Korolev:
I have never, and never will, understand why there is discrimination against people with Red Hair. I heard that in the UK, a family was forced to move due to the sheer abuse their children received for having red hair. As in, their children were beaten to a pulp, their house was repeatedly vandalized, etc.

It makes no sense. Red hair is red hair. It's HAIR. It's dead protein extruded from the skull.

A type of discrimination I notice every day is the discrimination against short people. I am only 170cm. That's about 5ft.7 in the US. Some would consider that normal height, but here in Australia, it's considered shorter than average (Australians are getting really tall, it's pretty scary). The shorter you are, the less seriously you are taken. It's a fact. I haven't run into many problems because of it, but it's the truth. I notice that Finnish(ed)has also pointed this out.

In the US if you are a guy that is also considered short. If you are a girl that's a decent height anywhere you go.

I am a computer nerd. (sitting at home everyday, except when im going nightgibbing, being forced out of the house or when the internet is down.)
At school im the kid that's smart and no one picks fights with, because I can always talk people to their sense's and make them think that their own actions are stupid.
I dress like a hobo and smell's like one, but since I can make people look extremely ridicioulus by just talking to them no'one is messing with me, so my tip is:
Talk in extremly long sentences and put their actions in perspective and make them realize how stupid they are.

Or you could just kick them in the balls. (Works either way.)

I get picked out a lot in crowds by enormous chavs saying "Look at that weird kid!" and "Cut your hair mate!"
A lot of the time, I just think "Piss off you wanker, at least I HAVE hair." because most of those kids who tell me to cut my hair, have horrible hair styles. I don't like to give in, because I like my hair as it is. A bush.
It comes quickly, but at some point in your life, you realise that if people in public aren't friendly to you, or not bothered about you, they're usually wankers who find it fun to take the piss out of people.
Either ignore it, or as previously mentioned, brass knuckles ARE quite fashionable this time of year. Plus the "Hands-covered-in-the-blood-of-wankers" look is also very trendy. Keep up with the times.

Baelinicus:

But seriously. Does anybody have any advice on how cut down on all this crap?

you need to fight back. that being said, fighting isn't about winning. it's about making people pay a price for messing with you.

for example, if me and a huge guy get into a fight... even if all i do is cut his eye while he sends me to the hospital. he now knows that a cut face is what it costs him to mess with me. this is enough for people to back off.

so take a jiu jitsu class (easiest to learn in the shortest amount of time).

PS: i know some people might think this response a bit brutish. but there are a lot of people out there that use physicality as a means to impose their ideas upon you and to shut you down. i know, that personally, i never truly became a free person who could openly express myself until i lost the fear of being attacked by people.

Want to know what would be good for self-defense? Use basic professional wrestling moves! A lot -- if not most -- of it is based off of forms of martial arts, anyways. Need an instructional video? Buy Smackdown Vs. Raw: 2008 for PS2/3, Xbox 360, or the Wii, go to "Create a Move-Set" with a technical superstar, and look through the Quick Grapple moves. Most of the moves follow the same idea: take down your opponent in a fast, efficient way. A lot of the moves don't even try to hide that they were taken from martial arts, since some are named, for example, "Judo arm wringer takedown". (or something like that)

I am not even joking with how handy that video game has become for me. I primarily learn the moves for training towards actual professional wrestling, but a lot of the quick grapples really have come in handy in fights. I even took down my brother, who weighs one-hundred pounds more than me. But don't even bother learning most of the strong grapples, as for one they get exaggerated in the game (a lot of them are too dangerous in the real world or at least need to be done with more precaution than they show in the game), and you could honestly kill people with a lot of them -- that is, if you could hit them. You'd either have to be really strong to overpower them that much, or catch them off guard.

They also have strikes (as in punches/kicks and what not) from martial arts in the games, and a few are also efficient enough to actually use in self-defense. Games only like twenty bucks by now; it'd seriously be worth checking out.

Or instead of Nicksus way you could do it the fun way. Buy anatomy books, a lot of them. Find nerve groups, or places where the veins are close to the skin. After you take down someone twice your size with one finger and have them almost crying for mercy, then no one is going to mess with you anymore. It does take some practice, so find a friend to practice on for a while.

When I was 13 I was picked on for being small by this one guy, so I just flipped and beat the crap out of him. Havn't been in a fight since. Although this was after years of build up.

