…. proves nothing other than the fact that she is a fantastic tennis player who took the opportunity she had in front of her and also, that we can learn to pronounce surnames that are not ”smith” or ”porter” when we wish to..
Other than that, the long line of hasty commentators rushing in to point at this supposed example of the goodness of migration are just clutching at straws as always. China is hardly an awful place is it? (not only do they have a wonderful history and a long list of inventions, today – and regardless of some of the negative press – they are leading in technology and production) and Romania is hardly Yemen! So, would the fanfare and circumstances be the same had Emma Raducanu been born in Honduras to a Ghanaian dad and Iraqi mom and then move to/represent England in tennis? I shall rest my case….
More importantly, it is abundantly clear, that WE WILL NEVER GET IT! conflicting cultures and way of life is the problem, not really differences in race or colour (used to be), it is about BEHAVIOURS! Nobody had/has much of an issue with Helen Mirren (daughter of a Russian) or other immigrants who moved to the UK, accepted the UK way of life and got on with it. The problem is around people coming in and looking to impose their own way of living here. Coupled with the fact that we have now created a toxic, unfriendly, unwelcome environment that gives them no chance to want to integrate or accept our way of life. it is a catch-22 situation. Those elected to sort it out (politicians) have found out that it is more profitable (to secure easy votes) to leave it as it is, as they can rile people up with this topic, to secure easy votes. The solution is very simple, but we will not even try, because we choose not to. If politicians want to end intolerance & hate, they can easily do so, but they choose not to. The solution is there: tone down the hateful rhetoric, educate people – so that they understand that it is more costly if we bring migrants in and do not welcome them and help them settle in, help the natives who have fallen on hard times – so that they no longer see incoming migrants as a threat or perceive they are receiving preferential treatment, ensure the infrastructure is in place – to process migrants promptly and expel those who are simply trying to exploit the charity and end illegal forced entry as it makes a total mockery of legal immigration and refuge-seeking. Society would win all round. Yes, there will remain a handful of hateful individuals, but they would be heavily outnumbered.
People wonder why it is usually the semi-literates, the poor and downtrodden who flock to support hate-speeches and anti-migrant agenda? It is very simple: if you strip privilege from the privileged, they will become exactly the same as these folks. The privileged speak favourably of reckless migration because they know they do not have to put up with it – the migrants are hardly going to move in next door – and if they do, the privileged will be out on a yacht in Monaco. The rich have no reason to listen to the worry of the poor who fear migrants could take their jobs or reduce their access to benefits such as assisted-housing. The rich and our politicians (including those exploiting the anger out there) have several houses and their jobs are not on the line. If you end poverty (or at least try to address it), set-up the infrastructure to bring migrants in properly (without any perceived detriment to native poor) and mandate all incoming people (be it migrants or refugees) adopt the norms of the country accepting them, the current levels of intolerance and hate would melt away. BUT then, politicians such as many of those we have seen in recent years will have nothing left to get their rallies going or get their voters out – so, they want to retain, maintain and promote the current toxic environment so that indigenous poor, working class people continue to feel threatened, continue to feel nobody is listening to them and as such, continue to spread hate and intolerance.
Knowledge can improve the world we live in 