Whatever context you have, whatever nation, you're equating blacks with redheads. Unless redheads have been forced to sit in the back of the bus while blondes and brunettes sit wherever they please, or separate hospitals with harsher conditions, don't start thinking that redheads and blacks have had the same hardships, I don't care where you live. They don't even compare. Sure, redheads had it hard in the Middle Ages, but blacks had it even worse in a more recent, so-called "enlightened" age.

It's all well and good getting on your soap box, too, and I imagine it has been quite hard for redheads, but I think it would be even better if you studied how trying to regulate hate groups only foments greater hate.

Ok... all good to know.

As for apartheid & Jim Crow laws... yet again, this is all in a BRITISH context, not an American one. There have never been segregation laws in the UK nor laws against voting if you're black and so forth. African-Carribeans who arrived in the UK since the late 1700s have been 'free' to live here with no laws against them. First Black sherrif in the early 1800s, First Black Mayor was in 1904. Unlike the USA which had laws set in place to discriminate.

However, in the Middle Ages, redheads were persecuted as Witches and killed. In the UK there is a long history in the past of seeing redheads as 'devil spawn' 'witches' etc. Folk stories and all that old wives tales have ran through generations. Thats the point I'm trying to put across, in the USA I never had a bad word said about me, I'd lived in NC for a year, and stayed in the North East around 2-3 months. Also in Canada. Over in the UK, its very different the amount of bullying, the negative portrayals in the Media and so forth. 

So at the end of the day I think its purely a cultural difference. We have different laws, different traditions and a different system and society. Its all well and good getting on your soap box, but it would be great if you actually sat down and studied how different it is in the UK :-)

Might as well with this law you're trying to pass into effect. It will have the same result, and not from just one person. You cannot regulate hate. You CAN make it worse.

A tad bit of research, especially into the potential circumstances of what you're proposing would be nice. Plus a few classes in law.

If all they're getting is names called, then absolutely.

I'm not saying you're not credible, I'm just saying that not every idea is a good one, and ideas arrived at from emotional circumstances are ESPECIALLY not good ones. We live in an overly litigious society, and a good tenet to live by, especially in legal cases, is "just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

First place to look would be at the British Social Attitudes surveys. They run every couple of years to map the way the UK thinks and feels towards all sorts of things from race, religion, homophobia. Homophobia & Racist attitudes have been declining.

Ford, R: Is Racial Prejudice declining in Britain (2008) - Very comprehensive, cites a good batch of papers that you could also look at. It came to the conclusion that prejudice is declining.

Race & Racism, Jackson, P.  Good book to take a look at

Tilley, Exley & Heath; 'Dimensions of British Identity'  Another good paper to take a look at

Its also worth noting the Home Office report into declining racist remarks and chants at football matches. They've charted the decline year on year, I've found you a link http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/reducing-crime/football-disorder/

I am not saying its all rosey, but for sure-the attitudes are changing.

 Lets go back to the first part (sorry I've no clue how to Quote you!) Growing a thick skin, well, thats all well and good-and I sure have grown one. I dont exactly break down and cry everytime I get 'ginger' shouted at me! lol! .. however lets go back to the situation I mooted. Would you say to African Americans living in the South, they should just grow a thick skin? There are laws (here in the UK) which would prosecute someone for shouting that kinda disgusting hatrid in the street. 

Restraining orders: I'm not looking to get any restraining orders. I'd just like to think my children or other kids growing up in school don't get picked on and bullied just for the colour of their hair! Bullying occours, I know that. But it is changing towards race, religion & disability. If people are told not to target you because of the colour of your skin, I don't see why its such a big thing to put the same thing in force for the colour of your hair. Its no different, its something we're born with!

My qualifications? I've a Bachellors in Psychology, I am working in Child Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry-the Number 1 producer of Psych Papers out of the USA, number 4 in the world. I am writing a paper on culture, status and social class with regards to schooling and education. I have two cousins in the force, one in the Met & 1 in the BTP. My partner is black and studying a Masters in cultural studies. Do you want anything else from me?

So I guess if you still believe that my opinions are alarmist, biased and not credible, there is no way I'll ever convince you otherwise! So I'm happy to just agree to disagree.

Is that what this is about? You're getting names yelled at you? Grow a thicker skin. They're just words. Words can't hurt you. Besides, nobody can get arrested for yelling racial slurs. There is no evidence left behind for the court to examine.

