Comments by "jumble stiltskin" (@jumblestiltskin1365) on "History Debunked"
channel.
-
1400
-
597
-
492
-
469
-
467
-
399
-
331
-
288
-
268
-
267
-
258
-
246
-
241
-
I did 23 years in the medical services of the Navy. Retired from such last year.
In 2020 we were treated to a zoom online visit by Captain Steven Henry MBE, a co chair of the army BAME network as part of the madness following the death of Floyd.
He wanted to tell us about his lived experiences of life in the UK seeing as he had Jamaican ancestry.
He built up a picture of insults and slights which were open to all manner of interpretation with no context. His crowning experience however which he built up during the session was that of an incident on a train from london to Peterborough the previous year. In it he describes being sat on the busy train and made room for a white bloke to sit down who appeared to have ignored the invitation, Henry tells us that no words were spoken it was performed with body language which Henry instantly interpreted to mean "racist" and insisted on using the egregious microaggression word. He used this ridiculous incident to paint the picture that the UK still has far to go. I was seething at this attitude.
Later he decided to pick on me out of the group of a dozen on my table to hear about my thoughts and I could barely contain my anger at this.
I decided to ask him about the train incident and why he instantly assumes racial connotations. He replied that he gets this "all the time" and that was answer enough. I asked him had any white people ever held a door for him, or let him out at a busy junction in the car, or generally shown human courtesy to him? Of course he relies yes, so I ask why then are you choosing to pick nebulous incidents which may or may not have racial intent to describe the distance this country has yet to go? He waffles about inherent inequality for a time, to which I point out that he holds a MBE. The session ends quickly after this.
Later I was approached by one of my line managers, a major of east asian descent who politely asked me if I was "alright", that people on my table had commented on my "discomfort" with the discussion. I informed her that I took much discomfort from the discussion as led by Capt Henry. She was not present at the discussion table so I told her what I had said. She replied "you have given me much to think about" and left me be.
I retired 8 months later.
I should point out here that I am from Ireland, I love this country and always since a child admired how much it has done for the world. Coming from Ireland I had many moments which I could interpret as "hate" in the modern thought of today, no doubt some were but they are a vanishing minority, most are simply "banter" such as being called a potato picker, paddy, muck eater, etc etc all fine they received banter in return and it washes over me, mostly because these "incidents" are vastly dwarfed by the incidents of common respect, opportunity and decency I have received here in Britain. I am ever thankful for it and pay no mind to the rest.
My boys are being brought up BRITISH but aware of their ancestry in Ireland and more than anything else to feel proud of the country they live in.
239
-
239
-
224
-
220
-
219
-
217
-
216
-
206
-
188
-
184
-
172
-
167
-
165
-
164
-
163
-
151
-
146
-
141
-
134
-
132
-
131
-
123
-
122
-
120
-
117
-
116
-
115
-
114
-
113
-
113
-
113
-
112
-
108
-
105
-
104
-
102
-
98