Not racist to celebrate who we are

07/Feb/2012

Robin Harrison, Coolbellup

Comments: 7 readers have left a comment

I AM about to turn into my 80th year and as far back as I can remember Australians have celebrated being what we are… Australian.

But now we are told we are being racist.

Are the Chinese celebrating their New Year or the Irish celebrating St Patrick’s Day racists?

No, and we Australians celebrate with them, as they celebrate with us.

The idea we are suddenly racist has come from a very nasty thinking mind.

Every nationality has the right to celebrate who they are.

Moreover, men and women have fought and died in wars under our flag. Military funerals use the Australian flag to honour the dead.

If we fly the flag on our car, our roof or even from a helicopter, the meaning is that we are proud to be Australians.

What everyone else is thinking

Gerry Georgatos

08/02/2012

It may not be racist to celebrate an Australia Day with an Flag we have, however it is undeniable that Australia has a hostile denial of its racist identity - it would be foolish to allege there is little or no racism in Australia. The Cronulla Riots were a manifest of a racist undercurrent, and the suspension of various Acts in the Northern Territory to enforce a racial Military Intervention (Emergency Response Action) was and continues to be racism.

Having returned from Canberra where, as a journalist, I was at Aboriginal Tent Embassy, at the Lobby restaurant incident that the Prime Minister's Office guided folk to, and who saw the flag burning, which was not a first in Australia, I remember looking up at the Australian flag flying on Federal Parliament and thought to myself that there is room for both flags to fly on the same pole - the Aboriginal and Australian flags - now that would be cool and great for the national consciousness.

Gerry Georgatos

Thomas

07/02/2012

I came to this country in 1970 as a ten pound pom and an Aussie was an Aussie and I had to wait to be accepted by them before I could get on with my life. Racism wasn't an issue then apart from the usual trouble with some indigenous issues. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS COUNTRY GO BACK TO YOUR OWN and leave us to enjoy ours. Your not welcome here. I will fly the Australian flag as often as I wish, be it on my hat or my gopher and if you don't like it...TOUGH. I'm not racist, I just don't like some people, and that is my right.

Mark Churms

07/02/2012

People have choices, when they come to Australia they accept the Australian way of life and the Australian flag and all that it means. If they are not happy with this then they have choices and are more than welcome to go back to where ever they came from and live under the flag that is acceptable.
Is the Australian flag or the way we live racist? Of cause not if it was then they would not have set foot on our beautiful shores in the first place.
Once again it is a few negative elements in society who stir up any racism that exists by suggesting to the the majority of true Australians how we should live.
The Howard government speech said it all.... "You are very welcome to enjoy what Australia has to offer and if you are not happy, remember that you have the freedom and choice to leave"
Australians stand strong, don't follow the example of other countries, write to the government that you have voted in and tell them what you want... remind them that their actions will affect

Kim Wilson

07/02/2012

Here Here!! We could change all this but Australians are an apathetic lot and just take these things in their stride. Thus, the takeover.

Moondyne Joe

07/02/2012

Did you know it is Illegal to fly any other flag in America other than the American Flag?
My Question here is these People COME to our country to Live a better live and in a lot of cases WE DO NOT INVITE them now they are the ones telling US what we can and can do . Think People what England is going through and tell me do WE want this to happen here?

We are NOT some sub directory of a
Super Power or some other Culture

WE ARE OUR OWN NATION AUSTRALIA,
REMEMBER THAT BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE !

Pauline

07/02/2012

If we are not allowed to fly the Australian flag in Australia as we are now classed as racists, what flag should we be flying?
If people are offended, DON'T STAY HERE!
During the last Soccer World Cup the public in England were informed they should not decorate their houses with English flags as they would offend certain people, they treat the remark with the contempt it deserved, just ignored it.

Badgranma

07/02/2012

I agree with you, Robin.

Isn't it ridiculous that Australians are the ones being classed as racists, yet we are Australians living in Australia and are proud of our country and all it stands for.

It's about time everyone took a stand and stopped this politically-correct behaviour.

If we had an Australian Rule that everyone living in Australia should be proud to be an Aussie, then I believe our country would be much better off.