Elsewhere I have identified that RACISM is a product of Politics and continues to be “promoted” as what I call a “political football” (An issue which enables governments to justify the payment of large sums of money while they promote another achievement or political gain (one-up-man-ship) on “the opposition”.)
The real problem which is ignored and “never discussed” is exposed below with a “letter” from Jacinta Price.
TheCode provides a solution to the issues raised here because domestic violence, racism and sexism can all be resolved by addressing all of these issues in two ways; ONE – educate all people to understand and practice the code (for their own survival and their own DIGNITY) and TWO – provide the people to do the education AND the enforcement of TheCode while the education process catches up!!
Here are a couple of letters which identify THE PROBLEM and separates THE PROBLEM from the political agendas throughout the world:
These are the words of Jacinta Price – a very inspirational Australian:
Given we are continually being denigrated as a nation and bombarded by accusations of racism and bigotry, I felt it wasn’t only necessary to defend my home and the country I love but to also provide the overwhelming evidence that demonstrates these accusations are lies. If we can’t have pride in our own nation how are we expected to evolve successfully? If we keep telling a particular demographic they are victims of others of a certain skin colour we are effectively removing that demographic’s agency and that, to me, is completely un-Australian.
Here is a list of our nation’s achievements toward Aboriginal Australia and dare I say there’s very likely a whole lot that I have missed but we have to start somewhere right?
1856 – In South Australia all Men including Aboriginal Men were given the right to vote.
1896 – In South Australia all Women including Aboriginal Women were given the right to vote, 32 years before Women in England were given that right.
1948 – It is not well understood but no one in Australia was an Australian Citizen up until this year. We were regarded as British Subjects until the Citizenship Act was passed. Citizenship Rights were being extended to Aboriginal Australians gradually throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s by Coalition Governments.
1962 – Aboriginal Australians were granted the Right to Vote by a Coalition Government.
1964 – Aboriginal Australians were virtually granted full Citizenship Rights under a Coalition Government when the Aboriginal Ordinance was repealed.
1967 – The Referendum went through with overwhelming support of well over 90% of Australians voting to allow Aboriginal Australians to be included in the Census and for Aboriginal Affairs to become a Commonwealth responsibility. Another successful Coalition Government initiative.
1968 – The Equal Pay decision was applied by a Coalition Government.
1970 – A State Coalition Government in Victoria handed back the Lake Tyers reserve to the Aboriginal community.
1971 – Senator Neville Bonner, a Liberal, became our first Aboriginal Parliamentarian. Since then there have been 43 Aboriginal MP’s throughout state and federal Parliaments in Australia. To add to this 8 MP’s have recorded Aboriginal Ancestry but have not been identified as Aboriginal. The Northern Territory gave us the first and only Government, at any level, led by an Indigenous Australian. This is not widely known or celebrated because Chief Minister Adam Giles was with the Country Liberal Party.
1976 – The NT Land Rights Act was passed by a Coalition Government. Under this Act around 45% of the land and 80% of the coastline of the NT has been handed back to traditional owners, I’m one of them.
1992 – The High Court overturned the Principal of Terra Nullius with the Mabo Decision.
1993 – A Labor Government passed the Native Title Act.
In Australia today we have experienced historically significant acts of symbolism that include the 1991 Reconciliation Walk Across Sydney Harbour Bridge. For six hours 250,000 Australians of all backgrounds walked together to demonstrate the fact we are not racist but are overwhelmingly in support of Aboriginal Australia. We have spent a week every year since commemorating this event and what it means.
A Labor Prime Minister said ‘Sorry’ on May 26th 1998 in recognition of the impact of the policies of forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. These days and others are commemorated every year to recognise historical injustices and to demonstrate that everyday Australians DO care for the plight of Indigenous Australians.
We spend days and weeks each year recognising Aboriginal Australia in the following ways:
National Apology Day – 26 May;
National Sorry Day – 26 May;
National Close the Gap Day – 17 March;
Anniversary of the Referendum – 27 May 1967;
Reconciliation week – 27 May to 03 June;
Mabo Day – 03 June;
Coming of the Light – 01 July;
NAIDOC Week – 05 to 12 July;
National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day – 04 August;
International Day of the worlds Indigenous Peoples – 09 August;
Indigenous Literacy Day – 04 September; and
Anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights of Indigenous People – 13 September.
