Acceptable Prejudice

We all like to think we know what prejudice is, we like to think we can notice it when it happens and would do our best to avoid it or hopefully stop it if it rears it's ugly head. Racism, homophobia, sexism, transphobia, inappropriate jokes about disability are all things we'd agree are wrong.

Interestingly this week I've seen two areas of life where suddenly we aren't so sure. Suddenly it seems there may be acceptable prejudice - after all we're all agreed aren't we - "chavs", benefits scroungers or travellers - they're simply not deserving of respect, of consideration, of understanding. Of trying to see their point of view?

BBC Breakfast entered in to the debate on "chavs", what it means and if it is working class prejudice. I may not be able to answer those questions, but I do know it's a word I don't use, a word that is tinged with intellectual and insidious snobbery, a word that quite simply judges someone else. I try to live my life without judgements. I don't always get it right - true I make comments about Eton Toffs, Tories and others that perhaps now I realise I should reconsider. Yet when we use the word 'chav' we are making a statement about who holds the power - WE consider them to be powerless, it is condescending, a way of looking down on them. I'm not sure 'Toff' has the same effect - I'm not sure who holds the power in that particular insult?

Benefits Scroungers - we all claim to know someone that is living the high life on tax payers money. But do we? Actually do you? And if one person slips through the net and manages to abuse the system - who is wrong the system or the person? Does this mean we have to label all people based on a perception of a minority?

But really to me the worst 'acceptable prejudice' that is rearing its head higher and higher is anti gypsy and traveller feeling. It is racism. No other way to call it. We make judgements based on assumptions, misunderstanding and group think. "Living near a traveller site will effect my house price", "they're all thieves", "they don't fit in our community". I'm guilty too - perhaps expecting some members of these communities to be more homophobic - but actually I have no evidence for this. In fact I have plenty of evidence that they aren't as all the travellers I know have never had a problem with my sexuality when actually plenty of others have.

It is a complex issue, I do understand that, but then again - is it? Or is that yet another excuse to allow the media to label, blame and make a mockery of a community, a culture that we don't quite understand and are perhaps a bit afraid of because of that?

So at the end of August when the residents of Dale Farm in Essex are evicted at a cost of over £8 million pounds because the council say it's Greenbelt land - question why at the same time, this same Council is selling land up the road to housing developers? At our peril do we sit back and watch the rights of any group be eroded, at our peril do we accept terms like 'Pikey' in to everyday language, at our peril do we think that there is any prejudice that is acceptable....