Peter Adamis 7 August 2014. I am so disappointed and disturbed to read that such attacks are still occurring in this age. I was of the believe that such unwarranted nefarious activities belonged to a bygone era. A copy of the complete article may be downloaded by clicking on: RACISM IS UNAUSTRALIAN
Legislation is not enough and therefore more education in schools at home in our communities and in the workplace is required. Australians of the Jewish faith are no different to the faiths of others and in fact have contributed to the security, welfare and economic prosperity than the public can ever realise. Australians are a resilient and tolerant people who cannot and will not accept such recalcitrant behaviour of citizens against other citizens.
This country we all call home (Australia) is unique and we are all Australians no matter what our origins, faith and culture may be. Those foolish individuals who terrorized the young children on the bus need to be taught a harsh lesson. If it means spending a few weeks in jail So be it. As for the bus driver, he has erred in picking the recalcitrant individuals up. As for his inaction, I am of the belief that bus drivers these days have been instructed not to become involved. If this is the case with all transport then maybe Protective Officers may need to be included on all of transport vehicles.
Although I have no idea of the backgrounds, cultural origins, religious faith and or to their place of residence the following message is to those Australians who have Hellenic links and cultural origins. I write this because I believe that all elders in any community should not be afraid to stand up and be counted and to pass onto the younger generation the positive aspects of life and that the negative experience be put aside. This message could also be a timely one for all the young men and women who have a vacuum in their life, a vacuum that is absent of any mentor or elder to guide them. I use a article on a recent incident in Sydney’s East (attached) as a means of a starting point that such acts are not only un Australian but are the acts of foolish people who are bereft of any wisdom and support.
I can remember a time growing up as a young fella in Windsor, Prahran and St Kilda being abused in the street and picked on by other teenagers. The only way to b e left alone was to prove ourselves in street fights. Street fights that involved implements that I am afraid to even mention on social media. It did not help that even our parents embedded a fear of the unknown into us and we had to learn ourselves to survive in an alien environment.
Racism has no place in this country and those who are intent on using hate as a weapon to justify their support to the Palestinian cause and other cause do so out of a misplaced belief that what they are doing is acceptable in our society. It also provides them with a false sense of security and belonging to a particular group or cause. If these people seriously thought about it, they will realise that what they are doing is not right.
For those who know of me, I have fought tooth and nail against such acts of senseless violence, racism, attacks, and unwarranted nefarious acts of stupidly. If I was not who I was today, I would be writing about what we had to do in order to survive but that would mean that people may lose respect for me as a person for the things that I have done in my life in order to survive.
I have learned in life that with wisdom, education and surrounding myself with like minded stable and emotionally mature people I have was able to gain the benefit of their experience and put the life of violence behind me. My life of violence was always based on fear. A fear that was based o the unknown and not wanting to be hurt.
Our young men and women who Australians of Hellenic origins who are so intent on believing that what they are doing is right will find as time goes on that acts of violence, attacks on others cultures and beliefs, words of hate and abuse have no place in this country. They have all forgotten that their parents who also suffered such attacks grew up and rose above such acts and went on to become citizens of this country.
These same young men and women of today who feel that they are fighting physically and or online in order to support or make up for the abuse their parents may have received in the past are delusional and they must learn to make their own paths in life and not live the life of their parents. My message to the young men and women of Hellenic origins is to leave the past behind, carve out your own future, be the good Australian citizen that I know that they are and create an environment that encompasses the best of the two cultures.
There will come a time as it is my time where the young men and women of today will become mentors to a new generation and when that time arrives, I do hope that they pass on the best of their experiences, leaving the negativity behind. Stand up against racism of any sort and never let fear be the cornerstone of your life.
Call me any name you want, but I have great faith in our young men and women in this country and those of Hellenic origins are no different to those of different cultural origins. Apologies for the poor grammar and punctuation.
BOTTOM LINE. RACISM IS UNAUSTRALIAN
The Voice from the Pavement – Peter Adamis is a Journalist/Commentator and writer. He is a retired Australian military serviceman and an Industry organisational & Occupational (OHS) & Training Consultant whose interests are within the parameters of domestic and international political spectrum. He is an avid blogger and contributes to domestic and international community news media outlets as well as to local and Ethnic News. He holds a Bachelor of Adult Learning & Development (Monash), Grad Dip Occupational Health & Safety, (Monash), Dip. Training & Assessment, Dip Public Administration, and Dip Frontline Management. Contact via Email: [email protected] or via Mobile: 0409965538