As I was strolling the internet I happen to come across a
rather disgusting and apparently immediate problem within Sydney. Racism. Now
being 2013, one may think that such prehistoric notions of ignorance may have
dwindled and died out along with the dinosaurs, alas the
events on a certain Sydney bus stand to prove otherwise. An article by Matt
Young on News.com.au, states that,
“ABC
News presenter Jeremy Fernandez has described the moment he was kicked off a
Sydney bus after enduring verbal racial taunts.”
To summarise the events according to the article, ABC News
presenter Jeremy Fernandez was with his 2 year old daughter, when a child began
poking and pinching his daughters arm and head. In response to this, Fernandez
placed his arm around his daughter and the child changed target and pinched his arm.
To which Fernandez replied, "darling
that was my arm you just flicked." And that is when the mother of the child began
accusations, calling Fernandez a, ‘black’ pedophile- To make matters worse,
the bus was filled with primary school students, and in addition the fact that
Fernandez was the one who was kicked off, after the bus driver told him, “mate,
it’s your fault”.
Thereby this event is demonstrating moral and social
violations as well as racial discrimination. In Sydney. In 2013. I find myself
asking, filled with curiosity of the 'cultural dimensions of the racist women,
which cultural influences, what aspects would allow her cognition to deem her
actions on that bus as acceptable. Fernandez tweeted this event (right):
Its clear then, that something needs to be done to prevent such an
event from occurring in the future. I believe the answer lies in education.
That if we begin to truly culturally diversify education and expose the youth
to varying cultures and races so that they may grow as open and accepting individuals.
As such education may be a tool to be used in the present to fix the future.
Understandably the lady who began this racial spur may have been exposed to an
educational system of a more un-accepting Australia in the past, yet it still
does not account for the behavior depicted, if not for race, show some
moderation for the children who were exposed to such a rant.
Sources/Reference:
No comments:
Post a Comment