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Australia Day
Big Meta-Thingy About What It Means To Be An Australian
About four weeks ago, we had major race riots in Sydney over 'who owned the beaches'.
Quick geographical lesson for those who have no idea about Sydney's layout.
We have the east and the ocean, which involves beaches and beachside suburbs. Like any city in the world, a water view is expensive. It usually goes to the upper classes, who are, bluntly, mostly white Caucasian families. In the north and south, if you go inland a bit, you get the 'middle class' belt: primarily Caucasian, Mediterranean, Asian and Indian. If you run westwards of the city, you get the 'inner west' belt that is primarily filled with yuppies, students, Italians (Leichardt has some of The Best Gelato Evah), and people who live in share houses.
And then you have pockets of places where people of specific racial types tend to gather. One such suburb is Lakemba, which is heavily populated by Middle Eastern - the media have specifically picked out the Lebanese contigent - groups, many of whom practise the Islamic faith.
In the middle of December, there was a small confrontation at Cronulla beach, down south, where a couple of young men of Middle Eastern descent challenged the guys of the local surf club.
The next weekend, aided and abetted by SMS text messages inciting people to 'go and take back our beach', a largely white, beered-up mob of 'Australians' went through Cronulla beating on anyone they could see who looked of even vaguely Middle Eastern descent.
The next night, gangs of young men of Middle Eastern descent descended on Cronulla smashing cars and destroying property in retaliation.
The PM didn't want to believe that this behaviour is, in any way, shape or form, linked to war in Iraq, the post 9/11 suspicion on people of Middle Eastern descent, or the fact that the London bombers were young men who'd been born and bred in the UK. Because to admit that would be to admit that there are pockets of society that are disenfranchised, with no hope of ever rising through the ranks. It might suggest that his actions of the last ten years had contributed to a breakdown in society.
Lately, we've had our state government start using racial slurs to label offenders in press statements. Unhelpful.
And while it might seem a convenient way to collectively group people, think about it this way:
Would the liberals of America want to be labelled with what Dubya's done?
Would the conservatives of America want to be remembered by Clinton's presidency?
Would all Sam/Jack fans want to be grouped with Telkena or Jaka?
Would all Stargate fans want to be represented by the batshit screaming of the SDJ?
Think 'stop supporting my fandom/pairing/character - you're making it look bad!' Then apply it to the real world.
The IQ of a mob is the square root of it's most stupid member: but what about the people outside the mob? At the time of the 'race riots' there were groups in Lakemba - religious, community, family - who were looking for ways to ameliorate, apologise, and act with the broader community to rein in their rogue members.
I don't recall hearing of a single 'Australian' group who took any kind of action to rein in their rogue members. There was an outpouring of community scorn on the heads of the 'young white yobbos' who decided to take the law - and their definition of who is 'Australian' - into their own hands, but no action done.
What the mob did wasn't right. What the gangs did the night after wasn't right either. Making scapegoats out of all people of Middle Eastern descent isn't right. Smoothing over what the 'white boys' did isn't right.
And claiming there is no problem certainly isn't right.
Then again, I don't have much faith in politicians.
What I can do is meet people as far as they're willing to take me on matters of race, belief, nationality, and interest. Beyond that, we're all at sea in a little dinghy. Just, you know, don't poke the plastic too hard or it'll pop.
There's a lot of discussion and discourse about what it means to be 'an Australian', lately. Australia Day, the race riots, the referendum we had a couple of years back to become a Republic which failed...
In the simplest, legal form, to be an Australian means to hold an Australian passport.
In the more complex, social form...well, that's hard to describe. Is it to think of Australia as home? To endorse the government's decisions wholeheartedly, even if one disagrees? To watch cricket, play footy, and drink beer?
If it's the latter, then I fail on all three counts!
In the end, Australians are human - same as any other individual, group, nationality or race on Earth - and so are composites of the best in humanity and the worst in humanity. Every individual is made up of both good and bad - and Australians are no different.
The thoughts on the race riots are a bit old now. I didn't have much time to think while they were happening, so they're coming out today.
To all the Australians reading this: have a great day, guys. Drink beer (or beverage of choice), watch the Australia Day test match,eat lamb, relax and be thankful you don't have to work, and Happy Australia Day!
love,
Sel.
About four weeks ago, we had major race riots in Sydney over 'who owned the beaches'.
Quick geographical lesson for those who have no idea about Sydney's layout.
