Stephen Hagan makes the following comment in his article

>> Obviously this academic is not Indigenous or of dark complexion, >> because if she was she’d know what it was like to be humiliated, >> insulted and demeaned at the hands of cowardly non-Indigenous
>> people in gangs or an intimidating bully, as he or she dishes out
>> their vitriol in the playground, on the bus, at a nightclub or at
>> the weekend footy.

Does he really believe that racist attacks are a one way street? Is he not aware of racist attacks by Indigenous people on non-Indigenous people?

I accept that racial attacks are not a significant part of my day, I make choices to try and avoid situations where they are more likely to occur - CBD or Fortitude valley late at night etc. I have been subject to intimidation and threats including references to my color by people of Indiginous appearance. Late at night at a bus stop I frequented regularly while doing part time Uni studies, going to town on a saturday night on the train etc.

Some of that stuff is racial, some cultural. Personally my bias's tend to be about peoples behaviour, not their genetic make up or skin color. I suspect that a lot of what gets called racism is about behaviour not race but an unfortunate combination of inappropriate labels such as the "N" word (or the "W H" words) and a desire by some to label anything they are uncomfortable with as racism makes the issue bigger than it should be.

How much has Stephen Hagan contributed to reducing racism in our society? I suspect that two kids calling each other names (as friends) are doing a lot more to break down racism than making one eyed claims about racism.

Lighten up and try to be more sane about what is racism and what is other stuff.

That's so patronising. Robert. It makes me laugh when white people say, but I've experienced rascism, too.
Rascism isn't just about words. That's what Hagan is on about. it comes from attitudes and an internal belief system where the rascist sees her/his self as superior.
How badly did those white rascist words hurt your own sense of self, and the way you saw yourself?
I suggest it must be quite different for a black person that has been made to feel less than superior for an entire life-time, who rarely see aboriginal people portrayed in the media unless it's negative, and who cannot sidestep possible rascist incidents as well as you have managed to do.
Can't step out of your own skin, can you?

Australian culture is intrinsically racist at every level, and has been at least since the 'First Fleet' landed here. The Aboriginal objects of this racism have been joined over the years by other subcultures that were perceived as threatening by the dominant culture at various periods: notably the Chinese, the 'Kanakas', "reffos", "nips", "gooks", "slopeheads" etc., and more recently by Middle Eastern Muslims of various kinds.

And of course, each of these groups internalises that objectification, sometimes to the extent that they respond to their oppressors in similarly structured ways. Mind you, I'm not sure that there is any equivalent available to Indigenous people when referred to as "nigger"... "whitey" just doesn't seem to cut it in terms of historically grounded inferiorisation - especially when Caucasian racists have a plethora of alternatives from which to choose: "coon", "boong", "abo", "darky", "spook" etc etc.

I'm not sure what the solution is: I don't see much evidence that legislation, regulation or education do very much beyond chipping away at the edges. Perhaps that's why "disrespect" has become such a feature of street parlance these days amongst the objects of racism both here and in the United States. Perhaps people could start showing each other respect in their daily lives, regardless of creed or colour. I don't suppose there'd be much use for words like "nigger" then.

Morgan

I haven't experienced racial vilification, but I - and many other Christians - frequently experience religious vilification (virtually every time I pick up a newspaper or magazine), where we are described as NAZIs, homophobes, and intolerant haters - none of which is true.

I also reject racial vilification - mainly because I believe there is only one race - the human race. The genetic difference between aborigines and whites is no more than the genetic difference between different aboriginal individuals.

Hagan needs to look at what has caused this inappropriate language. I put it to him that aborigines' own cultural difficiencies, welfare dependency and drug and alcohol addictions, and general self-destructive tendencies have contributed mostly to why many people think very little of them as a group. If Hagan wants to get rid of racially discriminatory language against aboriginals then he needs to get behind Noel Pearson and start helping aborigines respect themselves and make something of their lives. Respect is earned. Only when people respect themselves will they command respect from others. This principle applies equally to white people as it does to aborigines.

AK

oceangrrl

I acknowledge that racial attacks are not a routine part of my day. I will never know what it is like to grow up as anybody else. I will even have difficulty telling which particular influences on my own life impacted most on attitudes I have developed. I can make estimated guesses.

Abuse from a racist does not have a big impact on my sense of self. It does have a pretty big impact on my sense of safety if it happens somewhere I need to frequent regularly and by someone who appears to think I am to blame for his problems because my skin happens to be a different color than his(or some other reason such as dressing differently etc).

Personally I think a lot of racists feel threatened and insecure and need to put others down to help their sense of self. Maybe some feel superior.

How about trying to write a posting that convinces me that the approach taken by Stephen Hagen (and others) is helping to reduce racism in the community and how that approach is helping to improve the sense of self in Indiginous people. I don't see it but am willing to listen to reasoned discussion on the topic.

>> I suggest it must be quite different for a black person that has
>> been made to feel less than superior for an entire life-time, who
>> rarely see aboriginal people portrayed in the media unless it's
>> negative, and who cannot sidestep possible rascist incidents as
>> well as you have managed to do.

I agree with you on this. My point is that I think that those who continue to tell Indiginous people that all their problems are because of racist non-Indiginous people are having a really negative impact as well.

Try spending some time watching Ernie Dingo and think about the impact he has had on racism in this country. Then think about the impact of the "blame the white guy" approach. Which helps build Indiginous peoples sense of self, reduce distrust etc and which does damage?

How patronisingly smug for Aslan to assert that his hypersensitivity to critiques of his religion is somehow equivalent to the experience of an Indigenous person who is called a "nigger". While Aslan is technically correct that the biological basis for racism has been well and truly refuted, that doesn't mean that racists don't BELIEVE in their genetic superiority, and behave towards the objects of their delusions accordingly.

That would be like me saying that religious vilification doesn't exist because god/s can't be shown scientifically to exist. Aslan and others BELIEVE in their god/s and so they feel personally affronted when the rest of us don't share their superstitions (whether or not that actually counts as 'vilification' is highly debatable, but that's another point).

The big difference is that religious beliefs are acquired socially, as opposed to Aboriginality. You can choose to be whatever religion you like, but you can't choose whether or not you are Indigenous.

Morgan