Indigenous footballer, Adam Goodes says that racism in Australia was given a face and a name this week. And that face was a 13-year-old girl.
The teenage Collingwood fan was at the MCG on Friday evening, watching her beloved Pies lose to the Sydney Swans. The match was part of the annual Indigenous round, through which the AFL acknowledges the amazing contribution that Aboriginal players make to the game.
13-year-old, Jessica*, frustrated and angry at her team’s poor play, yelled out at Adam Goodes, calling him an ‘ape’. Goodes turned around, visibly shocked and upset at this racially charged abuse, and watched as the girl was ejected from the stadium by security.
Immediately following the match, Eddie Maguire, who is President of the Collingwood Football Club went to the Swans’ team locker rooms to apologise to Goodes for the behaviour of one of his members.
Goodes, the man on the receiving end of the abuse, has graciously refused to blame Jessica for her racist taunt. She has since spoken to him on the phone and written him a letter to apologise.
In the simple and honest language and hand-writing of a kid just embarking on a high school career, Jessica wrote:
“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.”
Jessica’s mother has explained to the press that her daughter didn’t know that calling someone an ‘ape’ was a racial slur.
But let’s think about that for a second, while Jessica herself may not have realised quite how offensive her comment was – she is 13-years-old, her language and her behaviour is learned from those around her; and those around her WOULD know that such a term would cause tremendous offence.
Collingwood Football Club President Eddie McGuire has been asked whether Jessica should be allowed to remain a member of his club. His comments in response, were poignant and affecting. He said:
“We want her to know it’s side by side we stick together. You made a blue, but we all do.
“We’re a forgiving club, and we want to make sure that she feels she can come to the football and help her get through this situation…
“It’s really important, though, that we remember she’s a young girl and not to walk away from education rather than humiliation.
Education not humiliation. Spot on Eddie (somebody give that man a million dollars, eh?).
But while this individual teenager is entitled to be left alone now and will no doubt have learned from her mistakes – how many more like there are her?
How many teenagers are growing up in households, or school yards, or peer groups where a racial slur is commonplace and acceptable language?
What kind of generation are we raising, if calling an Indigenous man an ‘ape’ is standard practice?
Footage has emerged on Youtube today of yet another football fan yelling racially charged derogatory statements at some of the game’s Indigenous players on Friday night. Sadly, this shows that the exchange between Jessica and Adam Goodes was by no means an isolated incident.
When it comes to tackling racism, surely the work of a tolerant and inclusive Australia begins with our kids. And there is a hell of a lot more work to be done.
Top Comments
To see what extreme abuse (and death threats) looks like check out Catherine Deveny's web site.
Does anyone care about that, have any of the individuals who posted this extreme vilification of a woman been interviewed by the police - of course not, abusing and threatening women is totally acceptable.
Guess Catherine will just have to shrug, smile and carry on, maybe she can offer Mr Goodes some ideas on coping appropriately.
Maybe Ms Deveny can also give Mr Goodes some insight and empathy for the abuse women live (and die) with and he could use that to improve attitudes towards women and girls amongst his colleagues.
Perhaps gaining understanding of the discrimination and abuse women live with would help him cope with his own 'heartbreak'. He might also learn that a large, muscled up man needs to be mindful how they engage with women and girls, and how intimidating, threatening and frightening a man of his size can be.
The double standard in Australia in general, and male sports environments in particular, seems to be lost on most commentators and bloggers.
Note to Eddie: if you want to be a jerk follow the example of Sandilands, Jones, Laws and Newman and aim your 'jokes' at women.
In my culture friendly insults mean you are accepted in the group, excess politeness means they don't like or accept you.
From now on I will be very, very careful how (or if) I talk to any Aboriginal person. I will keep my distance, either literally or metaphorically. Seeing the aggression directed at a young girl from Mr Goodes I don't want to risk my safety.
Also in my culture the word ape is not barred, it either references peoples size (a gorilla of a man) or it can mean clumsy or uncouth.....
Sadly I think this whole thing will backfire and marginalised people more.
Many of us live with daily sexism, I don't like it but few of have the luxury of shrinking away to nurse our 'broken hearts' we have to soldier on.
Good job our PM (and other women in public life) is made of tougher stuff than Mr Goodes.
II suspect Ms Gillard is often hurt but knows she can't show it in public as any complaint from her about the entrenched sexism she gets every day brings more contempt, abuse and ridicule.
When Eddie mocked gays (it was cringe making) during the Olympics I don't recall any outrage from the public, or press conferences from spokespeople from the gay community, they also knew they would only get more ridicule it they complained. They probably didnt want to complain anyway, I suspect they were mature enough to roll their eyes and get on with their lives.
We all get offended and insulted we have to pick our battles. I think the people who revel in telling me I am going to spend eternity in hell might benefit from some education, fortunately I am pretty tough so these attacks have little effect on me.
We have seen what happens when a group decides it must not be offended (the cartoonists will have to be very careful) I can shrug off verbal attacks but I fear physical attacks, Mr Goodes has succeeded in making me frightened of him.
I predict in workplaces around Australia we will see a voluntary apartheid system, where the races separate themselves as a risk management strategy.
Having said that very often I would have no idea if a person was Aboriginal or now.
I don't watch stupid men's sport and had never heard of Adam Goodes so, unless I was told, I would not have known, or cared, if he was Aboriginal or not.
This story has (unfortunately) caused me think back about all the abuse, condescension, discrimination, abuse, persecution I have experienced and how much I have lost by speaking out against it, but as no one cares I just have to get on with it.
I have be told I have PTSD and this, long running headline, story (the murder of a women got a brief mention much further down the bulletin) has brought back a lot of my pain, but I have to always remember no-one cares about women so it says with me.
Unlike Mr Goodes I have never, ever, never had an apology, not even a half-hearted or qualified one.
I lost my job, home and much of myself, now I get through each day and accept that. As a, now middle aged woman, disrespect, and worse, are a part of life I can not totally avoid, but as no one cares I get on with it.
I am now fortunate enough to be self-employed (I vowed I would live in the back of a car before I would ever enter the workforce again) so I am able to avoid some of the discrimination etc. that most women in the workplace experience every day.
Many have never know anything different and are so used to it they don't even notice. Those that do notice know to keep quite, they will have seen what happens to women who speak out.
My Goodes is a big strong, rich male if he can't see the massive advantages that gives him over women he needs some education.
Funny how this is all about the pain of men, seems Aboriginal women are as invisible as white women.
Ask a woman how they get treated when they buy a car on their own .... most women don't know because they take a man with them. I went to buy a ute and was lead to a 3 door hatchback .....
A hardware store refused to sell me a belt sander ...... I have been stalked while at a beach on my own, I had to leave .... that's just the mild stuff ....want me to go on Mr Goodes....
Of course you don't its all about you ......
By the way I am white but I was born outside Australia so I get abused for that as well, the only way to avoid it is to keep to myself ..... as the locals say if I don't like it I can 'go back where you come from ....'
I'm broken and angry Mr Goodes, but I will put it to the back of my mind, smile and get on with making a (meagre) living.
So lets all continue to ignore the pain, rape, assault, discrimination, murder and general disdain of women and keep talking about Mr Goodes.
Wow you need to take a good look at yourself. Pathetic.
It's ok MR Nathan, I am very used to 'men' who consider women who object to the abuse of women 'pathetic'.
One more example .....for you to ignore ..... Did the victims of Graham Reeves get any mainstream news coverage......??
Of course not those women are to 'pathetic' to warrant news coverage.....
Have you even heard of MR Reeves and his victims, he had great fun for 20 years,. He was unlucky mostly 'men' like him never get caught, at least you can take comfort from the fact that the courts looked after him.
So you approve of the threats and extreme abuse of Ms Deveny .... no need for the police to get involved, much more important to Intimidate a frightened girl.
Have you ever been to a meeting with Phil Cleary as the speaker, now there is a man to admire.