Australia Day, Icons, Migration, Refugees, Tolerance, Flag, Southern Cross

[connaust]

Hardline attitude aids migration: Abbott. Tony Abbott has moved to portray his tough border protection stance as pro-immigration, arguing that it helps to maintain public support if people think immigration is controlled by the government rather than by people smugglers.

 

 

More mealy mouthedness, like Rudd, both are terrified of offending racists and legacy of the 90s demonising refugees as political football or wedge issue. Like Cosgrove's speech last week, if they used their authority and led on such issues they may find the perceived audience would listen and obey, rather than follow bigots misinformed by media and related think tanks.

 

 

Right time for zero tolerance. Authorities need to cut through the waffle talked about incidents of race-related violence....

 

The kind of leadership we need on this issue came this week from Peter Cosgrove, who is the very antithesis of a black-armband handwringer on this or any other issue. But with straight talk and plain language Cosgrove said it is undeniable that there is a small and ugly section of the Australian population that is demonstrably racist, and that in some instances, it's been Indians who have been victims of this racism. .....

 

In NSW, the Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione has been forced to increase officer numbers for Australia Day after the sickening spectacle last year, where alcohol-fuelled yahoos draped in our national ensign were monstering passers-by for refusing to kiss the flag or join the Aussie Aussie Aussie chorus, a song so lyrically bereft that it's amazing anyone is prepared to sing it publicly.

 

 

Aussie I love it, but leave me out of the flag waving. Mark Seymour asks why some Australians are so keen to show off how much they love the place. ...... "Australia. Love it or leave it" ........ I think Australia is pretty good, but not that good.

 

 

Warwick Thornton says he's deeply concerned that the Southern Cross is becoming a symbol of racism for some Australians. The filmmaker, who has been chosen as the Northern Territory's nomination for Australian of the Year, wants people to spend Australia Day reflecting on the symbolic significance of the national icon. "Aboriginal people have used the Southern Cross for the last 40,000 years as a beacon guiding them to travel through country for survival, and I'm starting to see that star system symbol being used as a very racist nationalistic emblem - and that is seriously worrying me," Thornton said. "We don't want to turn the Southern Cross into a swastika - that's bloody important.

 

 

Nationalists everywhere, including media, advertising industry and governments, have hijacked Australian icons. Past 15 - 20 years this has included flag, Gallipoli, ANZACS, bush myths, or inverting them e.g. scare stories about Republic, refugees, immigrants, stress upon English versus NESBs and multiculturalism etc.