In 2021, a neighbour called the cops on a young Aboriginal man sitting in a car. Within an hour, he was pronounced dead. And now, the Qld Coroner refuses to release the police body cam footage.
Amy - again how movingly you have written of this young man. Many years ago at the end of the 1980s I put together a couple pf anthologies of Australian writing - of our rich cultural and Indigenous diversity. This piece would have automatically been included were I doing it to-day. But that was 37 years ago - published by OUP in 1990 (Made in Australia). There are so many aspects of the underbelly of racism in our society especially within police and prison services/forces! This essay of respectful memorialisation could easily be the basis for an entire unit of study on the whole invader, colonisation, dispossession story of First Australians. I know this is not the intent - but in fact all of your essays as I have read them over the years have all struck me as teaching/learning expressions. Sincere condolences to the young man's family and thanks to you. Jim K
But the moment someone speaks against it— names it— shouts it— says the quiet part out loud
Suddenly that’s the crime. Suddenly that’s hate speech.Shhhh.
Don’t make a sound while they’re being killed. Because the moment you do— you become the problem.
The Israeli lobby/ Western Terrorism gets protected.
The Indigenous body gets erased. And the law doesn’t punish the massacre— it punishes the witness. Thanks @Australian Labor HQ @Liberal Party of Australia
Devastating and beautifully written Amy! You give our people our dignity and our spirit back ❤️
Amy - again how movingly you have written of this young man. Many years ago at the end of the 1980s I put together a couple pf anthologies of Australian writing - of our rich cultural and Indigenous diversity. This piece would have automatically been included were I doing it to-day. But that was 37 years ago - published by OUP in 1990 (Made in Australia). There are so many aspects of the underbelly of racism in our society especially within police and prison services/forces! This essay of respectful memorialisation could easily be the basis for an entire unit of study on the whole invader, colonisation, dispossession story of First Australians. I know this is not the intent - but in fact all of your essays as I have read them over the years have all struck me as teaching/learning expressions. Sincere condolences to the young man's family and thanks to you. Jim K
So clear this up for me ALBO:
We have legislation for hate speech— but not for hate crime?
You can kill countless Indigenous people in AUSTRALIA, Palestine and across the globe and that’s not a hate crime?
That’s policy. That’s self-defense. That’s geopolitics.
But the moment someone speaks against it— names it— shouts it— says the quiet part out loud
Suddenly that’s the crime. Suddenly that’s hate speech.Shhhh.
Don’t make a sound while they’re being killed. Because the moment you do— you become the problem.
The Israeli lobby/ Western Terrorism gets protected.
The Indigenous body gets erased. And the law doesn’t punish the massacre— it punishes the witness. Thanks @Australian Labor HQ @Liberal Party of Australia