And now for something completely different.
My mum killed a young black girl.
We were driving down a dirt road in Africa, not particularly fast on a clear, sunny day in the late 70's. My mum was straight, sane & sober. I was in the car, mum driving but I was a wee sprog and can't really remember much else. A young girl - probably about my age (7-8 from memory) stepped out from the overgrown bushes on the side of the road. My mum had no time, she put on the skids but it was no good. After a sickening thud we had slid to a halt.
Mum flew out of the car, the girl was on her own lying on the road - I remember her head was bleeding. Mum got her in the back of the car. We had shouted help as loud as we could, mum beeped the horn & I went into the bush to see if anyone else was about. She had been alone.
Mum fucking hammered it to get to a hospital - she got pulled over once we got to a main road & then we had a police escort. At the hospital they worked on her, but she had died either on the way or after arriving. The cops eventually found out who her family was - mum insisted on being there when they were told. The little girls name was Margaret, she was a year older than me at the time.
My mum was eventually charged with what I guess was the equivalent of accidental vehicular manslaughter. AFIK she didn't lose her licence, she didn't do time or anything. I think the court took into account her clean record, the fact that she had done all she could to save the little girls life & her clear sorrow, remorse and regret. Bear in mind this was a pretty much a completely 'black" judicial system, she was a white lady who had accidentally killed a young black girl. There was no need for them to be lenient if they had chosen not to be. I don't know exactly what punishment my mum received but I'm pretty sure it paled in comparison to the feeling of having taken a young child's life.
My mum got to know Margaret's family. They probably hated her but as her only way of appeasement she clothed and put thru school all 3 of Margaret's sisters. Even up to her death about 5 years ago when Margaret's youngest sister had finished uni in South Africa.
My daughter was about 2 when her grandmother died - so at least there is a grandparent in this tale. That and the fact that there is nothing casual about racism.
And no apologies for believing that. Ever.
(Misery McUglywife The ringofyre's 72597., Tue 1 Nov 2011, 23:10, closed)

click
its heartening to hear about people doing the right thing rather than the wrong thing despite the unfortunate circumstances
( sutit only the crumbliest, flakiest posts, Tue 1 Nov 2011, 23:29, closed)

What tits said.

( The Mock Turtle ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Tue 1 Nov 2011, 23:48, closed)

You don't suppose that the kid's family
threw her out in front of a car in a (very successful) attempt to blackmail your mother?

yes. I know I am going to hell.
(Gritty, yet fluffy. kipperpillock is obsessed with me =), Wed 2 Nov 2011, 6:51, closed)

Surely they would've been hitting her up for coltan
rather than clothes & education costs. ;)
& yes. You are...
(Misery McUglywife The ringofyre's 72597., Wed 2 Nov 2011, 7:20, closed)

see? it's perfectly acceptable to be as offensive as fuck. as long as there's no mention of any specific ethnicity.

(Gritty, yet fluffy. kipperpillock is obsessed with me =), Wed 2 Nov 2011, 8:39, closed)

I wouldnt be shocked..
Human Life seems to have no value in Africa.
(Boom- Clicks on NSFW links at work., Wed 2 Nov 2011, 14:18, closed)

Moving story.
Thanks for sharing. Kind of shows up the people who suggested the QOTW, a bit.
( Cragget is looking for what is looking, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:05, closed)

please show your workings.

( janet aylia living la vida loony, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:06, closed)

Pardon?

( Cragget is looking for what is looking, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:20, closed)

please explain why ringofyre's post shows up the people who suggested the qotw.

