There is currently something of a spat on because the "chief political reporter" of Downunder's version of the BBC accused us all of being a "racist" country. Apparently voting against the proposed "Voice" (which would have inserted a very race based proposal into the Constitution) was enough to have us deemed "racist".
It was a ridiculous thing to say...and it also was not. I do not believe the average Dowunderite is any more or less "racist" than people anywhere else in the world. We may all have some "racist" beliefs and even be guilty of certain behaviour towards them.
I know there are times when I am particularly careful in my relations with other people because I know they might be subject to unacceptable forms of racial vilification. Is this a form of "racism" in itself? Perhaps it is.
Downunder is supposed to be a "multi-cultural" society. It is is lauded as such. The way the news is presented encourages people to think of people as such - or at least some people. The news media frequently reports on "ethnic" events, on cultural events related to other nationalities and much more.
If anyone is missing out on all this it is actually the plain old "white Anglo-Saxon Protestant" of perhaps "white Anglo-Saxon/Celtic protestant". The events run by Caledonian societies don't rate a mention in the news the way the Greek blessing after diving for the cross do. Ramadan gets plenty of coverage. Passover might get mentioned. Easter and Christmas get almost none - if it does it might be about an event somewhere else in the world.
If we are a "racist" country then surely this is what is "racist"? Our insistence on "multi-cultural" is what is dividing us - the very thing which those who espouse it claim brings us together. It is also what encourages too many people to claim they are "aboriginal" and look for special attention, for privileges denied to others.
Perhaps it is time to stop thinking that this sort of "racism" (because that is what it is) is a good thing?
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