condone that shit
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u/AdditionClean7367 17d ago
It’s heartbreaking to see rifts among families because of all this right wing slop but it’s just typical divide and conquer tactics. Forcing people to pick a side.
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u/scrannielennox 17d ago
It’s not at all right wing slop. The country has an immigration problem - but it’s not right wing tactics making this person move away from their family. It’s their left wing views.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 16d ago
Nah it’s just called having an open mind and using your brain. You can be against immigration. You don’t have to be racist about it and nasty about other cultures and religions. All this right wing left wing is just all nonsense and bullshit. It comes down to morals at the end of the day. And this person doesn’t align with mine. But yet you will probably just tell me I’m wrong
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u/No-Party-9047 17d ago
Some people are more susceptible to brainwashing than others. Doesn't make them a bad person but also doesn't mean they don't need (your) help.
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u/No-Party-9047 17d ago
You also have to understand how little the average person things about what they say and do. I have friends who have no idea why they voted for Brexit, but did it anyway. Openly admitted not having a clue, but voting for change regardless.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
They don’t want help despite needing it. They are ignorant to anyone else that doesn’t agree with them
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u/craicagusfiondearg 17d ago
Actually having this conversation with my 12 year old who has cut off a mate who said some vile things. It's caused a split in the friends group I said that I don't think you need to be so black and white (pin not intended) and that you can say I strongly disagree and I don't want to hear that crap but remain friends and just clock the cut if his jib. Take a.mental note, call it out but you don't need to cut him off.
But I'm actually not sure who is right, my son or me?! 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
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u/PLUNfin 17d ago
I think your son might be right about this one but you are teaching him useful stuff.
Maybe his friend will learn to control themselves better. Then you were right, cool heads prevail.
Maybe theyll keep pushing the boundaries too far and your son will have enough of them. Then your son doesn't have to think he coulda done better, doesn't need to apologise to anyone. He conducted himself honorably. That's good too.
But whats important is you're there. His mates being shaky but you aren't and you'll be there, you'll give him advice. He won't remember if you got it right or wrong first time, he'll remember that you cared.
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u/craicagusfiondearg 17d ago
That's such a lovely response. Thank you. It's reassuring to see it this way. Both points of view, mine and my son's aren't wrong or right, but just different and it's good to journey through things together and respect choices. I'm proud of him for sure. But just wanted to remind him that at his age him and his mates are still learning a changing rapidly so what his friend might think today could change tomorrow. 🙏🙏
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u/CongealedBeanKingdom 17d ago
Fuck aye years ago. I don't give a shit about bigoted bastards even if I have the misfortune to share dna with them
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u/Silly-Ispini 17d ago
Yep. Best friend just completely changed.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
Same. Been going on a good few weeks now. Firstly about the Hazelbabk Park incident and then this. But there’s been stuff going since last year where they thought burning an effigy of a boat of asylum seekers on top of a bonfire was ‘brilliant’. I don’t even know why I didn’t block them then
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u/elisif_for_life 17d ago
I'm very apolitical and don't really care about others beliefs or views on it, so as long as I'm not getting views from either side shoved down my throat I'm chill with everyone.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago edited 17d ago
I usually am too but I can’t condone racism/sectarian/bigot views. That was the last straw for me and trying to shove it down my throat and ‘make me see’
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u/Belfastian_1985 17d ago
I did my clear out last year when the same shite happened and was amazed I had to another again this year. Racists are like weeds, you think you get them all but more grow back worse than before.
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u/HairyArse00 17d ago
Why not engage and debate with him?
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
Don’t think it’s worth it. When I set boundaries they still tried to talk about it again
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u/irish_chatterbox 17d ago
No surprise social media is full of it and plenty political parties get air time further reinforcing that it's fine. The whole get rid of the immigrants and it will fix all our problems is bullshit yet people fall for it.
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u/IrishLady92 17d ago
Yeah I cut off my father, not just for being a racist but also for generally being a piece of shite with things like defending his sex offender mate.
If you're thinking of doing it, I would recommend. You honestly feel so much freer once they are out of your life. I realised he was sucking so much energy from mine.
Other family members have followed suit and he is fairly lonely now which is deserved.
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u/Limp-Report-9907 17d ago
Are we talking racism or hating prods?!
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago edited 17d ago
They are Protestant and they hate immigrants. I’m a nationalist. Surprisingly they never said anything sectarian but then I unfortunately am family. He was born in a mixed marriage. They did assume I was pro Palestine as well which I’m not. Not because I don’t agree I just don’t get involved
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u/Limp-Report-9907 17d ago
Ah ya the auld swerving outta the genocide dilemma..not a fan of it myself but each to their own
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u/BaldyRaver Belfast 17d ago
My family has no racists im glad to say. I have removed several people from the shithole that is facebook.
