Race-Rage in Australia

I woke this morning to a series of tweets which left me feeling ill.

From a presenter on ABCNEWS24 who I watch most days.

Just had my own Rosa Parks moment: Kept my seat on a #Sydney Bus after being called a black c**t & told to go back to my country.—
Jeremy Fernandez (@JezFernandezABC) February 07, 2013

Anyone who says racism is dying is well and truly mistaken. Coppef 15 mins of racial abuse. Bus driver said 'your fault for not moving).—
Jeremy Fernandez (@JezFernandezABC) February 07, 2013

Worst thing is- i had my 2yo daughter with me. She had her primary school aged kids with her. All heard every word of her racist rant—
Jeremy Fernandez (@JezFernandezABC) February 07, 2013

It's a sad thing when a coloured man in 2013 has to show his kid how to hold their nerve in the face of racist taunts.—
Jeremy Fernandez (@JezFernandezABC) February 07, 2013

Disappointment and anger were my first two reactions. Sadly there was almost a sinking feeling of “Not again” in my emotions at that instant.

I have worked with Indigenous people and have seen  Race-rage events before.

Yet there was no surprise. With bigoted and racist politicians taking a major role in our nation’s leadership  group why should I be surprised.

Beginning with the “Melbourne Punch” which published this cartoon in 1857 and the Lambing Flat riots of 1861 there has been a century and a half of racism in Australia.

The White Australia Policy is alive and well in our national psyche. Buried occasionally because of our shame, it resurfaces with encouragement from the Hansons, Howards and Morrisons within our body politic.

As the Australians of the “Fair Go” we have always been hypocritical in our attitude to the Indigenous people of our Nation as well as very unwelcoming towards “furriners”. Originally any European of non-Anglo-Celtic origin was mocked for their food, their sport and their accents as well as being vilified for “Taking Jobs” from Real Australians.

Now the most popular dish in the wide brown land is “Spag Bog” and Soccer is one of our major sports.

The Italians, Yugoslavs, Greeks were all lumped together as “Wogs” and sent to work on the jobs “Real Australians” were not interested in. Market Gardens, the Snowy River Scheme, the corner stores. Their grand-children see no irony in their own private , and sometimes public, thoughts about the recent influx of Asian, Middle-Eastern and African people.

So, I’m saddened, angered and disappointed, Jeremy. But I am not surprised by your experience this morning. The attitude causing it is there all the time.

If I may make an observation. The Labor Party, for  a century, was the key racist party in Australia. Over the past 50 years the ALP has developed a conscience about this subject, possibly due to the influx of young protesters in the 60′s and 70′s and their concerns with Human Rights. Since then the racist element in our society has moved, as a group, to the right. Supporting the Coalition is supporting this style of racism and will continue to be so while Abbott and Morrison pander to a national xenophobia.