What a week! Starting with a 13-year-old girl calling Swans legend Adam Goodes an ape, to Roarers tearing Kurtley Beale limb from limb over his drinking, and ending with Eddie McGuire suggesting that Goodes promote the King Kong musical.
Does vilification end with McGuire? Does it ever end?
I don’t know the answer.
In fact, I don’t know why there’s any vilification at all: we all breathe the same air, we all live together, we all share the same hopes, the same fears.
I’m not looking for utopia, just an even break for all – irrespective of their creed or colour.
For starters, where would a 13-year-old girl get the idea Goodes was an ape? Parents, friends, heard someone else suggest it?
Aboriginal Goodes, a two-time Brownlow Medalist and two-time premiership winner, is an icon in AFL – and the community.
He is universally revered, and rightfully so. To be called an ape by a kid was devastating for him especially, as it would be for any fair-minded person.
Just six days later, to have another icon in McGuire suggest he promote the King Kong musical was the last straw.
Had McGuire done that on American radio, his on-air career would be over forever in a nano-second.
“A brain fade,” was how AFL coaching legend Kevin Sheedy described it.
“The mistake cuts me to the core,” was McGuire’s reaction. And he means it.
He’s offered to stand down from his multi-media commitments, and the presidency of Collingwood, until the aftermath is settled.
But what will that prove? Absolutely nothing.
So what will the AFL reaction be? Another unanswered question, just proving there’s no cut-and-died end to this saga.
And yesterday, another Aborigine, Kurtley Beale, was torn apart by Roarers over his drinking problems.
Instead of waiting to see how he emerges from the rehab process he has undertaken so willingly by his own volition, Roarers condemned his drinking and the incidents that have been well-publicised because of it.
I will stick to my strong belief that alcoholism is a sickness not a weakness, and trust the great people who work so tirelessly in rehab organisations around the country can help Beale overcome his demons to not only lead a long and fruitful life, but give rugby-lovers around the world a lot of pleasure in a gold jersey.
So where are we at?
Stuffed if I know, except it’s an unholy mess.
Even if the 13-year-old is banned from attending games until she’s 21, even if McGuire is fined $10,000 and suspended from all media for six months, and Roarers back off until Kurtley Beale has completed his rehab, what does that prove?
What does that achieve to stamp out vilification?
Just a band-aid to paper over the cracks.
Vilification is like performance-enhancing drug-taking. It will always be there no matter how vile both are, and no matter how hard it’s policed.
It’s up to each individual to limit both by their own vigilance to make the world as good as it can be.
That’s simply not nearly good enough, but it’s realistically as good as it’s going to get.
Australian Rules
Guest
I assume Ralph's talking about the general population. Because whilst the AFL can't possibly control the minds or voices of all 80,000 people sitting in a crowd (or commentators for that matter), the AFL as an organisation *does* treat Indigenous players incredibly well.
Wal
Roar Guru
:(
Wal
Roar Guru
I would say calling Adam Goodes obvious distress PC gone mad would fully qualify as intolerance. You have to remember it was only Goodes Parents generation that were not considered citizens and referred to as part of the Flora and Fauna of Australia, unable to vote, not counted in the census and could at a moments notice be removed from their parents. These were not acts in some dim dark past but with a single generation. If you think he is being overblown or exaggerated, take a read of this, put yourself in those communities and get back to me if you don't think you might feel part of an underclass http://www.library.uq.edu.au/fryer/1967_referendum/act.html As for Eddie, I don't believe he is a Bigot (Hates other races) but his actions this week show a complete lack of sensitivity. Hence his actions were racist. and that may not reflect his overall personality but through education (Goodes original call for the 13yo girl) these insensitivities need to be removed from our society. And had his comments been made any other week you could draw a very long bow and possibly defend it as a plain stupid but still racially insensitive, but in the middle of what happen how on earth could a SENIOR professional broadcaster defend that.
deanp
Guest
my apologies handles, I was in sarcastic mode. My point being that there were a lot of people at the time very keen to put the boot into Symonds, and Ponting for that matter, for having the temerity to raise the issue. Any thoughts on this comment from the Judge, in his official report on the matter? "But in my view even if he had used the words “alleged” an “ordinary person” standing in the shoes of Mr Symonds who had launched an unprovoked and unnecessary invective laden attack would not be offended or insulted or humiliated in terms of 3.3. ” does no one see anything at all amiss with this statement?
