Anthony Mundine is inviting people to protest at the grand finals to be held this weekend. Encouraging people to turn their backs or kneeing during the playing of our national anthem. Firstly, any footballer who does should be condemned. Sport is sport and it should not be used in a cynical political protest.
I wonder what the response would if 'we' suggested people turn their backs during the welcome to country? A ritual that I personally have a major issue with. This is my country. I was born here. I do not need to be welcomed to my own home. But, we pay due respect to that ritual. Even people like me who disapprove of it. The operative word is RESPECT. Scant little we receive from people like Anthony Mundine.
In voicing my displeasure on social media, I did solicit the wrath of an indigenous activist. One I might add who is either new to Twitter or not very popular given the number of her followers. Anyway, this activist proceeded with the now common 'white supremacist' slurs. The, “II am fighting white colonialism" mantra. I'm fed up with that BS. Which is racist in the purest form.
What people like Mundine and my activist don't realise is, they are driving deeper and deeper wedges. They say they want reconciliation. No, they don't. They want to go back 200-years. They want to blame others for their own failings.
No one is born a victim. Some become victims reasonably late in life. These are professional victims. They see mileage in it. But really, it has nothing to do with their culture. Sure, if they are born into a victim social structure, that's the path many will travel. They are conditioned to do that. In those circumstances we have to break the cycle. This is where people like Mundine do a disservice to his own people. He encourages them to follow him down the path of racism and division, the victim path. Victims, will always be victims unless they themselves choose to change. I know that sounds harsh, but truth often is.
Self imposed victims, hold themselves back. They blame everyone else for their own failures. They blame the current generations for what happened 200 years ago. That is frankly absurd.
Those who will get on and make something of their lives, are those with the will to rise above and take control of themselves and their life. They don't go around blaming society. Or, playing the race card. Society as a whole will go out of their way to help people like this. As they should. But I for one, am not going to go out of my way to help ungrateful people who seek to divide the country. People who insult and slur me.
Until these self-imposed victims accept responsibility for themselves and stop blaming others, they will always stay victims. As I said to my activist. She can either live in the past or get on and make the best life she can now. It's her choice. I think, that would really be honouring her ancestors,
I was really pleased to see PM Turnbull speak out against Anthony Mundine. It needed to be said.