( janet aylia living la vida loony, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:24, closed)

Look @ the balls on you
showing yer face around here.
Maybe Cragget saw this - b3ta.com/questions/racistgrandparents/post1415037/
(Misery McUglywife The ringofyre's 72597., Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:28, closed)

do i have to restate my assertion that the people posting here, on the whole, are those that find
racism abhorrent, and can hold up examples of previous generations' indifference to it as horrifyingly funny? i sincerely hope that, as the world moves on, our grandchildren will have nothing to contribute to these sorts of questions. funny is subjective. prejudice is not. like it or not, these attitudes once existed and continue to exist and holding them up for ridicule can surely only reinforce the message that prejudice is abhorrent and those that hold these views should be mocked? i can't speak for those who have demonstrated their own ignorance with what they have chosen to post, but i can and will speak up for myself. so ner.
( janet aylia living la vida loony, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:38, closed)

plus, i'm really not sure what your post does to contribute to your viewpoint, given
that it's all about the good guys on whatever 'side' you view it from? perhaps you should think about the fact that you needed to state that the court were understanding of your mum's situation as a whole, given that due to their colour they could have been reasonably expected to be prejudiced against her?
( janet aylia living la vida loony, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:41, closed)

I see it as a win for whatever judicial system that country had in place.
Knowing that my mum wasn't a homicidal racist kinda helped there I must say.
EDIT: But sadly the 2 people who could've cleared up any discrepancies in my story are now dead. So I guess you'll just have to take my word for it.
(Misery McUglywife The ringofyre's 72597., Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:54, closed)

i'm not disputing your story at all. i don't know where i said i did.

( janet aylia living la vida loony, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 13:00, closed)

I find that
offensive.
(Gritty, yet fluffy. kipperpillock is obsessed with me =), Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:43, closed)

you awful troll.

( janet aylia living la vida loony, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:44, closed)

'awful' is such a harsh word.

(Gritty, yet fluffy. kipperpillock is obsessed with me =), Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:46, closed)

"Blind to what is going on fuckwit is blind to what is going on."
So - your genuinely funny story about an old person being racist without you yourself condoning/propagating racism is?
(Misery McUglywife The ringofyre's 72597., Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:47, closed)

i find it ridiculous that someone would have those views or ideas.
i don't see how my sharing that is either condoning OR propagating those views as a moral standpoint. i've made my position clear, and why you keep pushing for some sort of disclaimer that satifies you is a little beyond me. i notice you haven't responded to my question about how your post highlights a moral problem with any aspect of the original question.
( janet aylia living la vida loony, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 12:56, closed)

If prejudice is completely objective - as you seem to suggest (over humour)
then surely suggesting a very loaded prejudicial question on a humorist "no holds barred" website like b3ta would surely be a fairly risqué venture at the very least?
(Misery McUglywife The ringofyre's 72597., Wed 2 Nov 2011, 13:03, closed)

but, you see, i can't personally vouch for each and every person who may or may not respond
who might hold a viewpoint that other people may or may not agree with. i also can't control how people choose to interpret the question. it's the internet, you see.
( janet aylia living la vida loony, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 13:08, closed)

Surely you can't be that
obtuse as to imagine I'm blaming you for all of the dodgy posts. Shirley.
You came up with the concept - you must have known that it would be fairly controversial - even for b3ta. Some other dumb fucks voted for it - & here we are.
But make no mistake - you & BD thought it would be funny to make a joke about racism.
hahahahahahahahaha...
(Misery McUglywife The ringofyre's 72597., Wed 2 Nov 2011, 13:20, closed)

no, i've explained this to you more than once now. we found it funny to make fun of racists.
not the same thing.
( janet aylia living la vida loony, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 13:49, closed)

Anyway Jan - it's my beddy-byes
If you know of the thread where you & BraynDedd came up with the idea I really would appreciate the link.
From my POV you guys came up with an idea that you knew would troll qotw & neither of you have handled the fall out from it particularly well.
'night - Rob.
(Misery McUglywife The ringofyre's 72597., Wed 2 Nov 2011, 13:15, closed)

again, that's a matter of personal perception.
there was no intention to troll qotw with this question. anyone who makes a twat of themselves with an answer is fair game, as is the tradition. as for not handling it very well - i think we've just had a perfectly calm and rational discussion, here. on a comedy website. sleep well....
( janet aylia living la vida loony, Wed 2 Nov 2011, 13:18, closed)

Thank you.
'night.
Fuck it - I'm off to read a Matthew Reilly book now. Bugger.
(Misery McUglywife The ringofyre's 72597., Wed 2 Nov 2011, 13:21, closed)