Racism?

[munchingfoo]

Is this a racist comment?

from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7468434.stm

Responding to a claim that some black people might leave the UK if Mr Johnson became mayor, James McGrath said: "Let them go if they don't like it here."

I would have said that it was an unfortunate choice of words for someone trying to win votes, but I can't see that it is racist.

What do you think?

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"The entirety of these definitions lie outside the gamut of the sRGB color space — such a pure color cannot be represented using RGB primaries. The color swatch to the right is a desaturated approximation, created by taking the centroid of the standard definition and moving it towards the D65 white point, until it meets the sRGB gamut triangle."

[Fionnlagh]

A difficult one. It's not overtly racist, but would he have said the same if it had been about white non-immigrants who were born in London? Would he have said "Let them go move to Coventry", or something equally silly? I guess if he would say that, then he's not a racist, just a bit of an idiot. But if he's treating the long-settled black community differently then he might be a racist. From you statement he made, I don't think you can tell either way, but it certainly raises questions for me.

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http://facebook.com/p.php?id=37102526&l=9f7bca06b0

[jequirity]

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LEEERRRROYYYY!!!!

Andrew W K Day 9th of May

[munchingfoo]

The very fact that the statement is ambiguous, to me, means that it is wrong to call him a racist.

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"The entirety of these definitions lie outside the gamut of the sRGB color space — such a pure color cannot be represented using RGB primaries. The color swatch to the right is a desaturated approximation, created by taking the centroid of the standard definition and moving it towards the D65 white point, until it meets the sRGB gamut triangle."

[Haunted]

Is he descriminating based on race?
No. He would've given the same (albeit, poorly thought out) response if they interviewer had suggested any ethnic group.

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Now with 100% more corn

[Jono]

If the Conservative Party don't like what James McGrath has to say, they should fuck off back to Tory Bora (aka Oxfordshire)!

Racism my arse.

[Nymphomanic]

It's a bit insensitive to the opinion of the black community in London. Also, where does he suggest they go? Many black people have been here for many many generations and feel a lot more rooted in the Uk than else where.

I don't realistically think that Boris Johnson is going to make people flee from London in Hordes. He may be right-wing to the point of it becoming somewhat ridiculous but it's not like when Hitler was elected in Germany in 1933 - people don't have to fear for their life and liberty. Although that's beside the point.

What James McGrath said was silly and insensitive. Let's leave it at that.

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I read most of the night and go south in winter - wasteland

[munchingfoo]

Apparently what is actually besides the point is what he said.

He didn't say that Black people should leave the country, he, when asked "What do you say to the fact that black people might leave the country if BJ is elected", replied "Let them go if they don't like it here."

He did not tell Black people to leave the country, nor imply that they should do, hence he has no reason to explain "Where they would go".

It is assumed in the fact that "black people might leave the country" that they have somewhere to go.

After re-reading it would seem that it is the question, not the answer, that is the racist part in all this.

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"The entirety of these definitions lie outside the gamut of the sRGB color space — such a pure color cannot be represented using RGB primaries. The color swatch to the right is a desaturated approximation, created by taking the centroid of the standard definition and moving it towards the D65 white point, until it meets the sRGB gamut triangle."

[FuzzyBeans]

This is yet another example of our country being ridiculous. Some idiot asks a stupid question and, for me, a good answer is replied and they call James McGrath the racist? If the question was worded differently so it was directed at everyone, ie, let anyone who doesn't like it leave, then there would have been no fuss at all, and it would have been a more sensible question in the 1st place.

Although, not impressed with Boris letting him resign, there was no issue from what i can see and they should have stood their ground.

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If you disagree with anything im saying, you're wrong!....

[beeny]

I completely side with FuzzyBeans on this.
At no point did McGrath say anything even remotely racist, it was a loaded question from the interviewer and so surely he is more guilty of racist sentiment.

It's disgusting that a man should lose his job and be painted a racist over this. Disgusting. Political correctness gone mad.

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'But what do I know? I'm a bear; I suck the heads off fish.'

[Guest]

James McGrath said: "Let them go if they don't like it here."

Not racist at all. Just another way of saying something like:
"that is up to them"
"that is a matter of personal choice"
"they can do what they wish" etc etc