I doubt it's even been a week since the last incident of racism made national news in Australia.
In 2014, a time where we should know better, young people ardently defend blackface and public transport is a perfect platform for ignorant and racist individuals to air their twisted views.
Today, a woman identified as Sue Wilkins (her real name is Karen Bailey) has been caught on camera racially vilifying an Asian woman and, presumably, a Caucasian man (who Bailey assumed to be her husband) on a train on the Sydney Central Coast line.
Throughout the footage captured by Youtube user Kareem Abdul, Bailey repeatedly denigrates the woman by using the racial slur "gook", pulling the corners of her eyes to imitate Asian eyes and mocks the woman's accent.
She also targets the man standing next to her, who in fact isn't the Asian woman's husband, implying that he wasn't man enough to get an "Aussie" girlfriend.
While some individuals might question the decision to post the video or report on it through the media, as it inadvertently promotes the views, I am of the opinion that people like Bailey need to be named and shamed.
Racism is endemic in this country. If Bailey's' rant isn't enough proof, read the comments that users are posting on articles and the YouTube footage of the attack.
This from Hector Lamar: “Yes Yes, terrible indeed. Funny though how the media never show non whites being racist towards whites, which happens regularly. This will be all over the MSM to further the anti white agenda. You're all being conned you fools. LOL”
And this from Tremley Point: “Every White country on the planet is forced to become multicultural and multiracial. EVERY white country is told to end its own race and culture. No one asks that of ANY non-White country. Immigration and forced-assimilation is for ALL & ONLY White countries. Anti-Whites call themselves "anti-racist", but their words & actions lead to the genocide of only one group: White people. The true goal of anti-racism is to genocide my people. Anti-racist is a codeword for anti-White.”
I wish this was the first time I've heard the rhetoric of the anti-white agenda, the reverse-racism argument and the genocide of white people.
Before this rhetoric became a popular narrative on the internet, I received anonymous notes in my letterbox foretelling the demise of our country due to Asian immigration.
White people were becoming a minority and the pro-multicultural sympathisers in Government were to blame, the note said.
This happened in 2009 in the ethnically diverse and left-leaning suburb of Chippendale, in Sydney's inner west.
Since 2009, the internet has become more accessible for Australians and the Government has changed. People like Andrew Bolt and the Federal Attorney-General George Brandis use terms like ‘freedom of speech’ as a smokescreen for bigotry to be legally permissible.
When our democratically elected leaders make statements like "people have the right to be bigots", people like Bailey feel empowered to be able to attack others on the basis of race.
Despite the fact that this country has systemically embedded racism in legislation, policies and programs since the arrival of the First Fleet, I don't believe that people have a right to be bigots.
People deserve to live in a society where they don't have to fear catching a train or a bus because they may encounter someone with a loud mouth and a racist agenda.
Australians need to wake up to themselves. We are not the US and we certainly don't have a blanketed right to freedom of speech enshrined in our constitution.
Moreover, if we did have freedom of speech embedded in legislation, or a bill of rights, it should not give anyone the right to use their platform, whether it be a captive audience on a train or a national publication, television show and a widely read blog, the opportunity to air their racist views.
* Ebony Allen is a Kamilaroi and Dharug woman, and a prominent blogger. You can follow some of her work here.
UPDATE: This story originally referred to Bailey as Sue Wilkins, based on Bailey providing false details. The story has been updated.
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