Skinheads Against Racial Prejudices

[DannyBoy451]

Skinheads Against Racial Prejudices

During my stay on this forum, I have been asked a few times about my avatar in connection with the name I use here. I thought I might as well share the whole story with the rest of you.

Let me start by making an assumption first: When you hear the word Skinhead, you picture yourself a mindless, bald headed guy with a Nazi symbol on his forehead, holding his arm straight in front of him in greeting, and shouting "Heil Hitler". Am I right? You might even remember the movie made about it, which I have to admit I enjoyed watching.

Well if so, I?m not surprised. That was my view too five years ago, until I met a bunch of Skinheads in a game called Unreal Tournament 2004.

To be blunt, the image that Nazi oriented Skinheads (I will refer to them as Boneheads from now on) have assumed for themselves, is actually stolen from the original skinheads in the late 1970's, with a bit of help from the media, which is always looking for the worst of the worst to give a juicy story.

Before that time, starting around the late 1960?s, the Skinhead culture emerged. Skinheads at that time were heavily influenced by British Mod and Jamaican Rude Boy. They enjoyed listening to Ska and Soul music, and were actually a very mixed crowd. Even black people could consider themselves Skinheads. In fact, the Godfather of Ska - or Boss Skinhead - Laurel Aitken is a black guy!

You see, before the whole racist thing came to be, both black and white skinheads gained a new hobby: Paki Bashing. This atrocious past time was a way to let out anger over new immigrants coming from South Asia. Randomly picking out these immigrants, they 'bashed' them, for no obvious reason at all besides boredom I reckon. This might be what caused a regression in the Skinhead culture in the following few years.

There was a skinhead revival in the late 70's in the UK, and a large part of that revival was a white nationalist Skinhead 'faction'. Perhaps because they had a big mouth and stood out more, or just because the real skinheads were boring to the media, the mainstream media focused on these Neo-Nazi's, and quickly the general association of the public with Skinheads became racism. Soon the White Power Skinheads spread to other countries, and the association of the public was fixed from that point on.

With the boneheads still pertaining to the Skinhead identity, e.g. wearing the boots and braces, the Ska loving non racist Skinheads were kind off pissed that the boneheads stole their identity. So in 1987, the SHARP - or Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice - movement was started.
SHARP was created to indicate that the Skinhead subculture was not based on racism and political extremism. Instead, SHARPs recognize the biracial origins of the skinhead subculture, and are actually opposed to neo-Nazis and other political racists, particularly if those racists identify themselves as skinheads.

These days, SHARP is not specifically an organization, but more of an individual designation. Beyond the issue of anti-racism, there is no official political ideology of SHARP.

Yeah, I knew about this already since a friend of mine is a skinhead, so I looked it up a while ago. Nice post though, skinheads get a very bad rep that they really don't deserve.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

If you've got some point about how "There is a drastic difference between sub cultures and real cultures" that isn't about numbers, then make it, but I can only respond on the basis of what you actually write--otherwise...I'd be attacking a strawman!

Lacing your points via rhetorical questions is your safe way of making straw-man statements because, "it wasn't a statement" is was a question. Well, a question isn't a point or a statement either so you're flawed on both approaches.

It's only logical that if a group of people exist in greater numbers that they have a greater platform and presence by which to express and educate others about their social norms. SHARPS do not have this so it is unrealistic for them to presume that random people are in the know about their little click.

Society already has visual semantics for what a skinhead is, so dressing in a similar fashion is really not an effective way of representing equality since for most people you are mining an aesthetic laced with antisemitism and intimidation. It's not fair but that's just how society works.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

It's not my fault your words didn't make the point you intended to convey--don't accuse someone else of constructing straw men when they are simply interpreting your words in a plain and common sense fashion, when they first ask you a question giving you a chance to elaborate and then when you don't and fail to express yourself in your response, accuse them of construing straw men when they respond to what you actually said as opposed to what you meant in your head.

You didn't ask for clarification Cheeze. You posted rhetorical questions as if they were some form of my statement when they were blatant exaggerations and misinterpretations of my points. I never stated that larger social groups should be respected by default you were the one who implied that it was my intention.

So I don't buy this "gave you a chance to elaborate" line. You're too busy playing online Socrates to actually try to grasp a rational point from a statement. You think you are being one step ahead of the conversation but you are really just off arguing on tangents where you falsely presume that the conversation is going.

Larger social groups have a greater voice thereby being able to educate others on their social norms. God forbid you presume that aspect of my statement... no instead you assume I'm a moron who must think that more people are more important just by sheer numbers alone.

Like I said, if your questions were sincere I'd have no problem elaborating but you and I both know they are not sincere. It's Cheeze, and the last thing you are when it comes to questions is sincere.

 

[lava_lamp]

me and my long hair

 

[cainx10a]

We actually had to read an article on SHARP in a high school psyche class.

Still...

Racist Psychos or not, I see a big dude with army boots and a shaved head, I'm gettin my ass across the streets. You skin heads look SCARY.

This. Just glad my brown ass was blessed with speedy invisible legs

 

[Labyrinth]

It's interesting actually because there are a few punks in my area who take the piss out of boneheads with astounding regularity. I suppose they're thankful that none of the Fourth Reich are around here.

For some odd reason a similar prejudice is sometimes branded to metalheads. I don't know why, maybe all those pale Scandinavian types seem a lot more white power than they actually are. Or it could be the old association with more militant cultural movements which causes such things to be displayed. Then again, I guess we're about as scary as skinheads what with our steel capped boots, violent concerts and of course the pure malevolence we piss with caustic regularity.

