Tuesday 29 December 2009

RACIST, RACIST, RACIST. TELL ME IT AIN'T

A schoolboy bullied for having ginger hair hanged himself the day after health professionals ruled he was not a suicide risk.

Published: 12:03PM BST 12 May 2009

Adam Bailey was found hanged at his home last October after a row Photo: MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS
Adam Bailey, 15, was found dead at his home in Urmston following a row, an inquest in Stockport heard.


Girl, 13, hanged herself after being taunted over her ginger hair
By Daily Mail ReporterLast updated at 12:08 PM on 21st May 2008
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Inquest: Kelsey Winter was found hanging in her bedroom by her stepfather
A promising gymnast was found hanging in her bedroom after playground bullies subjected her to a flood of name calling, including "ginger", "freckle face" and "pig nose".
The inquest into the death of Kelsey Jade Winter, 13, heard she coloured her hair and wore heavy foundation to try and hide her natural ginger hair and freckles.Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1020910/Girl-13-hanged-taunted-ginger-hair.html#ixzz0b1zVZ6KD

9 comments:

Nate said...

These are severe cases of the affects of gingerism, not racism.

Nate said...

It is nice to see you 'documenting redhead prejudice in the mainstream' finally Madasa.

I wish all your bloging on this site referred to at least one piece of referenced mainstream news or prejudice.

Anonymous said...

It's difficult as a recluse to keep abreast of all the prejudice. I just thought it interesting from a psychological point of view how it affects the mentallity and emotional psychological health of the individual. Intellectual arguments are all very well but they have no concern with how people like Kelsey & Adam & I feel and why we end up topping, or trying to top ourselves. I am an individual. I don't feel like you. I don't feel like Dogg but it is the requirement by the majority that we should all react in the same way to their 'Racist' crap that bothers me most. You can concentrate on what you consider the difference between the two forms of bigotry/prejudice/discrimination if you will rather than the effects of it. I WANT TO KNOW WHY 2 KIDS ARE DEAD...not argue about whether 'Racism' or 'gingerism' killed them. How bad did they feel? For how long were they persecuted before taking the final step? I don't care if I offend people as they don't care if they offend me. Nothing I say is more offensive than the majority Black & White causing the death of these kids for their amusement. HOW DOES THE ABUSE AFFECT PEOPLE? I THOUGHT THIS SITE WAS ABOUT EXPLORING ALL THE ISSUES OF THE EFFECTS OF GINGERISM/RACISM. WHY ARE THEY DEAD? WHY ARE THESE 2 KIDS DEAD? IF THEY WERE BLACK KIDS DEAD FROM RACIST ABUSE THE FURORE WOULD NEVER END. THESE KIDS WERE ONLY GINGER SO IT'S THEIR FAULT FOR NOT GETTING THE JOKE? FOR BEING A LITTLE BIT OFFENDED BY THE SOCIAL ISOLATION & SOCIAL EXCLUSION THAT YOU FEEL AS THE MAJORITY HAVE A GIGGLE AT HOW FUNNY YOU LOOK. I am a human Nate. An individual. I like to express how I feel and why? If we don't say how it makes us FEEL how will they ever know or understand?

Nate said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nate said...

Madasa,

Please stop reducing my argument as semantics.

There is major difference between gingerism and racism.

I care more than you can believe about those people that attempt to take their lives.

Its important to understand the differences between forms of discrimination, because there are differences in a great number of elements and levels, for example:
- There are likely to be social contextual difference that effect certain social outcomes.
- There is likely to be different levels of support.
- There is likely to be different levels of recognition.

These are just three of the many discriminatory elements at work and that are worth exploring... TO STOP THE DISCRIMINATION and help those that feel this discrimination.

I agree with your sentiment COMPLETELY with all my HEART, but my BRAIN kicks in and says I need to explore this issue COMPLETELY.

I am not your enemy by any stretch of the imagination Madasa, I just disagree with you.

I also believe that in the scheme of things it is extremely important to not offend people... IT IS NO WAY TO GAIN SUPPORT!

Keep blogging.

Anonymous said...

P.S. Nate;

no, there's no fundamental difference between gingerism and racism: they're both forms of group-hatred based on appearance.
PERIOD.

The ONLY difference, is that blacks now have more protection against it in the form of white-guilt, and other legal protections stemming from it; for example if a white person calls a black person some name, they can be arrested or "ethnic intimiation;" but when children are attacked on "kick a ginger day," the cops openly say "it's not a hate-crime."
So just shove it, you're wrong.

Anonymous said...

Addressing the origins of the hatred, it's most likely the traditional fear resulting from Viking-attacks of the Normans, which led to the Celtic population of Northern Britain (Scotland) and Ireland; and indeed, the sight of red-haired Viking warriors, as well as their skin-color, played on the fear of their victims in driving them to panic and surrender without even fighting back, and traditions of terror and hatred that persisted to the present day. However that's really neither here nor there; the same can be said about hatred of ANY race, from Asians (Mongol hordes), blacks (savage cannibals), or Semites (scimitar-wielding Arabs etc). The only difference is that redheads are the only group that are considered "white," and dwell among such; as a result, they're the last ones being protected.

Turbulentbeauty said...

I'm sorry these are not racist at all. They are discrimintory, bigoted or intolerent statements.

Race = racism. Hair color is not race, therefore it's not racism.

Do you also think that blonde haired people are a separate race? Please educate yourself on the meaning of a race.


Also, I would like to point out that children of all hair colors, body types, ethncities and such have killed themselves after bullying. The children who bullied them probably bullied every other kid at school who was different... fat, glasses, tall, thin, poor, etc.

I'm not saying their behavior is excused, but I think 'gingerism' should be reserved for adults using the phrases. Children will be mean to each other no matter what 'defect' they percieve in a specific child.

Tom said...

Heres a comment for you saying its no different from other bullying. Look at the stuff coming up showing how upset red heads are, if it was no different these kind of pages wouldnt exist. Redheads are sick of bullying, Im 23 years old and for the first time in my life I will openly call my hair red, how many Tall or Fat kids take 23 years to work up the courage to call themselves tall or fat
And this is not unique I know many people in my same situation, some older who still cannot admit their natural hair colour because of the social stigma that has gone with it. That makes it different from being bullied for tallness or fatness.

And Can I just add, in both situations they can be changedm, you can work out to appear more stout, you can diet or have operations to lose weight, you cannot, CANNOT try any method even regardless of money to permanently change all the hair colour on ones body.

Races are just multiple genetic mutations over time, so yes Gingerism is racism because its a genetic mutation and races are defined by different genetic mutations.