90% Of Whites (in UK) Have Few Or No Black Friends

Guardian Unlimited ^ | Monday July 19, 2004 | Vikram Dodd

[Cacique]

bttfl

[Rockpile]

I don't have any friends.

I hate everybody.

[RWR8189]

He believed the government should fund US-style summer camp places for 16-year-olds

What exactly are US-style summer camp places for 16 year olds?

[kylaka]

Indeed it is. How ironic that former Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver died as a Republican. What did Eldridge know that John Kerry doesn't? Or, in other words, who is the stupid white man?

[GVnana]

nine out of 10 white Britons have no or hardly any ethnic minority friends

How ironic that the same could not be said for the American South.

[cyborg]

Eventually he became a born again christian and repudiated his former beliefs. You'd not hear that from liberals waxing poetic about 'Soul on Ice'.

[adam_az]

When Kerry met Mfume

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Well, at least you don't discriminate.

[FITZ]

More than eight out of 10 white people have no friends who are practising Muslims

A practicing Muslim isn't exactly going to mingle with the "infidels" because that goes against what the koran instructs --- they are clearly advised never to mingle with the infidels except for the purpose of taking over their country. Why would anyone mingle with Muslims? If a non-muslim man mingles with them and falls in love with a muslim woman, both face execution if they should marry. The beliefs are just too different. I would imagine most of England's minorities are immigrant groups who don't chose to assimilate with the English and don't believe in that form of government or values.

[Clock King]

How many are "few"? two, three? That's more thank enough for CLOSE friends.

[Clemenza]

Yeah, it creates this false impression that blacks (and other persons with more melanin than I) desperatly want to be friends with whites.

People hang out with those they feel comfortable with, whether in terms of social class, education, religion, ethnicity OR race, among other factors.

[PallMal]

I would imagine most of England's minorities are immigrant groups who don't chose to assimilate with the English and don't believe in that form of government or values

This is not the case. Most of the minorities in England are from the West Indies, where in those countries, they're law is based on British Law, their schools are based on the British school system, many of these countries are parliamentary governments, etc.

[PallMal]

Oops. That should be their law, not they're law.

[JudyinCanada]

I don't have any friends. I hate everybody. LOL. Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. For what it's worth, there are some days I feel the same way! Fortunatley, not that many though.

[FITZ]

But the other minority groups would likely be immigrants from different cultural traditions and languages I would think. People from the West Indies should be able to fit in quite well --- it's probably like someone else suggested -- most people choose their very close friends from family members or these statistics represents the ratios of different groups.

[PallMal]

But the other minority groups would likely be immigrants from different cultural traditions and languages I would think

The Asians (including Indians) for the most part celebrate their cultural tradition at home with their family and friends. When they're outside the home, they go to the same schools as whites and other minorities, go to football (soccer) matches, etc.

However, the one group that doesn't seem to fit in well has been (guess who...) the latest batch of Muslim immigrants (not so much the Pakistanis who have been there for many decades, and as far as I could tell, never tried to shove Islam down peoples throats as the latest group of immigrants are doing now with their special demands).

As far as language goes, as liberal as the UK is, the one thing that is not liberal about them is the usage of English as the official language. If you don't know English, then you're going to be lost there. There is no "bilingual education", or voting instructions in umpteen languages, etc. Maybe for tourism purposes, you'll see signs in French or German, but that's about it.

[cajungirl]

I don't exactly hate people. people make me tired is the best way I can say it. When young, I made friends fast and furious, we spent nites gossiping, talking, painting our nails, etc. The older I got the more I realized I had limited emotional energy what with kids and all the rest of life. I chose to focus mine on family. Actually the kids friends are as much like friends as mine. And I don't like to get intimate with more people outside the family. And people, as I said, just tire me out. The ones who are seeking friends are often coming with burdens. Oh my, I am getting to be a recluse.

[HungarianGypsy]

People become friends with the type of people they happen to have contact with. Articles like these always make it seem like everyone should go out of their way to make an ethnic friend. Who wants to be the "token black friend"?
A Mexican comic yesterday made mention that so large a percentage by 2050 would be people of color. The supposed punchline was "Looks like the comics need to catch up then". Perhaps the comics haven't "caught up" because cartoonists drawing them don't have to be people of color.

[HungarianGypsy]

Re-read before posting. Last line should have read don't happen to be people of color, NOT don't have to be.