Racism in Spain

I came across this quite by accident. Apparently Spain is notorious in Europe for its racism. I can't even imagine this happening in the US. - it's nice to know we've achieved some level of decency.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article3305228.ece

February 4, 2008
Times Online
Formula One driver faces racist taunts

Lewis Hamilton says he expected a backlash from Spanish Formula One fans following his falling-out with former team-mate Fernando Alonso, but he has been shocked by the level of abuse he received on Saturday.

The McLaren driver, 23, was subjected to racist comments and was faced with a group of spectators wearing wigs, dark make-up and t-shirts with the slogan "Hamilton's Family" on the front during pre-season testing near Barcelona.

ADDENDUM - Racism in Switzerland

My friend Janet told me about this poster created by a major Swiss political party to promote immigration legislation.

Proposed Swiss immigration laws show 'rise of new racism and xenophobia'
September 7, 2007

Proposals for draconian new laws targeting Switzerland's immigrants raised concern over the rise of racism in the heart of one of the world's oldest independent democracies.

The Swiss People's Party (the Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP), which has the largest number of seats in the Swiss parliament and is a member of the country's coalition government, is planning the new measures "For More Security". The UN has demanded an explanation from the government.

The party has launched a campaign to raise the 100,000 signatures necessary to force a referendum to reintroduce into the penal code a measure to allow judges to deport foreigners who commit serious crimes once they have served their jail sentence.

But far more dramatically, it has announced its intention to lay before parliament a law allowing the entire family of a criminal under the age of 18 to be deported as soon as sentence is passed. It will be the first such law in Europe since the Nazi practice of Sippenhaft – kin liability – whereby relatives of criminals were held responsible for their crimes and punished equally.

The proposal will be a test case not just for Switzerland but for the whole of Europe, where a division between liberal multiculturalism and a conservative isolationism is opening up in political discourse in many countries, the UK included.

A poster campaign depicting three white sheep standing on the Swiss flag, with one craftily kicking away a black sheep, has been launched – and plastered on to billboards, into newspapers and posted to every home in a direct mailshot.