No, restraining orders.

Tell the police that the assault was racially motivated. That gets an upgrade to a harsher sentence. I'm trying to be diplomatic here, but have you actually researched the law?

I want websites, not you telling me these things are happening. I can't scientifically evaluate what you say in this blog. Besides, I see so many hate crimes per month, there's no way that you and a couple of people whom only you say are qualified to perform such a study will convince me it's on the decline.

I don't see anything besides your opinion here. I have studied the law, and I work in law enforcement. I have a bachelor's degree in forensic science. What are your qualifications?

Such a law only comes into practice when it is fully researched and debated by qualified personnel, especially to see if it will do more harm than good(which I say yours will). So far all I see is a petition on your behalf and a few unresearched(and, frankly, biased and alarmist) opinions backing it up.

Like I said, I'm trying to be diplomatic here. I'm against racism, and gingerphobia, but there are ways to approach its solution, and I don't think this is it. As the victim, I don't think you're being objective.

Ok.....

Assault and battery sure, theres a lot lighter sentencing for that then there is in racially motivated cases.

I think the thing is, lets say we live in a country where its alright to call a black person 'N' and its cool to shout at them in the street. Its really funny to take the piss out of them all the time. Are you totally ok with that? Because hey, there are laws against assault and battery ;-)

Devil? Ok... I don't believe in that.

Tilley (2005) found Racial prejudice in decline, Ford did a study and found that hostile attitudes towards interracial marriage in the UK are declinging. He looked at the changes since 1983. He found that change in attitudes is generational and that the toleration and acceptance of immigration and so forth in the UK has been improving in the last 2 decades.

Perhaps in the USA its different, and I understand that-after living there for a period of time.

'Thats why we in law enforcement discourage the practice'

of what? rules and education?? Then you'd be out of a job huh? I like that you think spouting your career at me makes you believe you can 'bully' me out of my point of view! :-)

But hey, you're entitled to your opinion and you live in the USA so you can sit back and see whether or not this country bows under the chaos of such a law coming into practice huh?! ;-)

There already is. It's called "assault and battery." Take advantage of it.

Yes it will, and it will be for the worse, not the better. Ask people who have taken out temporary restraining orders. Did it teach the stalkers a lesson? Or did it make the stalkers angrier? The statistics say it's overwhelming for the latter, and that's why we in law enforcement discourage the practice.

And laws aren't going to stop it. If it did, The Devil would have been gone a LONG time ago.

Exactly. Legal action won't stop it. It will only make it worse.

Where does it say that? Is it reputable, peer-reviewed science by qualified personnel that arrived at that conclusion? I want facts.

Tribalbreeze says it for me.

I can take jokes, and last night I was in the pub chatting with some friends about the whole thing and how I came to start this petition/campaign.

Its sad coz most people look at the whole campaign as a joke. But come on all of you must know what its like. We will live every day with some kinda comment being made.

But the point is, when it gets aggressive, or it gets beyond a joke-there needs to be some kind of law in place. It is unfair that we are solely targeted because of something we were born with. Just like racism. I mean it is racism there is no way around it?!

Do I think that 'gingerphobia' is on the same level of racism as African-Carribean people underwent in their rally in 60s USA. HELL NO!! Its completly different.

Racism will always be there, gingerphobia, prejudice and all that too. But just look what laws and education do to a generation or two. Racism is declining. The amount of inter-racial relationships is increasing. Peoples attitudes are more relaxed. Homophobia-there was a recent poll showing Britons are getting more liberal towards the GBLT community.

So maybe a set of rules and a bit of education may just start the swing in changing attitudes.

You know, when I first thought about this I thought somehow I'd get a good response from red heads because they know what its like - but slowly, I will try and rally some kinda support over the next 6months duration of this petition! I think people need to step back from arrogance and look at it as when they were a kid in school. Start looking up some of the stories in the news about ginger-harrassment and see what some people go through. At the end of the day this is for NO reason other than being red haired. Its straight foward prejudice.

How do you irradicate prejudice? Education. So lets start the ball rolling guys, and getting the word out there-even if the law isnt passed at least the word and the voice will be out there!

The solution to that is to live a good life and be better than your tormentors. Who knows? You might meet them one day, and they're probably angst-riddled drug addicts whereas you are a solid, upstanding member of society with ties to the community. As I said, passing legislation against gingerphobia will not solve it, it will only make it worse.