We have the east and the ocean, which involves beaches and beachside suburbs. Like any city in the world, a water view is expensive. It usually goes to the upper classes, who are, bluntly, mostly white Caucasian families. In the north and south, if you go inland a bit, you get the 'middle class' belt: primarily Caucasian, Mediterranean, Asian and Indian. If you run westwards of the city, you get the 'inner west' belt that is primarily filled with yuppies, students, Italians (Leichardt has some of The Best Gelato Evah), and people who live in share houses.
And then you have pockets of places where people of specific racial types tend to gather. One such suburb is Lakemba, which is heavily populated by Middle Eastern - the media have specifically picked out the Lebanese contigent - groups, many of whom practise the Islamic faith.
In the middle of December, there was a small confrontation at Cronulla beach, down south, where a couple of young men of Middle Eastern descent challenged the guys of the local surf club.
The next weekend, aided and abetted by SMS text messages inciting people to 'go and take back our beach', a largely white, beered-up mob of 'Australians' went through Cronulla beating on anyone they could see who looked of even vaguely Middle Eastern descent.
The next night, gangs of young men of Middle Eastern descent descended on Cronulla smashing cars and destroying property in retaliation.
The PM didn't want to believe that this behaviour is, in any way, shape or form, linked to war in Iraq, the post 9/11 suspicion on people of Middle Eastern descent, or the fact that the London bombers were young men who'd been born and bred in the UK. Because to admit that would be to admit that there are pockets of society that are disenfranchised, with no hope of ever rising through the ranks. It might suggest that his actions of the last ten years had contributed to a breakdown in society.
Lately, we've had our state government start using racial slurs to label offenders in press statements. Unhelpful.
And while it might seem a convenient way to collectively group people, think about it this way:
Would the liberals of America want to be labelled with what Dubya's done?
Would the conservatives of America want to be remembered by Clinton's presidency?
Would all Sam/Jack fans want to be grouped with Telkena or Jaka?
Would all Stargate fans want to be represented by the batshit screaming of the SDJ?
Think 'stop supporting my fandom/pairing/character - you're making it look bad!' Then apply it to the real world.
The IQ of a mob is the square root of it's most stupid member: but what about the people outside the mob? At the time of the 'race riots' there were groups in Lakemba - religious, community, family - who were looking for ways to ameliorate, apologise, and act with the broader community to rein in their rogue members.
I don't recall hearing of a single 'Australian' group who took any kind of action to rein in their rogue members. There was an outpouring of community scorn on the heads of the 'young white yobbos' who decided to take the law - and their definition of who is 'Australian' - into their own hands, but no action done.
What the mob did wasn't right. What the gangs did the night after wasn't right either. Making scapegoats out of all people of Middle Eastern descent isn't right. Smoothing over what the 'white boys' did isn't right.
And claiming there is no problem certainly isn't right.
Then again, I don't have much faith in politicians.
What I can do is meet people as far as they're willing to take me on matters of race, belief, nationality, and interest. Beyond that, we're all at sea in a little dinghy. Just, you know, don't poke the plastic too hard or it'll pop.
There's a lot of discussion and discourse about what it means to be 'an Australian', lately. Australia Day, the race riots, the referendum we had a couple of years back to become a Republic which failed...
In the simplest, legal form, to be an Australian means to hold an Australian passport.
In the more complex, social form...well, that's hard to describe. Is it to think of Australia as home? To endorse the government's decisions wholeheartedly, even if one disagrees? To watch cricket, play footy, and drink beer?
If it's the latter, then I fail on all three counts!
In the end, Australians are human - same as any other individual, group, nationality or race on Earth - and so are composites of the best in humanity and the worst in humanity. Every individual is made up of both good and bad - and Australians are no different.
The thoughts on the race riots are a bit old now. I didn't have much time to think while they were happening, so they're coming out today.
To all the Australians reading this: have a great day, guys. Drink beer (or beverage of choice), watch the Australia Day test match,
love,
Sel.
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Woohooo! Gimme that axle grease right now!
;)
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*waves flag*
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Mmm...vegemite.
Hey, I wonder if the parentals have any bread... *goes to look*
I've been thinking for a while: can I nab that icon? I need something nationalistic every now and then. :)
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Of course, for Australia Day this icon is even better! (And about 2 seconds old too. ;)
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Think 'stop supporting my fandom/pairing/character - you're making it look bad!' Then apply it to the real world
Yeah. I agree. That sums it up pretty well. =/