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The Forum > Article Comments > Dear Andrew ... > Comments

Dear Andrew ... : Comments

By Graham Ring, published 18/5/2006

An open letter to Andrew Bolt - venom and bile without any style.

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Bolt was taken from the teat too young. Father Bob did a great job on him on SBS one night it was great.
Posted by Kenny, Thursday, 18 May 2006 9:21:00 AM
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It is disappointing to read that there are still those who seem to think that aboriginality is some sort of racial condition rather than a lived experience.

It is also rather strange reading about a person who expects us to trust his opinions when his capacity to potray facts is less than competent.
Posted by Lev, Thursday, 18 May 2006 10:21:20 AM
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Our main concern should be with the recently publicised - but always known - depravity in aboriginal camps, not with Andrew Bolt says.
Posted by Leigh, Thursday, 18 May 2006 10:26:53 AM
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"In any case, why are you so concerned that many children with an Aboriginal parent or grandparent identify as Aboriginal themselves?

These children are often raised in remarkably supportive - if not materially comfortable - extended family environments, and grow up accepted by all concerned as Indigenous."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1641319.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1640083.htm
http://alangrey.blogspot.com/2005/08/morality-all-cultures-are-not-equal.html
'Remarkably supportive'?
Posted by Alan Grey, Thursday, 18 May 2006 10:34:34 AM
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Graham Ring says to Andrew Bolt, "I imagine your columns are read by roughly a million more people than read mine." Which goes to show that merit and opportunity are not always closely related. How's this for an idea - Graham Ring and Andrew Bolt change places for three months?

On second thoughts, I accept Graham's rule of thumb: "it takes white fellas like us about two years of serious work to realise that we know absolutely nothing about Indigenous Australia." I don't think Andrew could last that long away - the readers of the National Indigenous Times wouldn't tolerate Andrew's red neck ignorance for that long.
Posted by FrankGol, Thursday, 18 May 2006 11:05:56 AM
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Using civility on Bolt is a wasted effort, he only thinks in 'strict father' authoritarianism and will see your thoughts as weakness. Stroke his ego and name your powerful sponsor, thats the only way to reach such craven scribes of the plutocracy.
Posted by Liam, Thursday, 18 May 2006 11:32:51 AM
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Surely, Australia has a surfeit of me-too journalism. You don't have to agree with everything (or even anything) he says. But he does say things that others don't. Whether they need to be said is a matter of individual opinion - individually, on each issue he covers. Go it Andrew! Australia needs you.
Posted by fosbob, Thursday, 18 May 2006 11:39:47 AM
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Well done. There is no way to inform Andrew himself, but it is essential that we keep trying. barbh.
Posted by barb h, Thursday, 18 May 2006 12:48:04 PM
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Andrew has his pet hates, mostly subjects he refuses to learn anything meaningful about and mostly no other journalist bothers anymore to correct his prejudices. I read his forum occassionally - he has banned me because he doesn't like me correcting him on some issues.

Just last week he was repeating the tired old story that Iraqi refugees weren't real refugees because they came through other countries - that is a perfectly legal thing to do and the fact that 98% of the Iraqis were granted refugee status here proves the point. After all who on earth would argue in any year that Iraqis could not be refugees?

He hates the Bakhtiyari family with a passion although he never spoke a single word to them. The mere fact that he has been proven to be wrong over and over again doesn't stop him.

Lowitja O'Donohue gets up his nose because he seems to think being given away by her white father is acceptable, don't know quite why that is.

He supports killing Iraqis and accuses anyone who disagrees with appeasement - refuses to accept that us killing Iraqis is no different to Saddam Hussein killiing Iraqis.

Yes he is a violently oppressively distinct man - but I will defend his right to the death to express his opinion.

He does not research anything or talk to real people so it is only his opinion. No one has to agree.
Posted by Marilyn Shepherd, Thursday, 18 May 2006 1:44:13 PM
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OnLine Opinion would create greater interest and debate by publishing some of Andrew Bolt's articles than waste its time with this sort of drivel
Posted by Col Rouge, Thursday, 18 May 2006 2:10:25 PM
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You've got to love old Bolty. Where would we be without him?

Every newspaper has its funnies section. I just don't understand why he isn't on the comics page with all the other comedians.
Posted by chainsmoker, Thursday, 18 May 2006 2:26:43 PM
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Every newspaper needs to have a fatuous reactionary redneck and cheerleader for conservatism.

Congratulations to the Herald-Sun for such a marvellous choice.
Posted by wobbles, Thursday, 18 May 2006 2:49:31 PM
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The sad irony of this piece is that Bolt will get wind of it - he will read the posts - and various parts of his anatomy will swell with pride - he loves the notoriety.

Bolters has number of themes/pet hates and he can find elements of them in almosst any human endeavour. He really is a glass half full kind of guy.

Equally as sad is the fact that with his notoriety based on his pet hates - academics - those sceptical of any foriegn policy other than an alignmnt with the USA - any artist who has reveived a grant - other people seek his opinion on all manner of things; And I'll be buggered if some dont actually listen and agree!

