ON RACISM

Got an email which claims that the following stories are true:

Scene 1: The Oprah Winfrey Show where her guest was Tommy Hilfiger:

On the show, she asked him if the statements about race he was accused of saying were true. Statements like "If I'd known African-Americans, Hispanics, Jewish and Asians would buy my clothes, I WOULD NOT have made them so nice. I wish these people would *NOT* buy my clothes, as they are made for upper class white people." His answer to Oprah was a simple “YES".

Where after she immediately asked him to leave her show.

My suggestion? Don't buy your next shirt or perfume from Tommy Hilfiger. Let's give him what he asked for. Let's not buy his clothes, let's put Him in a financial state where he himself will not be able to afford the ridiculous prices he puts on his clothes.

Let's find out if Non-whites really play such a small part in the world.

Scene 2: On a British Airways flight between Johannesburg and London:

A White woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a black man. Obviously disturbed by this, she called the air Hostess.

"Madam, what is the matter," the hostess asked.

"You obviously do not see it then?" she responded. "You placed me next to a black man. I do not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat."

Be calm please," the hostess replied. "Almost all the places on this Flight is taken. I will go to see if another place is available."

The Hostess went away and then came back a few minutes later.

"Madam, Just as I thought, there are no other available seats in the economy class. I spoke to the captain and he informed me that there is a seat in the business class. All the same, we still have one place in the first class."

Before the woman could say anything, the hostess continued: "It is not usual for our company to permit someone from the economy class to sit in the first class. However, given the circumstances, the captain feels that it would be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting."

She turned to the black guy, and said, Therefore, Sir, if you would like to, please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in first class."

At that moment, the other passengers who were shocked by what they had Just witnessed stood up and applauded.

Now when I googled to verify the first one, I found out that it was a hoax, which is being circled since 2003. Tommy Hilfiger has never even been on the Oprah show. Both Tommy Hilfiger and Oprah Winfrey deny the claims in the email. I don't know about the second one, but it is certainly worth as a part of an entertaining fiction.

Yes, racism exists and it is very much alive in the kind of people you would never had imagined. But there is no need to resort to fabricated stories and claiming them as true stories as an awareness scheme. As this issue is sensitive, many are clever enough to libel or blackmail somebody with it. It can also be termed as reversed racism and racism in any form is bad.

"No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them."

"Racism is an ism to which everyone in the world today is exposed; for or against, we must take sides. And the history of the future will differ according to the decision which we make."