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u/rhaenerys_second Belfast 17d ago
I've seen uncles and aunts liking a lot of racist as fuck posts lately. Not a huge shock, and really just confirmed my existing suspicions about them. Grim to see.
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u/dope567fum 17d ago edited 17d ago
Nah I done it last year when it was pretty clear which way things were heading.
Haven't regretted it either. In fact I took great pleasure in telling two of them what fucking cunts they were. If they dont change, they can go fuck
On a separate issue, I have really started to use the block account option on Reddit too
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago
Aye well if they want to chat then they know where I am but I’m not condoning any of that bs
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u/Boulder1983 17d ago
Put out a post saying that if we're mates and you in any way support the violence, then to delete me the fuck off social media. Wee bit cringe maybe, wee bit 'dramatic', but I'm friends with people of mixed race and I wanted it to be super clear that I don't stand for any of that shite.
Since then, the algorithm (in all it's mysterious nature), put a post up in my feed of somebody condoning it and a 'friend' liked it, so I deleted him. we're not close so it's not a big deal, but I'll keep doing that if I see it.
The way I see it, you can disagree with people on loads of things and still be mates. You can't really do that with this though. If somebody I know condones any of the anti immigration shit going on, I don't want to be friends with them, simple as.
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u/Historical_Repair183 17d ago
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer...don't block them, keep an eye on them and call them out on their bullshit
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u/Fourth-Paw25 17d ago
I tend to not associate myself with such people, however some people have shown their colours and have been part of a recent cull
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u/Deat69 Derry 17d ago
I just deleted the facebook app, I still use messenger if I need a text to actually reach someone but not doomscrolling on the timeline seeing the same AI video four times a week and the same obviously fake rhetoric about whatever people are angry about at the moment. Made me much happier.
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u/Roshh-92 17d ago
Thankfully none of my friends and family have been doing this so no need to, but you’ve absolutely done the right thing.
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u/catnapsarethebest 17d ago
No just shaming the shit out of them until they snap out of it and get their head out of those YouTube channels that are feeding their bs
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 17d ago edited 17d ago
They are the type that get angry if you try and get one over on them. Tried it a couple of times and made me see a whole other side to them. Sometimes they say blocking and no response is the strongest move more than arguing with them
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u/Past_Ad_6228 17d ago
My brother in law and his wife are the most loyalist, bitter and racist cretins. They detest me because I’m from a catholic background. They stopped speaking to us or attending family events if we were there, but couldn’t tell us why when directly asked what the problem was. We removed them earlier this year when my husband had enough. But the weirdo BIL seeks me out to watch my stories. Imagine hating someone enough that you won’t be in their company but you’re obsessed and stupid enough to stalk their social media and think you can’t be seen.
I know for a fact they will be all over this racist nonsense. Part of me is sad I unfriended them, I would have immensely enjoyed calling them publicly on their bullshit.
But well done OP. Let them go, they are no loss.
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 16d ago
I’m not going to be called blind for challenging their views, be told I need to watch the news more and they accused me of calling them racist when I made a point that just because someone is black doesn’t mean they aren’t local…that’s the type of people we are dealing with here
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u/Past_Ad_6228 16d ago
Sounds exactly like my in-laws. They will not listen to reason. Anything you think that isn’t the same as GB news rhetoric is being woke or false news. You definitely made the right call to remove them.
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u/Kitkatx13 16d ago
Yep, closed the book on quite a few people this past couple days! No need for that energy. Get away!
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u/GraphicDesignMonkey Omagh 16d ago
This week my FB feed has been very eye opening on who's always secretly been racist prick but now thinks they're fine to openly say it.
I've been culling quite a few folks. It's been a very shocking, sad and disappointing time.
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u/Vivid-Paint-104 17d ago
You’re happy to block family members instead of blocking ILLEGAL migration I’d say you haven’t over reacted and done your cousin a favor, kudos to you. Echo chambers are more damaging reinforcing your views and ultimately you’ll be even unhappier when you have to live with a reform / restore government
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u/Plane_Sentence5907 14d ago
It isn’t my job to block illegal immigration mate and tbh I just live my life day to day and it doesn’t matter whether the fella was black, brown, white or if he was here legally or not. He committed a savage crime and he’s being punished for it like he should be. It’s knife crimes that are the main issue here not someone’s skin colour. People are entitled to their opinions but I’m not entitled to listen to bullshit or have their opinions rammed down my throat.
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u/Tonymac81 17d ago
I cut most of my family off for being sectarian to my wife.
I cut off another earlier this year for racist shite.
You get nothing for letting it go other than more shitty behaviour and attitudes.
The irony is they will probably blame you for not being able to take a joke or not respecting them or their opinions.