Comments on: Don’t call me ‘Abo’

By: Gerry Georgatos

Gerry Georgatos — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 20:50:02 +0000

In reply to Rita.

Dago and Wog are derogatory and hurtful.
Gerry

By: Rita

Rita — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 13:15:03 +0000

Excuse me?!! Your attitude is no better than anyone else if you truly think dago and wog aren’t hurtful and don’t go to the core of the person being racially abused. As a Sicilian and Mediterranean Person we find these words HIGHLY offensive just like you. But you have the AUDACITY to think yourself worthy to judge how hurt WE are by it? You need a reality check. And by the way it is highly racist even for an Aboriginal person to call Mediterranean Peoples white (insert whatever foul name your drunk brethren here in Darwin pick). Y’all are as racist and nasty as the next person

By: The Stringer

The Stringer — Sun, 05 Aug 2018 02:34:04 +0000

In reply to Ross.

That word has always been derogatory.

Sadly, the gentleman never found justice. He passed away last week.

Gerry

By: Ross

Ross — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 11:02:53 +0000

Interesting article. Aussie born (’63) & bred I have often considered that people can be overly sensitive to words and that political correctness has gone too far. However, perhaps that is easy for me to say being a white fella & not feeling the impact of racist words. I don’t use the word but I did not consider “Abo” to be in itself a derogatory or racial word only the way or context of its use. I had, now seemingly ignorantly, considered “Abo” to simply be a lazy contraction of the word Aborigine in the common Aussie way to contract words. Either way it is not a word I would use around Aboriginal people out of respect. Thinking about it I think more because of its historical use than my belief of it being a contraction.

By: robyn

robyn — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 18:44:40 +0000

In reply to Gerry.

Hi Gerry: I had to look up what “sophists: means….”a person who reasons with clever, but fallacious arguments”. Now I have to look up what fallacious means and it is “a mistaken or false belief”.

Yes, again, ignorance is rampant, ( but not all, that would be a sterotype and I try not to stereotype). So, here’s a call to all those legal people who are not stereotypes and believe in justice and are willing to fight the good fight. Is there any recourse available to acts of discrimination in education, health benefits, housing etc???

We are listening hard.

By: Gerry

Gerry — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 07:01:28 +0000

In reply to robyn.

Hi Robyn,

Australia does have various anti-discrimination legislation in place, federally and by jurisdiction, however it’s a tough gig scoring the justice, the remedy. In my view, courts and tribunals are in general worked over by the sophists.

However, public conversations are the best way forward for the national consciousness.

By: robyn

robyn — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 18:05:06 +0000

Aloha Gerry from Hawaii…I was wondering if Australia, like the US, has an antidiscrimination policy in the law? Here, it is illegal to discriminate on the basis on color, religiion, sexual gender or preference, disability, age etc. It is definately hard to enforce sometimes because as you say, it is an insidious thing. Martin Luther King said something to the effect that the racists are the sick ones and we have to show them the way. That is an empowering point of view…ignorant and stupidity are rampant in Australia and it has sadly been this way for a long time. But the only way to change it is in the schools. Until toddlers up are taught that our first people were the original inhabitants and deserve our respect, and include first peoples cultures and traditions in our education system nothing will change. Who do we approach for this DISCRIMINATION in our schools. Who are our legal advocates in the system? thanks so much for all your hard work and I look forward to your reply. Robyn