Silver, people exaggerate nerve holds so much. Not many people could just go out, buy an anatomy book, and become a badass after some practice. Otherwise it'd be something taught to police forces more often, and it'd probably be taught in self defense classes more. Most people who even try to learn nerve groups only get as far as finding and attacking the most obvious ones, which only slowly wears down someone. Like that lump above the clavicle, and grabbing the edge between your armpits and boobs/pecs. Though both of those holds also tickle a lot.

Kids these days are so obnoxious with nerve holds. "Ooh, I am so awesome, I realized pushing down on that grouping of veins on your wrist hurts after a while." Those are the people who do other "tricks," like slapping your arm with four fingers (not the thumb) while they are outstretched all the way; giving an indian burn; and even punching hard. Most people don't go around doing that crap for some reason, but those that do start thinking they are the only ones who can, supported by the fact people become wary of them for having no self-control.

Bleh, too ranty x_x

This just reminds me of this ad i saw a while ago.
for Frank ginger beer.

Frank, Refreshingly Ginger

Anyway back on topic. Ginger girls are hot but they have to be the right kind of ginger girl. (Curls[proper ones], average or above looks, average-skinny build= drool)

People will find a way to discriminate against everything. It's human nature and most people who do it are just trying to hide their inner flaws.

Here's what you do...

Become really successful by starting your own business that is getting a fair share of the market.

Then you can fire the ass off of people who make/made snide comments about your hair color.

I have red hair too, my ginja (that's the variation of the word that we say to each other - THAT'S OUR WORD) and it sucks. I get offended by the word, to be honest. It's very discriminatory and I look at it that way. My girlfriend agrees with me, but also constantly makes ginger jokes to mess with me jokingly, so there is literally no escape from the gingification.

Nicksus:
Want to know what would be good for self-defense? Use basic professional wrestling moves!

that would be a waste of time. most of those moves are derived from classic wrestling and were cultivated in a sports enviroment. many of those moves have errors which leave one susceptable to strikes to the head, easy chokes, and reversals.

2 months into BJJ i was rolling with a highschool wrestling coach who wanted to develop his MMA skils. he obviously had years of technique and practice over me gaining positional advantages in everything he did. this was all wasted though when he would pop his head up and get caught in a simple guillotine choke. he was working from trained routines which didn't account for the addittional moves you can pull off in a real fight.

i highly reccommend a practical indroduction into Jiu Jitsu (of the non-sports variety). fighting is more complicated than "moves" and "routines"... it's about learning what positions are advantageous and work more in your favor. for example... punching a grounded opponent in the head has 4 times as much power than punching them standing, since their head is braced against the floor not allowing for any recoil to dissipate the blow.

addittionally, since you are learning practical fighting philosophies and not moves, no amount of lethargy or laziness will erase those logical lessons. it's not a like a karate kick, which you have to practice all the time in order to retain power and flexibility.

i was bullied a lot in middle school about my hair butnow in high skool i am never bothered. I have long, curly hair, for a guy living in america most guys conisider this 2 b quite faggy, but i get a lot of attemtion from girls because of it, (hah!) AND as an added upside in my town logn hair is also almost always asscoaciated with weed, and since my town is so conservative, most non-stoners don't no much about Mrs. Mary-Jane aside from the fact that they think im gonna go apeshit and kill 'em all (or sumethin').
I've found that these things work:

have a forbiding facial expresion, Indifferent, almost gloomy
hang with a bunch of people that share the main attribute u guys r made fun of, me and my firends all have long hair and litsen 2 da metal, we r all practically retarded at heart, but look like we could kick the shit out anything
if u do get in a confrontation, use very large words and sentences, make counteraccusations about their apperances
with this being said ive nevr been in a fight (dunno why)

BTW: u seem like a nice guy, the only ginger i no is an incredibly annoying fuckwad giving human beings a bad name

and lastly: CHicks with red hair r the absoult sexiest evr

I used to get beat senseless but that all changed when I became a freshman I worked out a lot over that summer and took Krav Ma Ga and when those same dipshits messed with me again I beat the living shit out of them.

I didn't get jail time either all self defense.

Reasonable Doubt:
I used to get beat senseless but that all changed when I became a freshman I worked out a lot over that summer and took Crag Ma Ga and when those same dipshits messed with me again I beat the living shit out of them.

I didn't get jail time either all self defense.

yup Krav Ma Ga would do the trick.

the biggest value of martial arts is that it devalues the psychological threat of a punch. people are way less threatening when your acclimated to fighting.

Hey I knew i spelled it wrong thanks for showing me how to spell it right.

