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(Institutional) Racism in Climbing? 2-Apr-2011 At 12:27:13 PM RNM

Message

>Climbers certainly are not racist. They are one of the most welcoming
>group of people I have ever dealt with - a truly international band of
>brothers. Unlike many sports there is very little nationalism amongst climbers.
>On a roadtrip its very typical to be mixing day to day with people from
>all around the world - and to be getting positive encouragement and invites
>to stay from everyone!

We all band together and skip along, happily swinging our mallets and chopping one-anothers bolts... tra la la la laa.

Love it.

Yes, climbers are great fun to be with if you are a climber and care about climbing. I do not think the fact that you are white, and can travel to other countries and participate in a "white" sport, and be welcomed by others who either a) share your passion, or b) make money from you, is a good arguement that there is no racism in climbing.

However climbers are almost exclusively white, and from diverse backgrounds. They are influenced by their society (eg; Neil may feel put out at the mere suggestion he is racist, and feel the need to defend himself of that charge, as so many middle class Aussies do... uncomfortable feeling isn't it!). Of course there are as many racists in climbing as anywhere else in society.

Admittedly those that travel sometimes have broader minds, but they seem to just as often have broader foreheads and narrow minds.