Comments on Codex Reperio: Race Riots in Sydney

sayed eshta, where have you gone?

2006-01-24T12:59:00.000+01:00

sayed eshta, where have you gone?

i suddenly have an urge to do some pcp

2005-12-14T19:07:00.000+01:00

i suddenly have an urge to do some pcp

i didn't understand a thing,,,

2005-12-14T13:23:00.000+01:00

i didn't understand a thing,,,

Awesome. Hey crazy dude, speak more of your wisdom...

2005-12-14T12:35:00.000+01:00

Awesome. Hey crazy dude, speak more of your wisdom, that was the best comment I have seen in ages...

Didnt know that. Sorry.

2005-12-13T07:58:00.000+01:00

Didnt know that. Sorry.

Thats not part of the anthem. http://en.wikipedia....

2005-12-12T23:40:00.000+01:00

Thats not part of the anthem. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_Australia_Fair
The other wacky verses were written in the late 19th century, and include wacky stuff like "For all her faults we love her still, Brittania rules the waves". The parts were never part of any official version.

You spoke of the second verse in the anthem. How a...

2005-12-12T22:01:00.000+01:00

You spoke of the second verse in the anthem. How about :

Shou'd foreign foe e'er sight our coast,
Or dare a foot to land,
We'll rouse to arms like sires of yore
To guard our native strand

well, we know these attitudes exist everywhere, th...

2005-12-12T21:53:00.000+01:00

well, we know these attitudes exist everywhere, the question is whether or not they are starting to become more mainstream...even if it's only 3% of the population, their voices of hate are growing louder and louder..until they are being broadcast on the 24 hour cable news networks..it's scary to think of this "new" (but actually as old as history itself) wave of ignorance, one that seems to be well rooted in america, spreading across famously multicultural europe, and now taking hold in oz. it almost seems to be a carefully thought out plan by those who stand to make money off of all the hatred..politicians and and oil/weapons dealers.

I'm writing this from India. I am of Indian origin...

2005-12-12T21:37:00.000+01:00

I'm writing this from India. I am of Indian origin but was born in Sydney in 1979. My family shifted to India in 1984 but we regularly visited Australia over the years. I even kept my citizenship despite the visa and work permit problems I faced in India. It was as much a home to us as India. Maybe more so.

I was in Sydney and Melbourne last year, visiting after a gap of almost 6 years. For the first time in my life I felt uncomfortable in Australia. Maybe it was because I was more adult and aware/attuned than when I was a kid...but I think not.

There was a strong undercurrent of "dislike", for lack of a better word. I could feel it wherever I went. From under the courteous exterior there escaped something resembling a disapproving "What are you doing here?"
Not just me that felt it. Many residents of different races quietly confided that they too have felt this undercurrent. And felt scared and worried.

It is like I am not welcome at home anymore. It made me cry on the flight back.
I love Australia. I love Australians. I love their spirit and attitudes in general. My heart is still there. And it hurts.

sure does sucks when people do dumb things in the ...

2005-12-12T20:53:00.000+01:00

sure does sucks when people do dumb things in the name of your country. Be thankful it was a riot and not a war:)

Argh ... that's all you can say. I normally say wi...

2005-12-12T16:04:00.000+01:00

Argh ... that's all you can say. I normally say with pride I am from Australia, like you said every city has its ignorant mob which we simply ignore because we don't care. I think that lack of care defined us to actually fit together, all the peices of the world in the cities across Australia.

And now I hang my head, my stomach turns. You see this on the news in other parts of the world, but not Australia. The smart country, the beautfiul country, the melting pot ?

I always thought Oz would be a haven for Middle Eastern youth, a place where we don't need to create intense dialouge to break down those barriers ... but it seems like the rest of the world we do.

Being in South America I have no first hand accoun...

2005-12-12T15:55:00.000+01:00

Being in South America I have no first hand account of what happened in Sydney over the weekend. As an Australian, indeed just as a human, a feeling of shame does make a bid to be felt though.

I was interested by your last comment about the national anthem. To me, while very disappointing, it doesn't seem that surprising that the mob would sing it. The attitude of the mob I think is quite close to the prevailing attitude at the time the anthem was written, and when the anthem is read in its full context of a five verse poem, the sentiment clearly emerges. The country belongs to the United Kingdom and its descendants, and foreigners are not welcome. (The current anthem are slightly adapted versions of verse 1 and 3.)

You can read the whole thing at http://www.hamilton.net.au/advance/lyrics.html.

Is it really that surprising that this could happen in Australia today? On the majority, we've been a white-loving, xenophobic country until the end end of the Menzies era. 40 years on, the attitudes will unfortunately still exist in the minority.

Reading about events like this, particularly when they occur in the country where my heart lies, fills me with great sorrow. Yet it also fills me with extra determination: determination to be the change agent that my values tell me to be.