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As the controversy surrounding the booing of Adam Goodes continues, the debate between those calling the booing unacceptable and racist and those calling it a fair expression of fans’ disapproval of his character is becoming increasingly heated.
The AFL community is insistent on making it a race issue, which a portion of the public seems to detest. Yet it is wrong to ignore race in this situation.
I’m not saying that the majority of people booing him are racist, but let’s look at the facts.
The booing mostly started after the 13-year-old girl called him an ape in 2013 and he had her ejected from the MCG. The main reason he is being booed is because people hate that he singled out the young girl, and has been outspoken about race relations in this country ever since. People hate an ‘us versus them’ mentality, and think he was ill-deserving of becoming Australian of the Year.
Australians, as a whole, seem to hate political correctness, and especially hate being called racist. When Adam Goodes started to speak up and complain, it annoyed a lot of people. They don’t like that he is a victim, and while Australians as a whole have utmost respect and love for Indigenous people, many are still apathetic to the disadvantage and struggles of being Aboriginal.
The way he plays the game is another reason many people give for booing him, however this whole situation highlights that many Australians are uncomfortable talking about racial issues and prefer our Aboriginal athletes to perform on the field and leave politics out of it.
Yes, Michael Long is an example of a loved player who spoke up for Aboriginal issues, however he did it in a way which was not as confrontational as Goodes’ war dance or his controversial views on Australia Day.
Goodes has strong views on race and he is entitled to express them without being booed. The way he plays is not reason enough for such harsh booing and in fact we should appreciate what a great player he is on the field. Yes, other players get the same treatment and we don’t ask for them to stop being booed, but these are players booed exclusively for their on-field behaviour or for extremely poor actions off-field. Adam Goodes doesn’t deserve being booed based on either of those criteria.
Many people’s hate for Goodes has only increased with all the media attention this has been getting, and again, he is seen to be someone who is egocentric and precious for complaining about such treatment when other players don’t. But the attention has been generated largely from the media itself and Goodes has every right to be upset, he is a human being after all.
That is the most important thing to note: that Goodes and his family have been so hurt by the situation should be reason enough to stop the booing. Where has our sense of empathy gone?
Regardless, the booing seems symptomatic of a society that is uncomfortable with having an honest discussion on race relations, especially when sport is involved.
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