News location:

Canberra Today 27°/29° | Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Griffiths / The problem with bigots

POLITICAL correctness, we endlessly hear, is running amok. And yet it’s hard to imagine that 30 years ago arrant bigotry as espoused by Andrew Bolt, Pauline Hanson and Sonia Kruger would have been allowed free rein in the nation’s media.

John Griffiths.
John Griffiths.

Which suggests to me that the problem is not so much that views are being censored, as much as bigoted blowhards are increasingly being told to sit down and shut the hell up.

The problem with blowhards is that they’ve spent a lifetime thinking that their family and colleagues agree with them. The reality more often is that those unfortunate enough to share space with them have smiled, nodded, and made for the exits.

In these days of the run-amok, politically correct, horrendous people are finding out what other people actually think of them.

The transition, of course, is going to be bumpy. The longer the decades one has been tolerated, the angrier the response will be when tolerance comes to a frayed and tattered end.

The most annoying thing about the rallying cries of the bigots is their appeals to fear.

They wrap themselves in flags, talk in shrill tones about the need to “get tough”, and then act out of complete cowardice.

I’m a 40-something, white, male Australian who likes rugby and tanks. I’ve had more than my fair share of privilege in this world.

Having said that, I’ve enjoyed far less privilege than the likes of Kruger and Bolt.

But I am not afraid of refugees and migrants who want to make a better life in my country.

It’s almost sad how these very wealthy and powerful people are struck dumb with terror at the simple audacity of people other than themselves daring to live.

Speaking different languages, eating different food, worshipping slightly different gods. What is the world coming to?

We have laws to punish those who harm others in our society.

Statistics strongly indicate that they, and you and me, are in far more danger from other Australians than anyone else.

But why not, the demagogues think to themselves, whip up hatred and fear of some of the world’s least powerful and with it least-dangerous people?

I suppose they think that if it harvests votes and electoral dollars, if it sells copies of the “Herald Sun”, if it drives clicks and creates relevance, then why not pander to the worst in society at the expense of the most vulnerable?

I am far more afraid of anyone who can think like this and already wields considerable power, than I am of a cleaner, a taxi driver or a kebab vendor.

Sadly, a percentage of the Australian public are scared, confused and, in a small number of cases, downright awful.

Sadly, some people can make careers and live fat and happy by pandering to those segments of the community.

That’s no reason to let these fringe dwellers take over the public debate.

John Griffiths is the online editor of citynews.com.au

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Share this

2 Responses to Griffiths / The problem with bigots

J W Farrands says: 29 July 2016 at 9:21 am

In an effort to be tolerant we have a tendency to lump religions together as a variety of harmless beliefs, as your column illustrates.
The problem is not bigotry but theological illiteracy. Islam is not another benign set of beliefs; rather it is both a religion and a political ideology.
US Cardinal Raymond Burke has recently observed that Islam wants to govern the world. Cardinal Burke said he did not want to be disrespectful or generate hostility, but he wanted people to understand that when Muslims become the majority in any country they have the duty to submit the whole population to Shariah, as the Islamic code of law is known. [ref: https://shar.es/1ZqDgm%5D
As the Muslim population increases in Australia, incremental changes are taking place as the Islamic culture advances. Some of us have already psychologically surrendered to Islam and are not prepared to examine or criticise it or defend our way life. People who are ashamed of their culture and heritage will not defend it. Those that bravely voice their concerns, such as Sonia Kreuger, are written off as bigots who must be silenced. This bullying of concerned citizens, this failure to defend freedom of speech, must be challenged.

Reply
John Griffiths says: 29 July 2016 at 9:25 am

US Cardinal Raymond Burke has recently observed that Islam wants to govern the world

Well a Cardinal would certainly know all about a political ideology that wants to rule the world.

If we can tolerate Christians in our big strong diverse society we can tolerate some Muslims too.

Reply

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Opinion

Cartoon / Dose of Dorin

As the US teeters on a TikTok ban, the Australian government is having none of it. But cartoonist PAUL DORIN still wonders if anyone's watching...

Opinion

Heroin’s a big hit in Canberra’s wastewater

"Canberra is described as the exception regarding heroin use. The report shows a significant increase between July and September. In this period, on a per capita basis, Canberrans had the highest use in Australia," writes MICHAEL MOORE. 

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews