Discrimination (the example being 'anti -ginger')

[Baelinicus]

I'm talking about this because it's something REALLY aggravating me at the moment. I'm 15, fairly thin, and live in England. I also happen to have a hair colour which happens to be called 'ginger'. Pretty much, it's what usually called red without dye.

And the amount of crap I get for it is RIDICULOUS. Today, I was in town with my friend. Then some random stranger comes up to me, puts his arm over my shoulder and pretty much tells me my hair colour is not to his taste, and would I change it please. I'm paraphrasing, by the way.

Last week, two people were walking past me and insulted me for having ginger hair. I had never seen them before, ever. Naturally, I made a witty quip ('Go to hell, douche.') and carried on walking.

Two days later, I was with some friends walking home from school, and some random people were walking past. And one of them smashes a football into my face. There's no chance it could've been an accident, because he was right next to me. This time, I didn't say anything, as I like my face the shape it is.

My problem is, how casual people's attitudes are to each other. The majority of teenagers I meet are not friendly people, and the media doesn't help. Most aggravating of all, is that there is no way to stop it. I can't go around beating up random people who insult me all the time: hell, I'd probably have broken my fist within a week.

But seriously. Does anybody have any advice on how cut down on all this crap?

I'm currently building up my muscles and learning kung-fu, but its the overall situation that worries me.

The other question is, should casual acts like this be made illegal?

 

[jellis186]

Coming from a Black American: Welcome to the club

 

[Drmortuss]

I used to have this problem when I was a freshman (kinda pale and very red hair because of my Irish ancestry). The only thing I can say that fixed it for me, was changing my attitude, building muscle and once I did that, the insults started coming less frequently and then stopped all together.

 

[Johnn Johnston]

Being an Emo, the only idea I have is to respond with general sarcasm and wit and ignore the (usually) chavs. I get verbal abuse from absolute strangers, too, so I know what you're getting at.

 

[Thais]

Coming from a Black American: Welcome to the club

Wow, there's more than one of us here? (I swear, if I walk into a bar one more time and the dj spotting little ol' black me makes some awkward attempt at "black culture" by shouting "Let's get Krunked UP!" I'm going to burn the place down. With him in it.)

 

[zirnitra]

well...I used to have long hair (I'm a guy) and was a goth for about a year and the ammount of discrimination I received was phenomenal; I was slapped in the face a few times a week by random strangers, I was hit in the head with a plastic bottle full of gravel. no one really tried to fight me because I've always been quite muscular and the goth boots made me about ft6.5 I always found that white van drivers were the worst pretty much every time I crossed the road on a weekday I generally got shouted at something witty along the lines of "get a haircut you freak" could of been written by Wilde or Byron but no it's some skinheaded poorly educated labourer then usually proceeded a half eaten Ginsters pasty to the head.

and I found the best course of action was to just walk on, if you start on a chav even if you beat the snot out of them within 5 minuets every pikey in their generally speaking enormous family will be head hunting you. and eventually you'll be so full of pent up rage you'll go on one of those genocidal killing sprees around a school or public place like Columbine or that girl Geldof wrote a song about (who coincidently is Ginger)

anyway I'm afraid to say that Discrimination is a part of life; racism is supposedly abolished but kids in London get stabbed all the time for the colour of their skin, women still on average earn less than men doing the same job, homosexual's are still mocked daily in the media.

whatever you do don't change your hair colour! if you do they win and everyone will eventually be the same and we'll all blend in the beige dullness of life. believe it or not I did a google search and their are a whole load of 'Ginger Rights' websites, apparently they even go on marches and protests around Westminster

 

[fix-the-spade]

Honesty, the problem is not that you're ginger, it's that people are wankers.

If it's not ginger, then it's being too blonde, too tall, wearing glasses, having long hair, having short hair, being too skinny or even having brown eyes that are 'too dark' (all of these have been directed at me). If someone wants to be an arse hole they'll find an excuse.

My answer to the second question is yes, because they already are (in the UK). It's referred to as anti-social or threatening behaviour and you can be arrested for both. Whilst having a football smashed into your face for no reason is assualt.


Dumb question, but what do you intend to do once you know the Kung Fu?

 

[Johnn Johnston]

Yes, it's assault, but you're hardly able to prosecute them without a name or a rough idea of where they might be, are you?

 

[fix-the-spade]

True but the same applies to any crime, the question was whether acts like that should be illegal.

 

[Jamash]

The other question is, should casual acts like this be made illegal?

I'm pretty sure that smashing a football into someone's face already is illegal. It's usually up to the victim to inform the police when a crime has been perpetrated on them.

You may find that building up you muscles & learning kung-fu may exasperate the situation. I'm from the UK & pretty well built & don't have enough digits to count the number of times people have had a pop at me because of my size, if you look like a fighter then you'll attract more violence. It could be a blessing that you thin frame means you only get footballs & verbal abuse in your face, rather than punches & headbutts.

 

[Gooble]

OMG, I have no idea why the hell ginger ppl get aggro. I don't see why any people who get aggro for things their born with, and can do nothing about, get aggro.

Pure retardation.

 

[Dcarty745]

I'm definitely not discriminatory to people with red hair. I find redheads to be the most attractive type of woman...

 

[Vaudille]

I kind of fit into the demographic for being the "most well off".

I'm a white Irish upper-middle-class Christian and thusly I have to be the most racist bugger in the whole dang world.

I get called a ginger sometimes, I shoot right back at them with something like, "Hey, buddy. Lose some weight, your breathing makes it hard to understand you", insulting, etc.

But for Christs sakes people, it's racism both ways now. If 1 more black "G-ANGSTA" call be a cracker, I'm going to get violent. Pff, everyone knows they carry guns, though.

And reporting assault is the wanker thing to do. It only makes people more skittish and won't improve your situation. I've been reported twice. The first time I was just fighting with some kid from my school. The second time I tackled some "G-ANGSTA" who tried to say something about my mom.
Someone tried to make it a hate crime. Hahaha.

 

[BlazeTheVampire]

That's actually pretty interesting... I have red hair, but I think the standards might be different for girls. Everyone LOVES my hair. I get compliments as much as you guys get insults. Hooray for double-standards.

But, I really don't think there's much to be done about it other than standing up for yourself. It's all about attitude. If you walk by someone expecting them to hit you in the face with a football, they will. It doesn't necessarily take kung-fu classes and muscle, just confidence.

What irks me the most is the scholarship system in America... if you're black, half black, even a quarter black, you pretty much get college paid for. If you're white, of the same age, and with higher grades than them, you still end up taking out loans. Affirmative action has turned into discrimination against whites trying to attend university.

 

[Copter400]

Bell-tower and a bolt-action rifle?

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves...

 

[BlazeTheVampire]

Bell-tower and a bolt-action rifle?

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves...

Lol, says the man with the Father Grigori avatar .

Anyway, Brass knuckles dude. Fuck those guys up. If some dumb bastard puts a ball in your face it's assault. You then have two choices brother, fuck them up, or inform the police. In highschool some guy messed with me once. One concussion later and noone in the school looked at me cross eyed for the next four years. Build a hate rep.
Also, yes, looks are everything. In highschool the butt nugget who messed with me did so because I walked down the hall in black leather platforms, makeup and a Megadeth shirt.
The joke was on him, he got his ass beat by a guy in women's boots.
Anwyay, back to the subject at hand.
Looks mean alot, and bullying is desire+opportunity. If you look like some schmuck, people will treat you like one. If not, carry a bat around.

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

Your guy-in-womens'-boots comment reminds me: people pick on nerds, but OH GOD WHY would you tease people who have real swords at home and actually put money into learning how to use them, even if they only did it to look like Aragorn? I mean, a majority of bullies are all talk and no action. If you confront them, they'll usually stand down, and most can't hold their own in a real fight. Why pick on someone who can? lol

 

[Vaudille]

Bell-tower and a bolt-action rifle?

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves...

Lol, says the man with the Father Grigori avatar .

Anyway, Brass knuckles dude. Fuck those guys up. If some dumb bastard puts a ball in your face it's assault. You then have two choices brother, fuck them up, or inform the police. In highschool some guy messed with me once. One concussion later and noone in the school looked at me cross eyed for the next four years. Build a hate rep.
Also, yes, looks are everything. In highschool the butt nugget who messed with me did so because I walked down the hall in black leather platforms, makeup and a Megadeth shirt.
The joke was on him, he got his ass beat by a guy in women's boots.
Anwyay, back to the subject at hand.
Looks mean alot, and bullying is desire+opportunity. If you look like some schmuck, people will treat you like one. If not, carry a bat around.

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

Your guy-in-womens'-boots comment reminds me: people pick on nerds, but OH GOD WHY would you tease people who have real swords at home and actually put money into learning how to use them, even if they only did it to look like Aragorn? I mean, a majority of bullies are all talk and no action. If you confront them, they'll usually stand down, and most can't hold their own in a real fight. Why pick on someone who can? lol

I'm a nerdy sonofagun (like seriously, I still make goddang cake is a lie jokes) and I lift, wrestle, and Box. It's all about setting a balance. I just discovered this about 11 months ago.

The reason I do this is just because all my life I've wanted to be different then the average nerd, to be better physically then some silly stereotype.

 

[jobr89]

im ginger and iv had a few insults (went thru sum shit once,sum1 made a joke and dyed my hair ) people missed me being ginger and said i looked cool which i didnt believe....u get twats in the world and u get people like that, just tell them where to go

btw that south park episode is BRILLIANT....im a daywalker lol