Why is Australia so racists? I shudder at the thought that my kids will grow up with the current Australian attitude towards Aboriginals. Everytime I see a viral video of a "bogan white person" the comments are just laughs and people tagging there friends and insulting the person in the video. Boys having a brawl or vandalizing or something it's just comments like where are there parents? But if the video is of Aboriginal people the comments are disgusting like Aboriginal people are scum or vile things about all Aboriginal people when the video was only like a portion of that group of peoples. It's so sad how Australians say that stuff so freely and don't even think that video is not all Aboriginals. And people always comment that they get free money? How? Is there rent assistant higher or Newstart? Is an study higher then Aus study? No. Do they call Centrelink and Centrelink says oh hey did you know you can get an extra payment of $*** just because your Aboriginal no. Yet people always say that stuff? It just makes me so sad that my kids are so innocent right now, will grow up and I don't want that disgusting attitude to influence them. Sorry more of a rant but would love to know how other mothers have considerable thought about this and how they want to influence they're kids better from such young ages.
6 Replies
I have thought about this before and I know my daycare talks about Aboriginal culture with music dance books story telling a lot and that so as they grow up it's not so forgien it's just another part of Australia. Not a area of Australia to be judged or ignored. I know what you mean though and it is scary
There was a show on a while ago showing how different Aboriginals lived. There were really successful Aboriginals who were lawyers and doctors living in big houses. Ones who live in the bush. Ones with drinking problems etc. No different to white people really. I know many white alcoholics and druggies. I'm not sure why Aboriginals get all this hate either.
With education. Facts, discussion and compassion.
I don't think Australia is as racist as places like America. Don't always believe what you see on TV or Social Media.
Just because it hasn't happened to you, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I've grown up with kids telling me to go back where I came from (New Zealand) all because I had an accent. I've even had an old man ask me if my children were mine because he didn't believe a dark skinned person such as myself can birth white looking kids (I'm mixed btw, their father Anglo Australian)
Now that I sound Australian, I sometimes get confused with being an Aboriginal woman. Not that that bothers me, but very often I'll get comments like "you sound nice for an Aborigine."
Then there's the stuff I've learned to not let bother me: being followed around shops, being the first to have my bags checked, etc
My personal experiences aside, just read any comment section regarding Islam or asylum seekers.
I have lived in highly aboriginal populated towns and suburbs for the last 20 years and even though I have seen the worst of the worse and know where the frustration comes from, these comments annoy me too. But I also get annoyed by people who have no idea what goes on in these places, try and say aboriginal people are all innocent and victims to "white privilege". No, thats not right either. The best we can all do is see things for what they are. The fact is there is a fair percentage of aboriginal people who are drug and alcohol addicted and steal to support themselves. In my current city there are houses being broken into while owners are in it, old people getting bashed and even raped. Its sickening. And these crimes are happening to everyone, not just white people but aboriginal people have been victim as well. Everyones had enough and it needs to stop, I think when we see magistrates getting tougher we will see a better attitude from the community.