Yes. I know. I’m going to write about it. I just have to massage my words into something diplomatic.
Update: I’ll post my thoughts Saturday. Been thinking.
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rashundatramble.com
A soul sister in Switzerland
Yes. I know. I’m going to write about it. I just have to massage my words into something diplomatic.
Update: I’ll post my thoughts Saturday. Been thinking.
Comments (6)
Ya know i was going to write you and ask your take on this .
CNN had a small report on the controversy its causing yesterday.
Knowing the Swiss culture, I’m not surprised…..
These ads have been around for at least a couple of months, haven’t they? I can understand the outrage, I just wonder why I didn’t hear it sooner.
I doubt most people would say yes to the proposal, certainly because of the 2nd item on the agenda. At any rate, we’re out of here soon, to the US, where I hope race relations are better.
Just as a slightly different take on it: the SVP have kind of shot themselves in the foot by giving the impression that the Swiss are akin to sheep - i.e. no individuality, following the herd, etc. If I were Swiss I’d be a bit pissed off with the SVP for doing a poster campaign which suggests that the population of Switzerland is collectively as dumb as a farm animal. Baa…
Do you as a black American feel safe in a country that wants to kick immigrants of African descent out of the country? What if their xenophobia reaches to the violent levels of Russia? You can’t tell that someone is black American, black British, African or Afro-Latino until they open their mouth(s). I just fear for your safety, because it seems that the “right wing” of the whole of Europe has gone right off the rails.
(I hope I’m not hogging your blog Rashunda, please feel free to delete this comment if you want.)
To E! Not that this reduces the nastiness of the campaign, but I would like to point out that this discrimination is not limited to people of African descent. Ulrich Schlüer, one of the people behind the proposal, was interviewed by the Independent (UK) recently, and he mostly raged on about people from Turkey, the Balkans and Muslims in general. So, for me personally, the cartoon didn’t immediately directly refer to skin color per se, rather the “black sheep” allusion which exists in the English language as well. Now that it has been pointed out to me, I see it.
As for feeling safe, I don’t know where you live E, I personally felt very nervous driving through Martinsville, Indiana. Moreover, although he has apologized, it bothers me that people like Robert Byrd can be US senators. However, I’m considering returning to the US (job reasons, not social ones).