Far too often the very genuine concerns that people hold are brushed under the carpet by being labelled as racism or xenophobia. Many people are actually scared in their towns and villages. They feel that they have been invaded by foreigners. Some of this is justified, some of it isn't, but the fear itself is a problem that needs to be addressed. That isn't happening at the moment.
The BNP makes the whole situation worse because not only do they fuel the fears of people unnecessarily, they have managed to associate themselves with the whole issue of immigration and racism. That makes it much harder for parties like the UKIP to have a sensible debate about the problem. Anyone recommending change is lumped in with the BNP or called "extremist".
Perhaps one day we will be able to establish a more adult political system where issues can be discussed without the pathetic name calling so widely used by all of the main parties.
|