It's often the most unpleasant individuals who are the loudest in any given culture. Look at religious extremists for a prime example.

 

[Goldbling]

I actually already knew all of this stuff, but still, good for you.

Yeah I've known about SHARP and their happenings since I was 10

Pretty confusing title led me here. I was thinking "Skinheads? Against racial prejudice? Is that an oxymoron I see?", but I have been corrected. Actually, I´m really not surprised, kinda expected something like this. I mean, almost every movement still alive today has had their ideology warped and misinterpreted possibly several times in the course of time. New generations come, they give new meanings to old ideas, and eventually everything turns to shit. Nowadays it seems, to know what things really are, a lot of knowledge and background studying is required.

Anyway, this was educational. Thank you.

Basically they are People proud of their race, but not enough to start mass genocide or killing random opposite raced people

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

Fine, you're a SHARP. How do you think old Jewish people feel when they see a bunch of militan shaved headed sharps coming up the street?

Sincere question, not loaded.

Now we're on a 'Confederate flag' level of political confusion with that point.

Not really--the Confederate flag was always associated with slavery. The skinhead movement didn't get connected to fascism until long after skinhead's inception.

But some Southerners associate the Confederate flag with their independence, it serves as a symbol of identity. Surely not everyone who has a Southern Cross on their wall is a horrible racist.

The thing is, though, that the South is not independent. They lost that war. They are just as much a part of the United States as any other state, and not some special group above or below the rest of the states. When Southerners wave their flag like that, they're simply being sore losers who are trying to act special by saying, "Look at us, we're rebels!" And what was their war for independence based on? There is much debate on this, but nobody can deny that slavery played a huge role in it. In fact, if slavery had been outlawed in the Declaration of Independence and/or the Constitution, the civil war probably wouldn't have happened. Proudly displaying a Confederate flag not only brings up memories of a war most would rather forget (though forgetting history is never a good thing, still in this case it is at least understandable), but it also seems like poor sportsmanship on the side of the South. You lost guys, and you need to be curteous about it- its not like the North is still pursuing you with a poorly-put-together reconstruction process.

Putting all of the stuff I said above aside, people who use Confederate flags as decor should realize that that action usually scares the hell out of minorities, specifically black people. Which means that if you are going to go around waving a Confederate flag, don't be abrasive, which is something that so many people who wave their flags like that often are.

/rant

Sorry for the offtopic-ness of this post.

I don't think that is the right way to talk about death and violence. 50,000 noncombatants don't mean anything to you because you don't plant flags on their graves. I have. War is not a game of tennis- might does not make right. Our people want an identity and a future. A common symbol is not much to ask.

The controversy over the Confederate flag began with interest groups like the NAACP, who need public controversy to justify their existance. I think that organization's stated goals are honorable, but its actual goals are not. If you don't know what I mean, I recommend "Before His Time: The Untold Story of Harry T. Moore, America's First Civil Rights Martyr."

Destroying a cultural identity isn't right, even if those people were cruel to others.

EDIT: The author there is Ben Green.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

Kind of like how they stole the Swastyka and turned it into a symbol of hate.

I thought the original symbol was called the Manji, and the "bad" version that Germany used was the Swastika.

On an unrelated note, the Civil War was not just about slavery, the South were not just about slavery, and the Confederate Flag was not just about slavery. It's fair to compare skinheads and their racist faction to Confederates and their slave-owning faction, especially since, by the time of the Civil War, almost nobody in the South owned slaves anymore. They were mostly all small-time farmers. And the North weren't pro-black people, they were still very racist (they just didn't like the institution of slavery is all). Even Lincoln said the war wasn't over slavery. There were a bunch of factors, including the North's expansion of big industry and the complete lack of any kind of balance of power in every branch of Government (the North controlled everything at this time.)

 

[Samurai Goomba]

Sorry, computer error caused me to double post.

 

[IxionIndustries]

Interesting. Didn't know that before, too bad the nazis hijacked the image. Imagine if they had hijacked the goth movement or something more recent....that would be weird...

Haven't they already? An example:

Look! All the neo-nazis can relate to the wrist-slitters out there!

 

[Sporky111]

Well, I learned something today. And it is good useful knowledge too.

 

[NewGeekPhilosopher]

Interesting. Didn't know that before, too bad the nazis hijacked the image. Imagine if they had hijacked the goth movement or something more recent....that would be weird...

I've never seen a black Goth. Perhaps it's a conspiracy.

Good post my freind, interesting read. I knew that Skinheads were not always racist, but I didn't know all the details.

In "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao", Dominican Goths exist. However it is noted that they were given crap by other Dominicans because of cultural expectations of gender and lifestyle. That book won the Pulitzer Prize.

Anyway I feel enlightened about a movement I was unaware of before, and I thank you for it.

 

[joystickjunki3]

I had absolutely no idea about this. Thanks a lot for the schooling.

 

[veryboringfact]

Seems interesting. I would like to read a book on the matter. If you can recommend any..

Who cares?

Hush boy, this is a history lesson. You never learn of the saying "Don't judge people, try to know them"?

And I am a long curly haired person for the criminalisation of midget-tossing, but did you really need to know that ? This thread is an answer to a question nobody asked, and the originally quoted post was, imo, pretty valid.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

That's the crazy thing about the Confederate flag identity--the people who embrace that flag today are the kind of people who were also victims of that slave-owning class which created the government that flag represented.

I could cherry-pick and make the North look bad, too. Lincoln hated abolitionists. Or I could say the same about the American flag today. Statists always have an excuse for violence and death.