The events of the past week and furore over booing and the usual #Istandfor campaign that has ensued, has prompted me to reflect on "what I stand for" when it comes to racism.
I'll will state that this point, that booing based on racial intent is not acceptable. Any form of racism is contemptible. Booing as a response to someones behaviour, and behaviour that has offended or hurt you, is entirely different.
Therefore:
I stand with all of those who face real racism and discrimination day in day out.
I stand with those people who are physically attacked and in many instances killed because of their colour, their religion or their ethnicity.
I stand with those who are denied the right to work because of what they are, not who they are as people.
I stand with those who are isolated and shunned because they are different in some way.
I stand with those who are spat on and verbally abused because of what they wear, what religion they choose to follow not who they are as human beings.
I stand with those who don't hide behind what happened 200 years ago and who then use that as an excuse for their own lack of fortune today and who suffer the indignity and pain of real racism and exclusion.
I don't stand with people who have made a success of their lives be it through business, sport or politics and who continue to blame me for the misdeeds of my forefathers.
I don't stand with people who continue to ram down my throat that I am a white trespasser in the country I was born in and for whom my father, grandfathers and uncles put their lives on the line. People who tell me “First of all, Aboriginal people have been here a lot longer than anybody else, so just remember whose lands you are on and maybe pay a little bit more respect to that,’’ (Respect is earnt it can not be demanded)
I don't stand with people who use their position to push their indigenous, religious or ethnic agenda without thinking about how their actions will cause hurt and distress for others. And when faced with a backlash point the finger and call racism.
I don't stand with people who create divide and run away.