Throughout Australia ‘Welcome to Country’ or ‘Recognition of Country’ is applied as standard ritual practice before events, meetings and social gatherings by governments, corporates, institutions, primary schools, kindergartens, high schools, universities, work places, music festivals, gallery openings, conferences, and so on and so forth.
Aboriginal Australia is a part of the daily life of us all in some way shape or form and yet we are still facing accusations of racism in our nation. We have been hoodwinked into believing that somehow reconciliation means appeasing the aggrieved, those who refuse to forgive, and we are held to ransom every time the goal posts are shifted.
The good will and support of the Australian people is always on display and it has only gathered momentum along the way.
It’s time now to recognise the efforts of thousands of Australians throughout our history who have done what was in their power to support Aboriginal Australia including those who are not Aboriginal but who call us family. It’s time to recognise that we cannot possibly be a racist country if over 87% of people who identify as Aboriginal in non-remote areas of Australia are in fact married to non-Aboriginal Australians.
We must also remember that our nation is not only simply black and white. We are rich with the contribution of Australians of many backgrounds and this is one of our greatest strengths as a nation. What of the 30% of Australians who were born overseas, from every country on earth. Are they all racist too?
It’s time to stop feeding into a narrative that promotes racial divide, a narrative that claims to try to stamp out racism but applies racism in doing so and encourages a racist over reaction. Yes, it is time for some truth telling.
We should be celebrating what we have achieved together before the good will of the nation runs out.
This Interview with Paul Murray places this letter in more meaningful perspective. The message that “charity begins at home” is pretty clear BUT we (all of humanity) needs to understand the true cause of the BASIC PROBLEM WITH RACISM and understand that we can play a part in the solution.
And to provide another perspective on the unnecessary complication and polarization of the whole issue with regard to RACISM here is another letter. A cry from a different reality:
Michael Richards, better known as Kramer, from TVsSeinfeld does make a good point.
There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, etc.
And then there are just Americans..
You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction.
You call me ‘White boy,’ ‘Cracker,’ ‘Honkey,’ ‘Whitey,’ ‘Caveman’…
And that’s OK…
But when I call you, Nigger, Kike, Towel head, Sand-nigger,Camel Jockey,Beaner, Gook, or Chink ..You call me a racist.
You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you….
So why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?You have the United Negro College Fund.
You haveMartin Luther King Day.
You have Black History Month.
You have Cesar Chavez Day.
You have Yom Hashoah.
You have Ma’uled Al-Nabi.
You have the NAACP.
You have BET….If we had WET (White Entertainment Television), we’d be racists.
If we had a White Pride Day, you would call us racists.
If we had White History Month, we’d be racists.
If we had any organization for only whites to ‘advance’ OUR lives,we’d be racists.
We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce,
and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce.
Wonder who pays for that??A white woman could not be in the Miss Black American pageant,
but any color can be in the Miss America pageant.If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships… You know we’d be racists.
There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US .. Yet if there were ‘White colleges’,
that would be a racist college.In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights.
If we marched for our race and rights, you would call us racists.
You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you’re not afraid to announce it.
But when we announce our white pride, you call us racists.You rob us, car jack us, and shoot at us.
But, when a white police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug dealer
running from the law and posing a threat to society, you call him a racist.I am proud…… But you call me a racist.
Why is it that only whites can be racists??
BE PROUD TO BE WHITE! It’s not a crime YET….But getting very close!
I really do believe that application of TheCode as a MORAL COMPASS can address these issues and get the world out of the “RACIST trench” which is being dug deeper and deeper every day. Polarization is not the solution!!
In Australia we have a Department of Aboriginal Affairs which is one of the most costly items in the Australian Government Budgets. As a THIRD (but probably the most significant, important and achievable) objectives of the Australian Government would be to remove all references to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and any and all references on ALL government forms that relate to, or identify race. AND from then onward all Australians should get treated EQUALLY. This includes providing outback Australians with better facilities. The excellent service provided by The Royal Flying Doctor Service is not enough. Use the money saved on the administration costs for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.
Keep safe,
Jude