So there was a thing called “World War I” though they didn’t call it that because they didn’t know there’d be a second one so they called it “The Great War”, the poor damned fools.
They didn’t know what they were talking about. The Great War wasn’t great it was rubbish.
It ran from 1914 to 1918 and killed 37 million people in ever-hideous ways because they were using 19th century tactics to fight 20th century machine guns and tanks and bombs and gas in mud.
If you didn’t agree that Australians should fight for Britain in Europe or that God said Thou Shalt Not Kill and you believed it – or if you just didn’t want to die – you ticked the box marked “Conscientious Objector”.
In the Australian way they were called “Conshies” and they were roundly loathed, labelled cowards and traitors and worse.
They sent them white feathers in the post because they didn’t have Twitter.
Hundred years later San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the US national anthem and the nationalists on Fox News fired up the corrupt lying douchebag of a President who reckoned owners should say “Get that son of a bitch off the field”.
Similarly, there’ll be those who believe Cody Walker and Josh Addo-Carr are disrespecting Australia by not singing our national anthem in State of Origin on Wednesday night.
But these people, like Trump, on purpose and otherwise, will be missing the point.
Taking a knee, not singing – they’re acts of patriotism. Borne of desire to make the country better.
Josh Addo-Carr of the Blues scores a try (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
We should understand what it takes for a person to come to this decision.
We should ask them and others like them why.
And we should hear them out.
And we should acknowledge this: it takes balls to make a stand (even on a knee), just as it took balls to tick the Conshie box on the war form.
Kaepernick sat down originally during the American anthem and no-one really noticed, until they did.
San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid (35) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) kneel (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
Then a veteran, a US Army Green Beret, offended, sought Kaepernick out. And he heard him out. And asked why he was doing it.
And a funny thing happened: the men got along.
But it’s not that odd. People are lots more likely to get along talking face to face over a bottle of wine, say, than two people effectively texting each other like dots on a GPS map, as we do in the anti-socials, poor damned fools we are.
And so they talked and found middle ground. And the Marine suggested that Kaepernick could still honour the flag and the country and the veterans who fought for it, and make his point, by taking a knee.
And so Kaepernick took a knee and made a stand for his people.
And his point? Black lives matter. American cops shoot black people at a rate of 3:1 to white people. Police kill a thousand Americans a year.
Black people have to have “the talk” with their teenage sons to tell they’re going to be looked at a certain way by police, and if they don’t want to die, they should do X, Y and Z.
And that’s obviously no way to run a rodeo. So Kaepernick sat down. And then took a knee. And they’re still killing black kids, but at least people agree that it’s bad.
Which brings us, of course, to our Cody and our Josh, and their stance to not sing Australia’s national anthem at Suncorp Wednesday night. They reckon the song doesn’t represent Aboriginal people and lots of other Aboriginal people agree.
And if you think about it, they’re probably right.
Cody Walker (centre) of the Rabbitohs (AAP Image/Darren England)
There’s certainly no mention of the people who were on this great hot rock 60,000 years before Captain Cook turned up with a flag.
Indigenous Australians compare unfavourably in all manner of markers – life expectancy, infant mortality, incarceration, diabetes, heart disease, youth suicide – to their fellow Australians, and as the Fairfax papers are doing, it’s time we had the chat.
And if Cody and Josh reckon not singing our anthem makes a point – as it clearly has – then good luck to them.
Takes balls. Good on ’em.
They didn’t sing it during the All Stars match and Johnathan Thurston reckons it was “brushed over”.
Mal Meninga said: “It is time for the Australian people, I believe, to have another conversation about their national anthem”.
“We expect Kangaroos players to sing the national anthem, but I’m also in favour of the fact, if it is offensive to indigenous Australians, let’s have a discussion about it.”
And that’s what we need. Australia needs a version of that Green Beret to have a yarn with Cody and Josh and JT, and other Australian who doesn’t feel that the anthem represents them, and find out why, and what we can do.
To see if we can help. To even agree.
To see if we can meet in the middle ground.
As to whether they should sing it, please. Free country. People can choose to sing or not.
Their business. Their freedom to do as they please within the laws of this great southern land.
No bastard used to sing the bastard anyway.
Why do we sing the national anthem before state games? Or grand finals or Anzac Day or All Stars and Maori, whatever?
We didn’t used to. It came from those study tours of the US, the ones that brought back golden point.
Used to be Australians thought that stuff was so much unctuous horseshit. A Seppo thing, suckin’ the flag.
Maybe too strong. It’s only a song.
But Origin was better when the pre-match entertainment was a cane toad chasing a cockroach with a fire extinguisher.
The Blues stand for the national anthem (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
When the first you saw of the players was them running out, bristling, rolling arms, bunching shoulders, warriors before battle. And then they’d just get into it.
Today they run out and link arms and sing a song – or not, as is their right.
How do you stay fired-up if you spend the moments after running out singing our dirge of an anthem?
And how do you find out why two Aussies would not sing the Aussie anthem?
Send in the Green Berets.
soapit
Roar Guru
Yep no problem changing the anthem giving it's so young and is so terrible
soapit
Roar Guru
You'd have three quarters of the flag to go what you want with. Maybe 50/50 would be fairer
Nat
Roar Guru
Your first comment was at 8am and you write the same gibberish 13hrs later? Not much going on between the ears is there champ?
