I need to get this in writing, so it’s out of my head.

About 2:30 today, I was standing at Holy Corner bus-stop, mutually moaning with an older white human about the lack of buses. This person asked me where I was going: to a LeithChooses meeting at McDonald Rd library. I can’t remember how this led to the person saying that foreigners ‘should be sent back where they came from’ – the person’s actual words. The person then ‘clarified’ that her ire was against foreign beggars, who ‘the government’ was aiding to come to the UK – I would know if I watched TV.

I almost immediately started fuming. I stated that I am somewhat foreign, that humans are humans – all welcome to exist, and that the person’s opinions are utterly wrong. The person reiterated that the TV would show me I’m wrong, and that the government really is doing such bad things. (You may know that I believe the current government is doing bad things, but support of people in need – wherever they are from – is not one of these.)

I walked away from the person, stating I could not take part in this conversation any more. I feared I would do more than forcefully say ‘you are wrong’. I found it ironic that the person then asked a younger black person about buses.

So, apart from being resolute in my opinions, what should I do in future? I invite responses from anyone.

• How else should I have reacted? For example, could I have asked why the person had these opinions?
  • So how can I calm myself to have such conversations?
• What is it in me that immediately reacts so angrily to xenophobia? (Actually, I think I know: my family history of suffering from racism.)
• Why is there such misinformation?
  • Why on earth would anyone believe that anything on TV is absolutely true?
    • I used to work for a publishing company that was part of a media conglomerate. One of the annual company reports I read implied (perhaps even stated explicitly) that the main point of its TV output was to generate advertising g’impressions.)
  • And what can be done to tackle it?
• Or am I wrong, i.e. is it in any way true that any part of ‘the government’ (UK or SG) is actively aiding foreign beggars to come here?
  • If so, is that a bad thing in any way? (Clearly my answer is ‘no’ – if people have such dire lives that they feel forced to move countries, then they should be helped. I am willing to learn about what forms of help would be most effective, e.g. within the Uk or within people’s home countries.)
• Should we stop the boats?
  • Yes, by contributing to making other countries less dire. While it is not the current generation’s fault that the UK has a long history of horribleness to other countries, and it was not the UK alone by a very long way, I think we continue to benefit from this, and so should pay back ‘our share’.
  • If the problem is people making obscene profits and doing horrible things to forced migrants, then set up our own safe channels. (Here’s some information on what the UK was doing in July 2023 and here’s some information on channel-crossings as of 2022.)
• Earlier, I wanted to write ‘racism’ instead of ‘xenophobia’, but I did not hear any unpleasantness, certainly nothing to do with the younger person’s skin-colour.
  • So to what extent are ‘racism’ and ‘xenophobia’ synonymous?
  • And do any differences matter?

OK, I think I’ve got my temper down to a normal level, but I would very much appreciate thoughts on where to go from here.

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Featured image by Humberto Chávez on Unsplash