He is a bolt - i mean blot - on the cultural landscape - he writes and argues like a naive first year under graduate his logic is silly and I dont like the way he does his hair.
Posted by sneekeepete, Thursday, 18 May 2006 5:26:02 PM
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Andrew Bolt rose to journalistic fame by kicking an old lady in the guts (Lois O'Donaghue) some years back simply because he could. Hip Hip Hooray shouted the multitudes. ‘Who does that old black woman think she is anyway’?

And so Andrew Bolt was born.

How sad that his supporters think that objective journalism is articulated in a Right to kick the most downtrodden whenever it suites.

Here on OLO you will see them hiding in the crevices of racist thinking, their beady little eyes shining in the dark, these ugly little crustaceans who are known to colonise and feed around the sewerage pipes of right wing media, will crawl out momentarily and declare Bolt a national hero, along with the Cronulla beach lynch mobs and anything and anyone that resembles them.

AB is only to willing to feed them the crap they like to eat. It’s all he knows how to do - poor fellow.
Posted by Rainier, Friday, 19 May 2006 9:07:39 AM
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Forget black versus white politics and whether or not Graham Ring knows more than Andrew Bolt.

The important issue is the horrible abuse of innocent, voiceless aboriginal children in remote communities. All other aboriginal issues are complete rubbish agaist this. Neither Ring nor Bolt will make any contribution to practical solutions to any aboriginal concerns, so who gives a stuff what either of them says!
Posted by Leigh, Friday, 19 May 2006 11:49:04 AM
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Leigh, From an Indigenous perspectives Graham does know more than Bolt and it does matter if one is attempting to influence public opinion about how best to support Indigenous people and communities.

Read GR's piece again and you'll realise that he is not talking so much about black/white politics but rather the white/white fella politics -RE: about knowledge of Aboriginal people and contexts.

Not that I hold out any hope of you understanding this, but at least I tried.
Posted by Rainier, Friday, 19 May 2006 12:40:54 PM
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Leigh says, "The important issue is the horrible abuse of innocent, voiceless aboriginal [sic]children in remote communities. All other aboriginal [sic] issues are complete rubbish agaist [sic] this." The use of the phrase "aboriginal issues" is misleading . Abuse of children is morally repugnant, and it's a serious crime, no matter where the child is located and no matter what their racial or ethnic origin. Moreover, as shorthand, the phrase suggests that somehow the causative root of these crimes is to found in the nature of Aboriginal communities when a much sharper analysis is required.

As to Leigh's judgment that "Neither Ring nor Bolt will make any contribution to practical solutions to any aboriginal concerns, so who gives a stuff what either of them says!", three comments. (a) In fairness, the article by Graham Ring was not dealing with child sexual abuse but related to Andrew Bolt's attack on Camp Sovereignty and on Graham Atkinson. (b) To dismiss Ring's complete corpus of writing about Aboriginal "concerns" so comprehensively is arrogant folly. I, for one, am interested in reading what he says and have found his column in the National Indigenous Times and his articles for OLO stimulating and full of positive ideas. (c) Even Bolt's writings may stir indignation sufficient to get good people out of their apathy - though I wouldn't go too far with that argument.
Posted by FrankGol, Friday, 19 May 2006 12:48:47 PM
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Graham is on the money here , bolta has been left way behind in his understanding of what could actually help heal the souls and bodies of many Aboriginal people.he probably couldn't give a continental anyway .
John Howard has failed us all with his lack of leadership in uplifting Aboriginal Australians ,THIS is his Greatest test .we should remind him of it when he comes back from his holiday . he has had 10 years to do something positive ; we should not let him off the hook - he is the man most responsible and most able to get things moving .
Bolta could gain some respect by lending him some encouragement to engage honourably with the first Australians .
Posted by kartiya, Tuesday, 23 May 2006 12:00:03 AM
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Arguing with Andrew Bolt, really... why would you bother. Another angry man too full of fear and ignorance to undertsand that being so bitter is killing him and bringing the rest of us down just to watch him. The Andrew Bolts of this world, what will they leave behind... nothing of substance, nothing that makes the heart skip a beat, nothing to make the innocent and curious dig deeper or yearn for more. A walking, talking human polarisor of good intention and understanding.

Even a child knows to cross the road when a rabid dog walks down their side of the street. Instinctive in even the most innocent is that understanding that there lies a barely concealed menance and odious infection. Not that you don't sympathise or pity, just that they are beyond your own meagre abilities to help and likely to turn on all those of mere good intention that come near enough in a vain attempt to help.

Perhaps we must leave him to burn himslef up with that ulcer of hate barely discuised in the festering ooze of his own thinly disguised guilt. Sadly it is perhaps better to turn your efforts to the healthy, the innocent, those that are still trying to find solutions, to find hope, to identify the golden threads in our troubles and build something to be proud in Australia's future. Maybe in our efforts to rise above the smouldering contempt that is such an anchor on the modern Australian debate on social justcie he may come around. In our forgiveness we provide an opportunity for his redemption. He is welcome ... anytime and we look forward to seeing (and hearing) that he is feeling better. Get well.

Regards

Bob
Posted by Bob B, Tuesday, 23 May 2006 8:28:30 PM
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Bob B. Thanks for that.

where is the love Andy Bolt?
Posted by Rainier, Tuesday, 23 May 2006 10:00:02 PM
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