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Doesn't matter if you're black or white |
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Written by Danno
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Wednesday, 16 June 2010 13:20 |
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 It's not usual for me to get too "serious" on this website. Most things are discussed with a fair wad of tongue-in-cheek and are intentionally provocative on some level. However, the latest news headlines concerning Timana Tahu walking out of State-of-Origin camp in protest against repetitive racially derogative comments from coaching staff has made me shake my head in disbelief.
While this particular story highlights yet another way that the AFL shits all over the NRL as a sport (this time in terms of code management and policy implementation), it also highlights the underlying issue that ANTAR and many other organisations are fighting against: racism is ingrained in society. Not just in Australia, but the world over (as evidenced by pretty much every Hollywood movie, the treatment of Andrew Symonds in India last year and a ridiculously huge list of other examples that I won't bother to mention as you all know it's the truth just as well as I do).
Now I am no political genius, but from where I sit the solution seems obvious. Society is racist because the system fosters a divide. If you remove the divide from the system, the divide should also (over time) be removed from society.
What do I mean?
Firstly, we need to recognise that racism is a "two way street". I have lived in Tasmania and I have lived in Townsville. I've also lived most places in between. In Tasmania I witnessed generalised racist comments regularly. In Melbourne I witnessed anti-Asian, anti-Greek, anti-Italian, anti-Indian comments regularly. In Sydney I witnessed anti-Everyone comments regularly, in Townsville I witnessed anti-Aboriginal comments regularly. But in Townsville, where there was a greater indigenous population than the other areas mentioned, I also was very, VERY regularly a victim of racism. I was threatened and pushed around in the mall one day because I had no money to give to the indigenous "gang" hanging out in the center of it. I was regularly abused for being "a white c**t" while I worked at night in the hospitality industry and for the first time in my life I experienced a real-life, proper racial divide. I have to be honest, it was a shock to me. I had not been a victim of racism before and I certainly am not a racist person myself.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 June 2010 15:10 |
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Written by Danno
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Monday, 17 May 2010 14:57 |
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 New Zealand. This Morning. Box. Flies. Note. Evacuation. << That's the Cliff Notes.
This morning New Zealand's parliament was evacuated due to the discovery of a "suspicious looking package" (no, not Ron Jeremy in Y-Fronts) was discovered on the fifth floor of the Beehive building inside the office of New Zealand's agriculture minister, David Carter.
The box had a note on top saying it contained a bomb. However, the box merely contained cluster flies, which are common in New Zealand (as are cluster-fucks, it seems) and pose no threat to humans.
Insert some joke here about flies and sheeps dags and NZ aversion to pooey sheep bums.. because I can't be arsed thinking of one immediately but I note that, given this blog is Australian, then such a joke is obligatory if not mandatory.
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Written by Danno
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Friday, 14 May 2010 14:51 |
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"Flea powder: check. Collar: check. Shmacko's: check. Gas mask: check. It's GO TIME!!!" is just one possible translation of: *scratch* *scratch* Bowwow Wowoww Bow, grrr.. ruff! -- In all likelihood, it is not accurate, but my dear readery friend, let's just go with it.
The word "kanellos" is more traditionally recognised in the Greek language as "cinnamon". However, these days it is Greek for "The Second Coolest Dog EVER!" Second only to Thor, who only wins the "cool vote" on the (rather boring) technicality that his financially capable, self-indulgent owner had him cryogenically frozen when he pee'd the bucket.
Kanellos is an allegedly* stray dog who has become a symbol of "let's kick some serious arse" for every Greek and all of Greece. How and why? Well, press photographers noticed after awhile that he has shown up in photos they have taken of nearly every demonstration or protest held in Greece over the past two and a bit years. Kanellos is not scared of the riot police, of tear gas or of having a little fun...
*I use the word "allegedly" above.. because not only does Kanellos wear a collar, he has a name that is now recognised world-wide. Because THAT'S pretty common for a "stray" dog. You would assume he is owned by a protester, considering he is never "hanging out" with the coppers. But then to assume makes an ass out of you, and you alone. Not me. You. So...
Check out Kanellos in action:
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Last Updated on Friday, 14 May 2010 15:41 |
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