Excellent SPQR-style blather.

So it's a "jihad" (pathetic and desperate descriptor) to criticise those who mentor children to yell abuse at sporting events?

SPQR reckons that promoting civilised behaviour amongst our children and adolescents is "anti-Western".

I'll just add, SPQR, that one of the meanings of the verb form of "abuse" is to "attack with words"...an action one may term as, "hostile or aggressive".

Therefore, it fits the definition of "belligerence".

Racist slurs are endemic in football, whether made deliberately or innocently (unknowingly). Those, whether they be 13 yrs or younger, who don't immediately stand-up and confront this racism, are colluding with racism. Thus, racist by association.

One can only surmise that in the past football officials have had cloth ears.

Football, indeed any activity which provides an ideal vehicle to vent racism, should be banned.

Someone did say that the child learned a good lesson.

I personally think the child learned how vicarious life could be. One minute you are an ordinary child, the next minute you are a publicly declared pariah. And apparently a very lone one at that.

Danielle, insults and other forms of irritation are part and parcel of competition, whether football or anything else. Since the game of football, whatever the code, is essentially a tribal fight and both teams contain Aboriginal players, then a racist term is simply name-calling like any other in the context of the tribal contest. It is no more significant than impugning sexuality or genital size or how his mum makes a nice breakfast if she's not too worn out. Taking it personally would be a failure of character. Real men know when things are beneath their notice.

I do agree with you about the child. I don't blame Goodes for that, really, he was just doing as he has been conditioned to do, but the media nitwits who ran the story should not be allowed out in public alone, let alone cover stories on ethically sensitive issues.

A good lesson in the perils of a jerking knee.

Antiseptic,

Thank you for your comments.

I was opining the situation to its ultimate (highly unlikely) conclusion. Satire perhaps.

As I have written before, I find Goodes fair-minded and generous in his handling of the situation.

I find the handling of the little girl absolutely abhorrent, and I am sure most people would do so.