Pigeon holing society helps to separate us and fuels racism; fuels every ‘ism’.

I personally can remember a time, not that long ago, where I thought the U.K. was in a much better place than around the 1950/60’s.  We had come a long way, learnt many lessons, and now we were moving forward to, I hoped and believed, a better place. This is the U.K. not the U.S., where yes, things are much worse, but do not tarnish us with the same brush.

But then along came #BLM.  Apparently I’m racist, I’ve learnt it, it’s inherent in me and now I can’t get rid of it because it’s in my genes!  I disagree.  Blaming and insulting others will not bring us together, but separate further away.  Now I feel I’ve gone back 50 years.

Yes, it’s obvious I’m white.  No I am not privileged.  I’ve been turned down from jobs because of who I am.  It’s all wrong, but that’s life.  If we are to save ‘freedom of speech’, then surely I have the right to my opinion as a white person? How sad it is that I have to resort to labelling myself by my pigeon-hole identity. Correction. I am a British person who happens to also be white.

The day after all the London marches, the riots, the pulling down of statues, I passed a person of colour in the street and thought to myself, ‘Oh God, you hate me!’ I’d never, ever, thought that before, but you made me think it.  I always looked at any person as a human being; no difference, whether it is the colour of your skin, or your sexual orientation – it was just a shell – and it still is.

‘But that’s just you’, you may cry. ‘You don’t know what it’s like to be me?’  But by the same token, ‘do you know what it’s like to be me’?  However, you seem to think I should go on bended knee for some political organisation.  I will not.  I will bow to no man or woman, and I certainly do not expect you to bow to me.

I recently read rumours that a university, specifically for people of colour, is being considered.  Why? This is segregation.  This is because you allow ‘pigeon-holing’.

I see many people of colour high achieving, so it’s not that the opportunities are not there.  Whether in the workplace, in society, we have laws to cover any discrimination.  I read a blog written by a person of colour who stated that they thought we were a racist country because they were unable to purchase specific hair products from the supermarket.  Fine, but take it out on the supermarket not the people.  The people must be beside you, fighting with you, not against.  But because we are all ‘pigeon-holed’, how can we possibly fight together? 

There is a young disabled, heterosexual lad, unable to get medical treatment because of who he is.  Is that not discrimination? Does that not matter too? Again, he’s brought out a Petition asking the nation to help, because of being pigeon-holed!  But unless you exist in that ‘pigeon-holed’ world, it doesn’t matter to you.  We are fuelling segregation for continuing to accept our pigeon-holed identity.

Some people in society will always name call whether because of colour, or disability, or sexual orientation.  Some will be racist probably because they’ve only survived in their pigeon-holed life.  This is where we can change things. We have to become one, not separated.  It may take time to change the few, but with the many together as one, the fight is stronger. 

Pigeon-holing society – you are black, you are white; you are part of that religion, your sexual orientation, your ability etc., – all pigeon-holed.  Naturally, there are times when explaining your ‘difference’ may be beneficial, but for the society I want to live in, I can’t see many times this is necessary.  Pigeon-holing society only fuels separation and hinders those outside from learning.

In 2016, the Sun newspaper reported that the BBC had ‘traineeships for script writers’ from ethnic minorities only and the Sun felt this was discrimination against whites.  The BBC replied “As the Sun knows and has ignored, these are not jobs but training and development opportunities permitted under the Equality Act and to describe this as anti-white is utterly ridiculous and irresponsible.

“As we have an under-representation of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in script editing roles at the BBC it’s the right thing to do.”

This is not bad for script writing experience, but hopefully, the right person receives the experience of training and development, not because they are pigeon-holed.  It should be open to EVERYONE.  Not because of the colour of your skin, or your sexual orientation, etc.

If we allow pigeon-holing of this kind, then we will never be seen as ‘one’.   Why are you allowing yourself to be labelled ‘minority’?  Shouldn’t you be seen as British?
If you are part of one nation, then why are you a minority? – Because you have allowed yourself to be pigeon-holed.

To allow pigeon-holing constrains parameters which could have serious effects on your personal wellbeing and career.  Once classified as a ‘pigeonholed’ person, you lose out, and so does the other person.  You deny yourself the opportunity to grow or develop in a more complex relationship with others. 

To mentally classify or categorise anyone in an oversimplified manner, may lead not only to being left aside, but denies the other to learn, to understand and discuss.  How then can we truly become a ‘British nation’ if we are segregated into categories?

This is what is happening today.  We are allowing segregation to seep into our society, to categorise, to pigeon-hole everyone and it is a dangerous step.  Rigid typecasting helped no man or woman, and only serves to establish a segregated society.

I don’t care if you’re black, gay, what religion you are, etc., what I care about is, are you a good person? Are you someone I like, someone I can talk to, and someone who, together, we can teach each other what it is to be you and what we share.  If I don’t like you, then it will be for another reason not the ‘shell’ you portray, for the shell is just that, an outside casing.

So please, think and let’s stop pigeon-holing society, open up your hearts and minds and let those that live within a different shell to enter your world, and just maybe we can become ‘one nation’.  Why? I believe its the Elites at work trying to divide us, so that we can be controlled better and that we fight amongst ourselves. We must stop this from happening. Stop pigeon-holing society.

Wouldn’t you rather be one British nation, standing side by side?