I dye it ginger and never hear a thing - I continuously forget my hair is red, too. I dyed it too strongly one day (was aiming for golden blonde) and liked it better than my dull grey-ish blonde. And now there are quite a few people who either don't know it's dye'ed (and it's so much fun to tell them it and see their faces after knowing me for months) or would kill me if I changed it.
Also, there are people who knew me as blonde but now have forgotton I ever was. That's very weird. I've stayed red for so long I might as well have been born so.

Ah, the life of a ginger. Many have been the times when I've been heckled in town for having ginger hair. Sometimes they're driving past and take time out of their day to attempt to make mine worse. How delightfully pleasant of them, the fuckbags.

And I've also had the following many times:

Them: "Does your mum have ginger hair?"
Me: "No."
Them: "Does your dad?"
Me: "Nope."
Them: "You must be adopted, then!"

Despite the fact that ginger hair can skip a generation (And failing to take into account the fact that my grandmother, aunt and two cousins both have red hair, but I'm not about to give them ammo in the form of "LOL your aunt's your mother and she got rid of you!"), but I admire those people for not letting a little thing like science get in the way of an insult.

And for years, I've been trying to explain to what feels like everybody around me *constantly* that no, I will *not* dye my hair a different colour no matter how much crap I get for it, simply because it's a part of me and I will *not* change who I am for anybody.

Has that episode of SouthPark been referanced yet?

I've had that played behind me on the bus once or twice. And yet, if I killed them, I'd be the one going to jail.

Does anybody have any advice on how cut down on all this crap?

There isn't a way of getting rid of the crap you get, other than by slaughtering them and their entire family.

Affirmative action has turned into discrimination against whites trying to attend university.

Sadly, far too many people fail to understand that discrimination of any variety hurts somebody. Buzzwords like "affirmitive action" and "positive discrimination" basically mean "It's racism against whitey, so it's okay!"

"Reverse racism" and "reverse sexism" fall into that category too. I'm a white, straight male with ginger hair. I'm pretty much fucked on all counts.

Everyone LOVES my hair. I get compliments as much as you guys get insults.

Yep, it's the way of the world, it seems. You get BlazeTheVampire, we get Ron Weasley. Thank you *very* much Rowling. Thank you for making an entire family of downtrodden wizards (Half of whom are morons) ginger. I don't *want* your fucking pity. I want Ron Weasley to die in a fire for being such an idiot.

in fact one of my good friends is incredibly attracted to them.

A woman with *natural* red hair is an incredible sight, and I have a few photographs of red-haired women saved on my computer (Not porn, just normal pictures). Indeed, on a couple of occasions I've stopped what I was doing at the time and just watched.

So yeah, I'm all for ginger-men, lol.

*cough*

Seems like every red-head I've ever met in my life was short tempered

Self-fulfilling prophecy, I'm afraid. We're assumed to be short-tempered and violent because we've got red hair, but we get so much shit for having red hair that we tend to have short tempers and get violent.

but running to the teachers isn't going to fix everything

I know from personal experience that nobody in authority ever does anything to help you. Teachers never did anything when I got the living shit kicked out of me on what felt like a monthly basis. The police didn't do anything after I got chased by a lunatic classmate wielding a tree branch and smacked in the face (Killing one of my teeth).

And on the odd occasions that the bullies ever *did* get in trouble, all they ever got was a slap on the wrist. I've tried every suggestion known to man (Bar "Change yourself". A right lot of fucking good THAT advice would have done me). Fight back, don't fight back, turn the other cheek, use humour, tell a teacher, stand up for yourself...

Nothing solved the problem, and I am certain that only slaughtering them and their entire families (To prevent a Chav Backlash) would have freed me from those nutters.

On another note, nobody fucking smiles these days. I started walking home from work a few months ago (Got a bit of a podge, don't want it to get any worse) and I tried smiling at people who passed me. It's so rare that anybody actually does anything other than glare back at you that I'm always shocked when someone *does* smile.

And being shocked knackers up my plan to "try and build self-confidence" (I don't think I need self-confidence, but let's see if those self-important "I'm the man! You can be too!" quacks have a point or not) by winking at women my age when our paths cross.

BallPtPenTheif:

Nicksus:
Want to know what would be good for self-defense? Use basic professional wrestling moves!

that would be a waste of time. most of those moves are derived from classic wrestling and were cultivated in a sports enviroment. many of those moves have errors which leave one susceptable to strikes to the head, easy chokes, and reversals.....

