I will make one last comment about Fraser Anning. He stood with a neo-Nazi Blair Cottrell who has stated he controls women by using violence and terror. He is a man who believes Hitler is a hero and Hitler’s picture should be hung in all schools. This a man who says children should be issued with Mein Kampf. And he is a man who hates Jews. Cottrell is a convicted criminal with a string of race baiting charges as long as your arm. This is the man Fraser Anning stood with.
Any politician who is a representative of this country who stands with people like that (regardless of the cause) deserves to be treated as the odious, moral vacuum he is. And I’m appalled and saddened by the number of people cheering on Anning and the likes of Cottrell. I would never have thought I would see the day when neo-Nazis were lauded as heroes in my country.
I understand only too well the concern people have over the violence they see being carried out by a group of around 200 out of control Sudanese youths in Victoria. I share the concern over the lack of action by the police and the Victorian Government. I even have sympathy for those voicing their concern over immigration and what we are witnessing now. But we need to pick our champions with care and not sacrifice our moral compass in turning people like Anning and Cottrell into hero’s because they voice what many think.
We become who we associate with; we think, talk and act like the people we surround ourselves with. Perhaps, that helps explain the ever increasing abuse we see on social media platforms. Should something that has such a profound effect on us be treated in such a cavalier manner? This is even more of an issue these days with social media where associating with the wrong people or saying the wrong thing can have dire consequences. Even kill careers and reputations.
I objected to an accusation made on Twitter yesterday that the Liberal Party was a party of neo-Nazi foot soldiers because Scott Morrison hadn’t come out and condemned what happened in St Kilda. That led to me being branded a neo-Nazi & a white supremacist. Despite the fact that I frequency criticise and condemn both Fraser Anning and Blair Cottrell. In Cottrell’s case I’ve been doing it for years. I was branded a neo-Nazi because I defended the party I support. I think most people I associate with on social media know I’m neither of those things. But it sheeted home how easily our image and our reputation can be trashed.
Desperation creates unhealthy ‘bed-fellows’. In the absence of credible people (of substance) speaking up and conveying people’s fears I can see why some side with lowlifes such as Cottrell, Erikson and Anning. But those people will not help drive the change. They will not get Government or other leaders to listen. They will simply generate more division, more anger, more hatred and fear and embolden more like them.
A wise man once said if you would not invite someone into your home then don’t invite them into your life. Don’t associate with them and don’t promote them least you be judged one of them. That’s wise advice and something I’ve tried to live by.
We need credible champions who are worthy of our support. People who represent our values. People that will be listened to and who have influence to help generate firstly the discussion and secondly the change people seek. We need those champions if ever we are going to recreate the culture that the majority of people desperately desire. A culture built on shared values, and mutual respect, where people feel safe.
We need to choose our champions wisely because those champions represent us.
