Sick of it.

[Matt80]

I was in an Aboriginal cultural workshop at work and the group was informed that many Aboriginal people find the word indigenous to be offensive. The correct term to use is "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander".

The question I have on this issue is why is Adam been left to shoulder the weight of this issue and seemingly fight this issue himself. Where are guys such as Lance Franklin, Lewis Jetta, Paddy Ryder, Cyril Rioli, Neville Jetta, Lindsey Thomas, Daniel Wells and Daniel Motlop?

If some of those guys could more publicly stand with Goosey then their would be more progress. Full credit to Harry Obrien from Collingwood who stood with Goodsey last year, even berating his own President.

[ShockOfHair]

All the indigenous players do support Goodes. It's just that no-one has asked them. It should be a cue to the racists though that none of them is critical of Goodes.

It's also telling that a mild-mannered person like Goodes inspires such passionate intensity.

Here's the Peter Fitz takedown:


See, what happened is this. Late in the first quarter of Friday?s Swans v Essendon match in Melbourne, Sydney?s own Adam Goodes ? no less than the Australian of the Year and the most widely and deeply admired figure in Australian sport ? goes up to take a mark, just inside kicking distance.

.....

Congratulations Essendon for using the power of sport to change things for the better

[Ludwig]

The question I have on this issue is why is Adam been left to shoulder the weight of this issue and seemingly fight this issue himself. Where are guys such as Lance Franklin, Lewis Jetta, Paddy Ryder, Cyril Rioli, Neville Jetta, Lindsey Thomas, Daniel Wells and Daniel Motlop?
.

A central theme of the Niall article was that most people don't want to be the public representative for their 'people' or any particular cause, but rather just go about their lives without confrontation. Not everyone is a leader, so it's unfair to reproach any indigenous player who just wants to play football and be treated like anyone else without drawing any particular attention to themselves. They would be labeled 'bargainers' by Shelby Steele. Few are 'challengers.'

Here are a few excerpts from the article:

It is the theory of influential conservative African-American writer Shelby Steele that there are two types of black public figures in the United States: ??challengers?? and ??bargainers??.
The bargainer is described as a black who adopts a ??go along to get along?? view. He forms an unwritten pact with the white public ? that he will not hold whites accountable for historic racism, or even the less virulent contemporary version, so long as they don?t hold his colour against him.
Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods all fitted the ??bargainer?? mould, according to Steele.
Goodes is a pretty mild challenger by black American or even indigenous Australian standards, ........
Goodes, intentionally or not, is our challenger on race conduct in the AFL.

Goodes is singled out because he is challenger. He challenges the belief of some that their own entitlement may have been ill-gotten and undeserving, the very accusation that these same people make toward indigenous Australians.

[Matt80]

A central theme of the Niall article was that most people don't want to be the public representative for their 'people' or any particular cause, but rather just go about their lives without confrontation. Not everyone is a leader, so it's unfair to reproach any indigenous player who just wants to play football and be treated like anyone else without drawing any particular attention to themselves. They would be labeled 'bargainers' by Shelby Steele. Few are 'challengers.'

Here are a few excerpts from the article:

It is the theory of influential conservative African-American writer Shelby Steele that there are two types of black public figures in the United States: ??challengers?? and ??bargainers??.
The bargainer is described as a black who adopts a ??go along to get along?? view. He forms an unwritten pact with the white public ? that he will not hold whites accountable for historic racism, or even the less virulent contemporary version, so long as they don?t hold his colour against him.
Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods all fitted the ??bargainer?? mould, according to Steele.
Goodes is a pretty mild challenger by black American or even indigenous Australian standards, ........
Goodes, intentionally or not, is our challenger on race conduct in the AFL.

Goodes is singled out because he is challenger. He challenges the belief of some that their own entitlement may have been ill-gotten and undeserving, the very accusation that these same people make toward indigenous Australians.

I did not mean to reproach any Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Footballer who did not seek to publicly confront as issue.