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
And a currency that is linked to (backed up by) oil (petroleum) not gold like most other nations. Hence the interest and wars in the middle east. You sound like someone who has studied history, like myself. It certainly helps to give things perspective, doesn't it?
BA Sports
Roar Guru
No. I mean many players in the NRL identify, and represent other nations. My evidence is that when provided the choice of which country they would like to represent they choose Tonga, or New Zealand or England - you know those white guys with the surname "Burgess" who play for South Sydney? You know the dozens of New Zealand born players that play for New Zealand that play in the NRL? And when they play for those countries they sing their national anthem. If you are trying to paint me as some sort of racist, you are barking up the wrong tree champ.
mushi
Roar Guru
It's funny we say that sports shouldn't be used for politics and yet... Isn't that where they started? A way to appease the masses and give the common folk something to focus on. Goverments have used them as a rallying point for millennia. Hell our teams are largely based on political boundaries. I wish the phrase went the other way. I wish politics wasn't like sport, I wish the focus was on playing the right way and governing for the maximum sustainable benefit rather than winning the election.
mushi
Roar Guru
I remember when they got Snoop to rap the Australian anthem on a tour event. Poor guy thought we were taking the mickey when he got to girt.
mushi
Roar Guru
Papi it's more that they're the largest domestic economy and the reserve currency in a global marketplace. A country as dependent on international trade as Australia has to be interested and aware. The eventual conclusion of the sino-US trade war probably impacts us more than our own choice of government.
mushi
Roar Guru
If you haven't seen lightning crack over a cane field you shouldn't get to vote!
mushi
Roar Guru
Is that sinister intention to solicit more Jimbo commentary?
mushi
Roar Guru
Why not Billson or something tying him to Hewson. The similarities are far better than Clinton. You got all up in arms about the author crossing into US politics but then make a hamfisted approximation of the Australian election to the US.
mushi
Roar Guru
Cool story bro
Knight Vision
Guest
I dont believe in god.
Peter GC
Roar Rookie
you have to be an Australian to play State of Origin and if you can't honour the flag or our anthem no matter what form that currently is in You should not be selected. End of discussion. sick and tired of us accommodating every minority group while the silent majority get on with keeping the country alive and growing so it has the cash to pay for all these programmes and debates. Get over it and do the right thing and sure work for change behind the scenes but dont disrespect the exact reason you got selected. .
The Joy Of X
Roar Rookie
@ Ad-O You are correct. Removing Captain Cook's statues will, probably, be later on the agenda of those who promulgate Identity Politics (some have already been defaced). Probably, also demands for removal of other statues of explorers' statues - who didn't really "discover new" areas. Matt Cleary's article is poorly written, with factual errors, and very dubious arguments. It is a clickbait article, we've fallen for it.
The Joy Of X
Roar Rookie
I did not say sport players are required to sing a national anthem. Traditionally, many have not. I don't think anyone has advocated that- it is perfectly acceptable to remain silent. I stated that protests by sports' players should not occur at the sporting EVENT as, probably, about 50% of fans will be aggravated/express their disapproval/be less inclined to attend or watch that particular sport (This has occured in the NFL with some payers 'taking the knee'). Players are entitled to express their political/moral/religious views away from the sporting event, as long as they are not advocating violence. I, therefore, disagree with Israel Folau being sacked for expressing his views away from a sporting event. Will Matt Cleary offer a detailed and balanced explanation of the accuracy of his statistics on US police shootings? Are you saying that players and fans are entitled, at sporting EVENTS, to OPENLY protest at the playing of a national anthem? And do you believe there will ever be 100% approval of the lyrics or tune of any national anthem?
concerned supporter
Roar Rookie
Although I think that AAF is a dirge of a song, I believe as it has rightly or wrongly been declared Australia's national anthem from 1977, it deserves respect. I think Kurtly Beale has the right idea. ''https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wallabies/step-towards-reconciliation-why-kurtley-beale-will-sing-anthem-and-believes-indigenous-jersey-at-world-cup-is-pinnacle-moment/news-story/1c9fc0bf423b6dce1b0bd7ba976a045f''
Brisguy51
Roar Rookie
If they decided to change our current anthem i would go for The Seekers song We are Australian. The song to me uses the right lyrics incorporating us all together.It is a really great song.
Squirellgrip
Roar Rookie
Gee I had a read of all the comments hear. And it is amazing the number of people making virtuous statements left right and centre and probably most have never lived in and around indigenous folk and seen the abject misery that is the “Aboriginal sorry industry” of today. Symbolic stuff like not singing the anthem or welcome to country BS does nothing for solving the problem. We spend $32,000 million ( more than our Defence budget) every year and what do we have to show for it. I have worked with troubled youth in the NT (Darwin and Katherine) and I can tell you all, the greatest threat to our Indigenous people is you ‘apologist and sorry industry mob” in the big smoke. The ‘sit down money’ and the handouts you all demand ( = drugs and booze) is fueling unparalleled levels of sickness, violence, child abuse and cultural destruction. I was there in the 70’s and the level of depravity now is exponentially worse. The Sorry Industry is growing unchallenged and this article like a thousand others does zero, zip, nada for solving the problem. “You all know nothing John Snow”
Squirellgrip
Roar Rookie
Gee on that basis they seem to be involved disproportionately in crime. Thanks to your superior math acumen that is now clear. Well done.