Friday, July 02, 2010

Racism in Australia?

A few months ago there was a series of attacks on Indian students in Melbourne and the accusations that Australians were racists was hurled about to the extent that the press in India foamed up such discontent that the Australian Prime Minister was urged to apologize. As a proud Australian I found the accusation that we are a racist nation hurtful and embarassing. The facts that Indian students, visiting this country for an education had become soft targets for gangs was a fact. The inference that this wave of crime was racially motivated was based on assumptions without any solid evidence. A number of incidents involving Indians followed and the word "racism" was bandied about recklessly. An Indian claimed he was torched by attackers, the evidence only proving later on that he in fact was torching his own car to claim insurance when he accidentally set himself alight.
An Indian child went missing and immediately there was talk of racism as the motive, which proved false.
And now a tragic story of an Indian student who lost the use of one eye after being attacked at a train station.
The fact that one of the attackers from the gang that attacked this unfortunate man is from Sudan. 
There is no way I can accept that someone from the Sudan is a typical Australian.
The sad fact is that we are unable to emphasise this particular fact in the media because that would indeed be an act of racism. And so softly softly we tread the fine line between what is fact and what can be inferred from fact.
In posting this blog, I have to be extremely careful that I am not accused of racism by inadvertently drawing attention to the small fact that the convicted attacker who admitted his crime is from Sudan.

4 comments:

Jeannie said...

It's pretty annoying.

I've said it before - my kids have friends from all over - and some of those friends blame their race or ethnicity for the bad things that may come their way - which is pretty ridiculous since some of them you can't even tell are not "the same" anyway.

Jeannie said...

Your artwork caught my eye - my daughter would absolutely love your stuff. I have to learn how to do it for her.

Patrick Carroll said...

I have been accused a number of times of making racist comments when pointing out the very same thing Lexcen.

It seems that we are not supposed to "call a spade a spade" anymore.

Lexcen said...

Jeannie, thanks for the complement.

Patrick, you understand.

BS, I hate everybody equally too.

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