Pauline Hanson has been voted back in. And Australia needs to stop and listen.
It’s been 18 years since the One Nation leader found popularity with her views on anti-immigration and anti-multiculturalism.
She gained global fame for her grass-roots conservative right wing sound bites. She was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
Now, the former fish and chip shop owner – who wants to ban the burqa, install surveillance in all Mosques and prevent Muslim people from being sworn in to Parliament under the Qur’an – has the votes of more than 344,000 Australians behind her for representation in the Senate so far.
And we need to listen to them.
Because there is major discontent happening in Australia. Belief and confidence in the two major parties is at an all time low.
It’s more important than ever to figure out why.
Not so we give voice to ignorance, racism, xenophobia or blatant hateful discrimination – so we can form a bloody government.
We can’t even form a minority government at this point, let alone a majority one.
So why are people voting for a woman who spouts some of the most widely condemned ideologies in modern Australian politics?
Not only do more than 344,000 people who gave their vote to One Nation feel like no one is representing them – they feel like no one is listening to them.
Watch: Pauline Hanson puts the ‘media on notice.’ Post continues after video.
Top Comments
"Not so we give voice to ignorance, racism, xenophobia or blatant hateful discrimination"
Xenophobia is the irrational fear of foreigners. That was where Britain got it wrong in 1938, wasn't it? Due to their blatant hateful discrimination, and their racism, the British demonised the Nazis. They should have been open to Nazi immigration and tolerant of Nazi beliefs, giving them the right to vote and participate in selecting Britain's lawmakers. In their ignorance, they failed to appreciate that, by giving citizenship to Nazis, whose moral values were diametrically opposed to their own, they could diversify and enrich their own culture. Shame on them, the bigots!
Fear of Islam is not irrational. Islam is a genuine threat to millions of individuals and to society as a whole. It has already done incalculable harm, and its representatives regularly promise to continue their harmful programs, and to increase the scope and scale of these programs if possible.
Now watch the self-loathers rush to claim that Christianity is 'just as bad' as Islam. It isn't. Much of what we value in our own society can be traced back to the values laid down in the New Testament.
http://www.huffingtonpost.c...
It may or may not be time to listen to Pauline Hanson but it is time to start listening to people concerned about Islamic teachings.
Oliver Hemsley was in intensive care for approx. 4 months in the UK after an unprovoked attack by a gang of 8 muslims which left him paralysed. His crime was being homosexual. Whatever one thinks of Pauline Hanson at least she is not advocating that homosexuals be killed, At least she is concerned about what is being taught in Islamic schools and mosques.
I certainly don't want to see a rise in gay hate crimes here
But you'd be okay with a rise in anti-Islam or anti-Asian hate crimes?
This morning I read an article about a white man raping a 10 month old baby. In fact, in a large number of pedophelia cases I read, the perp is a white male. Does that mean I can start discriminating against all white men? That is the problem with your argument, you cannot discriminate against a whole race of people based on a few. If you allow that discrimination to occur, it will ignite more violence. Where does it stop?
Australian culture respects freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of religion, the equality of men and women etc. When we are bringing in people from countries under sharia law ( or strongly influenced by Islam) it is not unreasonable to be concerned as to whether they are going to respect the Australian way of life and our laws.
You mean discriminating against white men by not allowing them to sit next to kids in planes, things like that?