The example you used (but I cut off so this post wouldn't be too long) of a hold people could get caught in, the guillotine choke, is not only a move practiced in professional wrestling but is in fact on the very game I recommended people study from. Most of the Quick Grapples (the section I said people should look into) do derive from martial arts, as I said, including ju jitsu or however you spell it. Due to the rise in MMA, amateur wrestling moves are used less and less in professional wrestling, in place of more modern and efficient moves. But amateur wrestling moves are also handy in a fight, but it'd be better if you learn a variety of styles, so long as you know how to implement them.

Let's look at some of the advantage of my strategies, compared to yours:

- You can learn these moves from a video game, which you might actually enjoy playing, as well.
- The game is only twenty bucks, and you can get it on almost any console.
- It is a lot more convenient to get to, since most people on these forums have enough free time to play a game.

Ju jitsu lessons are for one, more expensive; two, less convient to take; and lastly, are not as essential to the real world since most people have little to no training, so that even learning a few key moves -- and if you have the ability to keep your head in a fight -- would make you a threat in a fight. But if someone aims a gun at you, you're probably screwed no matter which of our methods people use.

Some guy started my school as ginger and now its jet black do the smart thing change who you are to fit in :|

Nicksus:
Silver, people exaggerate nerve holds so much. Not many people could just go out, buy an anatomy book, and become a badass after some practice. Otherwise it'd be something taught to police forces more often, and it'd probably be taught in self defense classes more. Most people who even try to learn nerve groups only get as far as finding and attacking the most obvious ones, which only slowly wears down someone. Like that lump above the clavicle, and grabbing the edge between your armpits and boobs/pecs. Though both of those holds also tickle a lot.

Kids these days are so obnoxious with nerve holds. "Ooh, I am so awesome, I realized pushing down on that grouping of veins on your wrist hurts after a while." Those are the people who do other "tricks," like slapping your arm with four fingers (not the thumb) while they are outstretched all the way; giving an indian burn; and even punching hard. Most people don't go around doing that crap for some reason, but those that do start thinking they are the only ones who can, supported by the fact people become wary of them for having no self-control.

Bleh, too ranty x_x

Tss. I'm not talking about cool tricks. I'm talking about having making the toughest person you know lying on the ground crying and begging for mercy. Sure, it's not as nice as the tricks they teach you in martial arts classes, and in some cases it leaves permanent injury. Hell, that way they learn. If you can knock someone off their feet with just two fingers and not much effort, I see that as good enough.

And yeah, it takes more than some practice, and you have to be pretty quick and accurate. So practice more. And even more. Until you learn.

Hmm, it's strange because I'm hearing a lot of outright discrimination stories here. I live in Texas and, strangely enough, I haven't seen almost any outright discrimination like you describe. Then again, I never knew a lot of red-headed kids, and the only one I can think of right now was an aggravatingly elitist computer nerd. In my opinion, the best way to deal with discrimination--indeed, any straightforward insult--is to try to change the status quo with fighting words but nonviolent actions. Be defensive and stand up for yourself, but don't go punching out anyone's lights unless they start a real fight. I suppose I have trouble imagining hair-color discrimination because I've never had anything but plain-jane brunette hair.

Most of the discrimination I've encountered before has been general class/dress type discrimination. I'm not really unhygienic or anything, but I never wore anything but t-shirts until a year ago and never wear anything but jeans. I thought the people around me were more sensible than to nit-pick on something so small as my dress, but I seriously took crap from some girls I thought were my friends just because I didn't come to school decked out in Hollister. I was ashamed of them. I think discrimination changes a lot from guys to girls, though. You're more likely to get a punch in the face as a guy for being a different race or having a different hair color, but girls spread gossip and socially block each other if they don't fit an exact standard. But 'ginger' discrimination seems just ridiculous to me. It's just a recessive trait, like blue eyes...

Yes Silver, it would be very badass, but too difficult for most people to get very far with. I went off on a separate rant with the "tricks", by the way, though it related to how people THINK they are skilled at attacking nerve holds, when they're only going for the most obvious ones anyone could find and exploit.

isjusterin, good for you for not buying into the flashy trends. I don't even see how clothes from brands like Hollister or DC are appealing -- they turn you into walking billboards. I'm not even joking; I saw a pair of skateboard shoes at Payless Shoe Store. "DC" covered most of it. Then most Hollister shirts I've seen only read 'Holister' on them. There's no interesting design to it.

Blayze:

Everyone LOVES my hair. I get compliments as much as you guys get insults.

Yep, it's the way of the world, it seems. You get BlazeTheVampire, we get Ron Weasley. Thank you *very* much Rowling. Thank you for making an entire family of downtrodden wizards (Half of whom are morons) ginger. I don't *want* your fucking pity. I want Ron Weasley to die in a fire for being such an idiot.

in fact one of my good friends is incredibly attracted to them.

A woman with *natural* red hair is an incredible sight, and I have a few photographs of red-haired women saved on my computer (Not porn, just normal pictures). Indeed, on a couple of occasions I've stopped what I was doing at the time and just watched.

So yeah, I'm all for ginger-men, lol.

*cough*

Oh Blayze, if only you weren't across the ocean from me. :-P

Blayze:
Ah, the life of a ginger. Many have been the times when I've been heckled in town for having ginger hair. Sometimes they're driving past and take time out of their day to attempt to make mine worse. How delightfully pleasant of them, the fuckbags.
SNIPSNIPSNIP
Yep, it's the way of the world, it seems. You get BlazeTheVampire, we get Ron Weasley. Thank you *very* much Rowling. Thank you for making an entire family of downtrodden wizards (Half of whom are morons) ginger. I don't *want* your fucking pity. I want Ron Weasley to die in a fire for being such an idiot.
SNIPSNIPSNIP
On another note, nobody fucking smiles these days. I started walking home from work a few months ago (Got a bit of a podge, don't want it to get any worse) and I tried smiling at people who passed me. It's so rare that anybody actually does anything other than glare back at you that I'm always shocked when someone *does* smile.

Just out of curiosity, what's wrong with the Weasley family? Seems to me they are an honest, brave, clever and fun-loving family whose only crimes are being poor and being TOO nice. Neither of which I consider negatives. Ron Weasley had some stupid moments, but no more so than myself growing up. I rather enjoyed the lot of them, honestly. I think it's refreshing to find an author writing such nice people (although admittedly for kids.) Perhaps it's because I've never seen any discrimination or even teasing against redheads, but I like them.

You should move to the states, especially the southeast. Everyone smiles here - it's a very friendly place. And you could court the other Blaze (although not in the southeast.)

Affirmative action is discrimination against white people in general and straight white men in particular. It's unfortunate, but the only way to quickly increase a group's rate of participation in something desirable is to discriminate against someone else. As a young man I tried to get into a training program and could not because all the spots were reserved for children of TVA employees and for minorities, so I've felt it too. But let's be honest - white people are doing pretty good in most of the world. (Except South Africa, obviously.)

werepossum:

Blayze:
Ah, the life of a ginger. Many have been the times when I've been heckled in town for having ginger hair. Sometimes they're driving past and take time out of their day to attempt to make mine worse. How delightfully pleasant of them, the fuckbags.
SNIPSNIPSNIP
Yep, it's the way of the world, it seems. You get BlazeTheVampire, we get Ron Weasley. Thank you *very* much Rowling. Thank you for making an entire family of downtrodden wizards (Half of whom are morons) ginger. I don't *want* your fucking pity. I want Ron Weasley to die in a fire for being such an idiot.
SNIPSNIPSNIP
On another note, nobody fucking smiles these days. I started walking home from work a few months ago (Got a bit of a podge, don't want it to get any worse) and I tried smiling at people who passed me. It's so rare that anybody actually does anything other than glare back at you that I'm always shocked when someone *does* smile.

Just out of curiosity, what's wrong with the Weasley family? Seems to me they are an honest, brave, clever and fun-loving family whose only crimes are being poor and being TOO nice. Neither of which I consider negatives. Ron Weasley had some stupid moments, but no more so than myself growing up. I rather enjoyed the lot of them, honestly. I think it's refreshing to find an author writing such nice people (although admittedly for kids.) Perhaps it's because I've never seen any discrimination or even teasing against redheads, but I like them.

While I agree- I liked the Weasleys- Ron is clearly the comic relief character. He's clueless and often stupid. If he were brown-haired no one would think twice, but since he's red-haired let's all make redhead jokes! It doesn't help that the Weasleys are a giant family of redheads with equal parts virtue and buffoonery.

I've never been discriminated nor have seen others discriminated because of hair color, but every red-head is called ginger and never in a bad way. Maybe it's because there's a lot of gingers at my school and I live in one of the better neighborhoods.

Mean people suck. But learning self defense? So long as you use it as an productive outlet for frustration and not destruction, you'll do fine.