Adam Goodes - Image, www.smh.com.au

Adam Goodes – Image, www.smh.com.au

“I’ve never been one to bow down to people who try to question my identity because I don’t fit their mould of what an Aboriginal Australian is supposed to be or look like”. Shari Sebbens.

Prof Marion Kickett wrote a letter to The West Australian newspaper yesterday. Prof Kickett is Aboriginal. She is also in the words of my sister, Asha, who worked with her at Curtin University’s Centre for Aboriginal Studies a “gorgeous, kind, loving woman”. Prof Kickett wrote of a couple of incidents that have happened but the one that stuck in my mind the most was described as follows:

“On Tuesday on the way home from work, as I sat at the traffic lights, a white Australian male about 30, stopped in front of my car, put his hands to his mouth and proceeded to boo me”.

That incident got me thinking about the state of race relations in this country. There can be no question that we are at an incredibly low ebb at the moment. The treatment of Goodes and the subsequent ill treatment of other members of the Aboriginal community is depressingly low. There are a number of factors that have got us to this nadir in our relations. I want to examine one part of this slide.

I want to look at the role of the media in normalising the incident of booing of Adam Goodes. Let me preface my remarks in respect of the media portrayal of the issues by stating that I exclude Geoff Hutchison and Gillian Greensmith of ABC Radio 720 from this description. They, and I am sure some others, have been exemplary in calling out the racism when they have seen it. However, not all the media can say this.

I have listened to talkback hosts insisting that “Booing can never be racist”, “Booing is part of the gladiatorial aspect of sport and is acceptable”. Further “people who pay money for entry into a ground are entitled to do what they like” and “I defend the freedom of expression in my country” were some of the other messages that were conveyed by media types.

What these people fail to understand is that by saying all of those things that they place themselves firmly in the camp of George Brandis and his position that “People do have the right to be bigots”. What it also does is normalise the behaviour of the people who boo Adam Goodes and of the people who behave in the manner that they did with Prof Kickett.

In addition to the statements above some of these talkback hosts have allowed comments to go to air without once challenging the veracity of those claims. There has been much vilification of Adam Goodes and the incident involving the 13 year old girl from 2013. Comments such as about Goodes’ cowardice in seeking out this girl etc have gone unchallenged. Contrast this with the story of the incident that was run in The Australian two days ago. This story, for the first time actually told of his mortification at identifying the girl, his desire to help her and his not wanting to press charges. That story is reproduced in full below:

“”The history wars are back with us. This time, the chosen battle ground is the MCG on a Friday night two years ago when a young girl called Adam Goodes an ape.

Goodes’s actions that night, we are now being told, is why he is to blame for ugly abuse being hurled his way by opposition supporters. If only Goodes would apologise to the girl, the argument goes, then the crowds and the game and one of the great indigenous champions could all move on.

What tosh.

This is what happened that night.

It was the AFL’s indigenous round, a weekend set aside to ­celebrate Aboriginal culture and the extraordinary achievements of black footballers in the national football code. Sydney was playing Collingwood and with just a few minutes to play, the Swans were well ahead.

The flight of the ball took Goodes over the boundary line, close to the fence. As he did, he heard a voice call him an ape. Goodes was furious. As he turned to see who his abuser was, he was also heartbroken.

“When I saw it was a young girl — I thought she was 14… that was my initial thought — I was just like, really? I was just like, how can that happen?’’ As it turned out, the girl was 13.

Goodes pointed her out to a ­security guard and told him what she had said. At the final siren, he was so distraught he took no part in his team’s celebrations, and trudged down to the rooms.

Unbeknown to Goodes, the girl was separated from her grandmother and siblings by overzealous security staff and taken to a police holding area. It was an absurd response to a situation demanding sensitivity. When Goodes was later asked whether he wanted to press charges he quickly said no.

The next day, Goodes declared that “racism has a face’’ and on this night, it was a 13-year-old girl. He also added the following: “It is not her fault. She is 13, she is still so innocent. I don’t put any blame on her. Unfortunately, it is what she hears, the environment she has grown up in that has made her think it is OK to call people names. I can guarantee you right now she would have no idea how it makes anyone feel by calling them an ape.’’

He asked there be no teenage witch-hunt.

“I am loving the support of my friends and family and people in the social media. It is fantastic,’’ he said. “But I think the people, the person that needs the most support right now is the little girl.

“People need to get around her. She is 13, she is uneducated. If she wants to pick up the phone and call me I will take that call and I’ll have a conversation with that girl about, you know what, you called me a name and this is how it made me feel.’’

The girl called Goodes. The same day she recounted their conversation: “I’m sorry for calling you racist names and I’ll never do it again. I’m really sorry for what happened. I didn’t know it would be offensive.’’

She also wrote a letter to Goodes: “Dear Adam. It was good to talk to you on the phone. I’m sorry for being racist. I didn’t mean any harm and now I’ll think twice before I speak.’’

That is where the story should have ended. Instead, it is being ­reprised and twisted to cast ­Goodes as a rich and powerful sports star who bullied a little girl.”

The media has a very significant part to play in the race relations of this country. It is incumbent on them to ensure that the truth be told on these occasions. Whether the lies are told by the host themselves or the callers is a moot point. Commentary that is blatantly untrue as it is in the cases cited above cannot be allowed to perpetuate. The impact on the race relations in this country are at a delicate stage.

There are other people who bear a similar responsibility. Shane Warne, Jason Akermanis and others of their ilk have forsaken any semblance of community harmony in conforming to their responsibilities.

For the record, another friend of mine, Jo McManus who teaches broadcasting at ECU has also been tireless in her condemnation of the racism involved here. She was at the game where the events occurred and she and her husband left the game early. I am comforted in the thought that she will teach the broadcasters of tomorrow to distinguish right from wrong!

It must also be said that Ross Lyon the coach of the Fremantle Dockers was very definite in his position as well and he had this to say:

“If you continue to boo Adam Goodes, well you’re a racist and you’re a bigot,” he said.

“And that would take this country back to the White Australia policy.”

Lyon said Goodes was a good friend and a player who he had coached.

“I really respect him, he’s a great person,” he said.

“So ignorance is no excuse, and the message is strong for the AFL.”