Bob Anderson
Guest
Aren't sports designed to develop toughness of character? What is less tough than caring one iota what someone calls you? This seems to be mainly about political agendas.
Kasey
Guest
Did anybody who understands how the AFL works expect them to sanction Eddie in any meaningful way? The AFL won’t wipe their own bum without running their plan past Collingwood first.
peeeko
Roar Guru
who are you accusing here Ralph?
peeeko
Roar Guru
i think you will find there are a lot bigger problems with racism in Europe- plenty of examples with black soccer players getting abused
handles
Guest
Well your google must work differently than mine. The first story mine brings up is: Symonds racially abused yet again - Cricket - Sport - smh.com.au www.smh.com.au › Sport › Cricket Oct 18, 2007 – ANDREW Symonds has been subjected to yet another round of monkey chants, this time by sections of the Wankhede Stadium crowd during ... Perhaps you have the "political correctness gone mad" filter on? The point is made clealry, above. You can argue the tangents all you like.
Ralph Nadeer
Roar Rookie
The worst form of racism in this country is to vilify indigenous Australians. As if taking our land and murdering our ancestors and raping their wives and daughters wasn't bad enough, but to treat us as inferior and second class human beings, apes and gorillas (unless they play for your AFL team) is a disgrace. Shame Australia, shame.
ciudadmarron
Guest
I think I see a chink in your argument, boy. Perhaps it's because you have caught the wog going around and aren't at your best. I find an orange juice with a spic of ginger and kaffir lime will do the trick - at least take it easy, put your feet up on the poof. Why is it so difficult for people to understand words can be loaded, and offense is in the ear of the beholder... it's not that hard to be respectful and think about the words you say. If you honestly don't understand it, you should be able to accept the explanation...context people, context.
Upfromdown
Guest
I live and work in Europe (I am Australian) and all countries have elements of "casual" racism or bigotry. There is no measure that says one country is more racist/bigoted that the other. It ,unfortunately, is evident more or less equally everywhere.
Matt Man
Roar Rookie
Well it looks like he only got a slap of the wrist.
AG
Guest
It's so obvious when you travel abroad how tactless and casually racist Australians are, whether you believe it or not we have a reputation of being a very racist country, quite the contrary to what we would like to think of ourselves. If you go to anywhere in Europe and North America the issue of even being slightly discriminatory is a very big social taboo. Australians have a long long way to grow up in this regard, and sport being societies third estate has given us a great illustration over the past week of a great hypocrisy of Australian values; Australians approach, think and view racism very differently to others around the world, which is pandemic throughout our society.
Jimbob
Guest
Perfect face of Collingwood ? I am a Collingwood member and I take offence from your comment. you are a bigot towards Collingwood. Do you understand what this means ?
Jimbob
Guest
I agree with DeanP.This is not hatred towards a particular race for gods sake.
Steve
Guest
Get Mr. Lord to the emergency room STAT! (Just an easy joke, no real offence intended)
Steve
Guest
No, he's not saying that, he's saying we shouldn't hold Beale accountable for it because........ wait that's incredibly racist too. Wait, well maybe he means.......... No, there's no way I can work this out that doesn't end in something ludicrously racist. Given how seriously this site is taking racism these days, I'm surprised there hasn't been more said about this article.
upfromdown
Guest
I agree with both Hansie & Adam S. David Lord is turning the Beale drinking problem into a race issue, not anyone else. He writes some outrageous things but I guess he gets a response doesn't he. However it does not mean that we should not pull him up if we disagree or refuse to read his articles, because if we say nothing then he does not get the feedback he has received from us and does not learn.
Eliah James
Roar Rookie
I think that's the one point that a lot of people seem to be missing. The first time I heard about the monkey/ape correlation with aboriginals was through the Symonds/Harbhajan issue. So in that regard I can understand how the 13 year old might not have known, and it may have been unintentional racism, but racism nonetheless. The only true measure of that incident is the phone call that took place between her and Goodes. Eddie's comments were a moment of absolute stupidity and recklessness - but I am not going to sit here and pretend that I (or a majority of the Australian population) are any better than he. I think it is a complex issue that has hazy borders between traditional Australian larrikinism and sledging - we vilify people for being red heads etc. everyday. The point we need to remember is that Eddie's joke would have been about as funny to the Aboriginal/coloured community as a joke about my mother getting cancer would be to me.