I believe that Adam needs some public help. He is taking this on largely by himself and needs some other guys need to get into the contest with him.

If every club had at least one Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander footballer who campaigned like Adam, then the despicable people would be more quickly phased out.

[Ludwig]

Just saying Matt that Adam is a rare breed. Most of these guys just want to play footy; nothing wrong with that.

[Ampersand]

ALL players and spectators should be standing up against racism whenever it occurs regardless of the colour of their skin or who they support/play for.

[Reggi]

Just saying Matt that Adam is a rare breed. Most of these guys just want to play footy; nothing wrong with that.

Having watched Adam since he was 17, I think he is naturally quite shy, speaking out is not natural too him. He turned himself into a leader.

I don't agree with everything he has said. I have immense respect for the courage he has had to come out and say it knowing what he will cop from everyone.

I admire him more now

[liz]

This article is a moving read. Not just about football tackling racism but also the wider community. But it does give context to why Adam responded the way he did in the Collingwood game a year ago. It irritates me no end that a vocal minority accuse him of over-reacting, of having a thin skin, saying that he should have ignored what he heard. I don't know if he knew about the specific incidents relayed in this article, but it is possible - nay likely - that he did and that these added to his own personal onfield experiences that he occasionally refers to. Not only did he have an absolute right to call out the comment he heard, he probably believed that he had a duty to because of all the other less experienced, less confident indigenous footballers who feel they can't or who don't know how to respond when faced with similar situations.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/coming-together-for-the-long-haul-to-battle-racism-20140606-zrzdv.html

[Primmy]

Thank you liz. I have now posted this on facebook and twitter. It is well written, and clearly defined.

I agree liz with your assessment. I would like to add that for an innately gentle man, it must have been hard to stand there and say No. Just as the other young man found hard. It is sometimes just genetically difficult to take a stand. But they have done so now.

Recommended.

Coming together for the long haul to battle racism

[ShockOfHair]

This article is a moving read. Not just about football tackling racism but also the wider community. But it does give context to why Adam responded the way he did in the Collingwood game a year ago. It irritates me no end that a vocal minority accuse him of over-reacting, of having a thin skin, saying that he should have ignored what he heard. I

Coming together for the long haul to battle racism

I'm impressed that it's only a minority. It wasn't that long ago that only a few wild-eyed radicals thought racial abuse was a problem. So we have made some progress. (I know, with Clive Palmer and Andrew Bolt still at large, there's a long way to go.)

[rojo]

I think it is relevant that Adam grew up not knowing his Aboriginal identity. I think I remember him saying at one stage that he didn't know who his people were. So he grew up being taunted by the whites for his Aboriginality and by some Aboriginals for being too 'white' eg a banana 'black on the outside and white on the inside', sort of between two worlds, not fitting altogether in either. He didn't have that sense of belonging or culture that the Jetta's and Rioli's etc. have. That's one of the reasons why he loved being at the Swans so much, they were his family.

Now that footballers have to do something outside of football and are encouraged to study, he evidently did an Aboriginal studies course. Whether that was after he became interested enough to track through the records and dig up his Aboriginal heritage (his mother was one of the stolen generation) or before, I am guessing that this was very important to his current 'passion'. I should imagine studying Aboriginal history from an Aboriginal viewpoint for the first time and as an adult, would be quite life changing. I think his eyes would have been opened to a few things that he has a right to be angry about - for a time. Fortunately he is not an 'angry' person. We may not agree with every aspect of his current, mildly 'militant' stance, ie we?d prefer you didn?t make a fuss Adam, but can understand and support him in it.

After 200 years or so of disrespect for those he now sees as his people, he is calling for basic, every day respect. At the same time, together with Micky O, he is doing something to help disadvantaged young Aboriginals realize that they too can live purposeful, worthwhile lives and so gain self-respect and with it respect from the wider community.

I am thrilled he was made Australian Of the Year.