Sorry CW but should I show a person who calls me a racist, says I´m probably a member of the Ubermensch-clan and calls me biased all the time without knowing who I am respect? Even my parents told me there are limits.

I understand that Trudy. That´s why I said that both of you should be more considerate.. because I know that all these accusations are completely false and ridiculous.

 It is not a big secret that I am quite open to provocations. I shouldn´t be like that but I am. Somethings are not easy to change when you have come of a certain age. I do have a habit of guessing or maybe judgeing what lies behind what. I have met tons of people from all nationalities and I am aware of the way their reasoning works. You can´t be oblivious to all this racist stuff going on all around the Internet.

That the Danes wishing and all Danish country from their politicians are in the news. Our nationalists on the other hand desire an all Turkish Turkey. A while ago this was openly declared in the logo of a mainstream newspaper. If you are looking for more examples, hundreds more can easily be found.

I am personally sensitive about racism and find many of the world nations including Jews, Arabs, Poles, Finns, Spaniards, the French to be unnecessarily prejudiced about our nationalities or races.

I did not call Trudy a racist, I may have conditionally implied that which does not amount to a direct accusation. Logically, if she has a problem with the minorities in her country she could indeed vote for an extremist right wing party.

I think Vineyards that you are a well-rounded, cultured individual. That is why I was surprised to see you implying that Trudy was a racist. If I was her, I would also have thought that you called her a racist.. maybe just your choice of words was not proper in that post.

I also think that your sensitivity towards racism is well justified.

 Well, for what it´s worth....Trudy does come off as pretty racist and intolerant to me.  I´m sure this is just a cultural miscommunication, and she doesn´t realize or intend to be perceived in that manner....but I can assure you, she is not seen as particularly friendly to Islamic/Eastern people. 

She doesn´t seem to find much to praise about the culture.... and she seems to delight in provoking Turkish men, as well as finds a lot negative things to post regarding the culure.

In netiquette all caps is seen as shouting, often times her comments have parts that are all caps.  It seems  shouting....and does not inspire warm fuzzy feelings.

Trudy has been very generous in uploading hundreds of wonderful photos and I really appreciate her work and effort.....but at the same time...those same Turks were hospitable and  generous enough to allow her to take their photographs which could be acknowledge in some way.

I myself have been a recipient of her ample  "praise".   Now I´m sure I´ll get even more.......but I just wanted to add my two cents as I really don´t like to see vineyards being vilified.

As we are devoid of body language, voice tone....as well as communicating cross cultures, things are easily misunderstood.

Thanks. Then let me clarify, I do not think Trudy is a racist. I just criticize her opinions about other religions, ethnic groups etc. 

It´s interesting to point out when someone expresses their opinion that is different than yours, they are now classified as intolerant and racist.  Personally, I agree with many of Trudy´s views.  I think there needs to be some tolerance for others, however why should anyone feel compelled to be tolerant of someone elses behavior´s or views and lower their standards just to passify others?  Sure I understand being sensitive to others, however no one should have to compromise their beliefs for the sake of saving face. 

Wow..what a show of tolerance Alamada...

I won´t go into all this bullshit crap you wrote but on one thing you lied: I never use caps in complete sentences, sometimes I type one word in these, as if I´m highlighting. So don´t blabber about that, Mrs. Perfect-Know-It-All.

BTW, I´m soooooooo glad I don´t inspire warm, fuzzy feelings with you. The thought I would do that is making me sick as hell!

For all people who can read (so that is excluding the ´sweet´ beloved Alamada), let me explain: I don´t believe in assimilation. Not for a tourist (like me) visiting a country for a short time, nor for an emigrant going to another country.

However, I do believe in adjustment. When I´m abroad I adjust as much as I can and as I know / am aware of: I take my shoes off in Turkey, India, Sri Lanka and Japan, I wear a headscarf in mosques, I am silent in religious places like temples, churches and mosques, I don´t touch people in Japan, I address them respectfully with e.g. haným or -san (in Japan), I don´t show the soles of my feet, I don´t do/give things with the number 4 as (in Japan) that is the same as death, I won´t even think of taking pictures in religious places when people are praying in front of my lens etc, etc.

In my own country I expect from ´newcomers´ they adjust themselves to the dominant culture here, meaning: no shouting ´whore´ on the streets to women with skirts above the knee, trying to speak the language within a reasonable time (meaning not only after 30 years!), accepting the common idea of critisizing anything around, accepting (which is different from liking it!) that being gay is widely accepted, mingling also with locals and not making ´ghetto´s´ of your neighbourhood, not disturbing art exhibitions just because one thinks the displayed artefacts are not done etc, etc.

I wouldn´t think of voting for a right wing party, I voted all my life for a left, environmental friendly party (so left that in the US I would get McCarthy after me!). I just don´t accept/like everything people do as they don´t accept/like everything I do and like they are allowed to I am allowed to express my ideas and feelings about that. I will support people trying to create a new political party as long as it´s within the law.

If that attitude is racist, so be it but I advise then to check the meaning in a good dictionary. I don´t mind other cultures/religions in my country, I live in a quite multicultural neighbourhood in the centre of Rotterdam and I like it very much, I love many things they brought with them - I think e.g. on hospitality my countrymen can learn a lot from Turks but I don´t like - and I will ´fight´ that - some of the habits they (newcomers in general, not specifically Turks) bring with them: forcing their daughters to marry someone parents have chosen, female circumcision, demanding prayer calls from mosques, honour revenge, refusal to learn the language but taking advantage of a Dutch passport, refusing to work but thinking a social security check is normal, ´lover boys´ using girls in prostitution etc.

Does the above apply to all newcomers? In case of the adjustment dor me yes, for all living here longer than let´s say two/three years, only temporary expats one can´t force to learn the language. Do the negative aspects apply to all newcomers? Absolutely not, my guess is that 90%, maybe even 95% are fine, trying to do their best but that other 5-10% is ruining it for the rest. Yes, we do have a very right wing party which I absolute loathe. If you read the programme of that party, if you aske voters for that party, mainly the reason they vote are because of newcomers who did not adjust enough, who kept themselves aside in such a negative way that people started to dislike them. It means that my country, which had the name of being tolerant, is not tolerant anymore. There is a ´we and them-culture´ now. And that is what I blame some of the new citizins.

Disclaimer: If I wasn´t clear enough or if you think my words can be seen in more ways, please remind that English is not my native language. I sometimes find it difficult to express the thoughts in my mind in another language than my own. If this occurs, do ask, maybe I can explain more.

 Trudy your english is excellent and you express yourself better than many who are native speakers.