I didn’t register to vote until I was 19... And probably closer to 20. My reason for not wanting to vote was largely because I just felt as though I wasn’t aware enough about the politics of this country to make an educated decision about who should be running it. I had watched Question time and they all looked like a pack of wankers to me.
The Kevin 07 campaign was happening and I was living in Melbourne. One of my housemates discovered that I was not registered and was outraged. The other guy I was living with admitted that he didn’t really understand how it all worked either, so we set ourselves on a mission to work it all out.
I liked the sound Labours’ policies and the prospect of having new leadership made me feel like this country could make a real turn around…whatever that meant…I’ll be honest, I just wanted to be buds with K-Rudd…I still do.
When Ol’ Kev made his apology to the Indigenous people, like most Australians I was pretty moved. A few things did change after that but then things got flat again. I know the whole Julia Gillard thing was just Labour saving face but I kind of thought they were taking it as a small stance too…maybe somewhat naively I thought that bigger changes would start happening.
Instead election time rolled around and we got to watch her and Tony Abbot behave like children and avoid answering any questions on policy. When he brought up the topic of ‘boat people’, she/Labour had the option of taking the highroad… like discussing more in depth how few refugees Australia actually take in compared to other smaller countries….instead Labour stooped to the Libs level and played on The Racist Australian vote and promised stricter laws on boat people… as if that was such an issue in the first place?
The thing that pisses me off the most is this whole concept of ‘moving forward, if anything it seems that we are regressing. I feel that way for a lot of reasons but the main one is that I fear this Country is becoming increasingly unwelcoming and increasingly discriminatory. When I hear the prejudice things that people that so many people I know have said, it doesn’t shock me that we are heading in this direction. It does however disgust me.
Gay marriage:
“Who do they think they are? Gays can't own rainbows. I reserve my right as a homophobic man to fly a rainbow flag and wear rainbow clothing for no other reason other than they are pretty and I like them...Rainbows I mean...not gays…definitely not Gays"
That was my impression of a person of a homophobic person. It was made up but it is pretty much how every homophobic person sounds to me…
I feel like most discrimination, homophobia is built on fear. Fear that they are going to turn us all gay. Fear that the institution of marriage which is traditionally something that is entered into by a male and a female will forever be ruined…just like our precious rainbows.
I have actually heard people say things like “Well cant they get their own tradition? Why would they want to be the same as straight people?”…I’m.sorry.what?
Oh yeah totally, why would two people want to be recognised as a married couple?
I don’t know GARSH ….could it be for the same reasons that a heterosexual couple gets married? Because they are in love an committed to one another, that they want to settle down and make a future together?
WHAT A CRAZY THOUGHT
I have heard people bang on with the most ridiculous arguments about why Gay marriage shouldn‘t be legalised.
“If everyone was gay then humans would die out”…is one of my favourite arguments… UH I don’t even know where to start…For one: EVERYBODY is not going to become gay…but lets just say they were…they could still procreate the same way that gay couples procreate now…the technology is far older than your iphone…maybe use it to look it up…but gay couples have been having kids for years.
Migrants:
Last year I did placement working with refugees and migrants.
On one occasion we hosted a ‘refugee tent’ at a Multicultural festival. The tent was set up like an actual tent in a refugee camp to show people in the community how basic refugee standard of living can be. There were loads of information sheets and photos of real refugee camps and we gave people tours around in an attempt to give everyone a bit of insight as to the kinds of problems that refugees are facing. After doing the spiel for about the 56th time that day, talking about disease, maltreatment, and all the other troubles that they may go through, even after leaving their home… a lady approached me and said this:
“But isn‘t it true that refugees just come here to get on Centrelink?”
(Please note that this was a MULTICULTURAL DAY)
I tried to explain to her that most people don’t risk their lives in a boat to get to a country where they are likely to be imprisoned for years at a time…you know just on the off chance that they may eventually get on benefits. That in fact most of them do want to work and they are fleeing their country because they are genuinely afraid for their own welfare….
After my rant she just sort of went “mmm” and walked out of the tent
I wanted to punch her in the head but it may have jeopardised my placement somewhat.
I see people joining ridiculous discriminatory Facebook groups everyday and I see how rampant intolerance is in our society and I am left with little wonder over why political parties choose to target minority groups for a quick vote.
I am not a lesbian…though I have had the odd lady fling (who hasn‘t?). I don’t plan to marry a woman but I think it should be allowed on the off chance that Michelle Williams ever switches teams and gives me a call… though I am really holding out for Zach Braff at the moment, I would like to know the option is there….
I have gay friends and I feel like they have the right to get married and have that marriage recognised as much as my straight pals do.
If you’re worried about people making a mockery of the institution of marriage… just Youtube wedding videos and see that its been done… people getting married while sky diving… dogs dressed as flower girls… Marriage is already a joke and frankly it looks like a lot of fun, so let gays in on the joke.
I am not a refugee either and I consider myself to be blessed to grow up in a country where I am allowed to speak my mind and not be jailed or killed for disagreeing with my Government. Sadly some people are not born into such privilege.
The only reason I am living in this country is that my Grandparents on both sides were Immigrants… and unless you are of Indigenous Australian decent…then somebody in your family was in Immigrant at some point too…maybe just something to consider next time you join a racist Facebook group.
I don’t expect to change the world of anything…but maybe if a few people took a stance for things that matter, then our political parties would start designing policies that cater to real change and not have to play on our fears.
