verging_on_random

The sandstone fence

December 16, 2006 on 6:21 am | In Uncategorized |

Two events this year have provided sharp reminders of the ignorance and closed thinking that affects so many Australians. One was the refusal by a majority of Toowoomba residents to approve a recycled water scheme for their city, despite the critical water shortages they are facing. The second happened this week, a few hundred km down the New England Highway, where Tamworth representatives objected to having Sudanese refugees housed in their town.

According to news reports:

Tamworth City Council voted this week to spurn an offer by the Department of Immigration to resettle the families for fear it could lead to a repetition of the Cronulla riots, said the Mayor, James Treloar.

Cr Treloar told the Herald people were worried that allowing the families to move to Tamworth “could lead to a Cronulla riots-type situation. Ask the people at Cronulla if they want more refugees.”

Other residents were apparently concerned about the refugees “coming and drinking our water supply, or taking our jobs, that sort of thing”. Hell yeah, we’re talking about five whole families here, and the way these foreigners breed that probably means about 50 people. That would destroy the whole local Tamworth economy, no way a town of a mere 50,000 residents could absorb a shock like that. And water’s in short enough supply without newcomers from Africa of all places, where the natives are notoriously profligate with the enormous water surpluses.

Apologists for the town said the real reason for opposition was that the refugees’ health problems would stretch the local medical facilities to breaking point. I love how irrational people so often pretend that the grounds for their bigotry are concern for the other people - you know, we’re not prejudiced, it’s just in their own interests that they live somewhere else where they can get proper medical care. I guess the Sudanese would also be scared by all the cows and horses and they wouldn’t be able to work out the bus timetable and gosh, they just wouldn’t feel comfortable in Tamworth. Much better to settle them some place like Lakemba with all the other terrorists refugees.

The deep vein of racism that our prime minister taps so skilfully remains as virulent now as it was when the Hanson maggot gathered so much popular support. We witnessed yet another example during the week when a young Australian of the year handed back her award after hysterical front-page news stories that she’d been questioned by police . Not charged or anything, just questioned. So why t f was this such a big story, with Morris Iemma falling over himself in his haste to dissociate himself from the girl? Well she’s a Muslim ….. ooooohh, say no more.

The racist ugliness that has been a feature of Australian society since European occupation is just as potent as ever. I think it’s a mistake to deny it or to minimise its importance by arguing that it’s only evident amongst a minority of the population. That might be true but the majority seems content to put up with their bigotry, which amounts to condoning it.

Racism, xenophobia and mindless hatred of ‘the other’ are not just problems because they are morally repugnant. They are also problems because they threaten our peace and security, both internally and externally. A lot of people have been scared into silence on these matters by the blatant intimidation of the talk-back radio thugs and the sneering about ‘political correctness’ by community figures from the prime minister down. In such a climate rampant prejudice and bigotry take over and fools like the mayor of Tamworth feel emboldened, to use the new buzz word, to make fatuous statements implying that the Cronulla riots were somehow caused by refugees.

It would be nice to think Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard will show some leadership on these issues and begin the slow process of restoring basic decency to public debate in Australia. However, I won’t hold my breath waiting. I fear their strategy is going to consist mainly of hoping everyone’s sick and tired of Howard.

The Greens, with all their faults, continue to look like the only party that offers a genuine alternative future for Australia.