Michael McGuire: Eddie Betts’s experience just illustrates the point of Black Lives Matter
As far as I can tell, the very point of black lives matter is to ensure that all lives, in fact, do matter because for too long that has not been the case, writes Michael McGuire.
Opinion
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To the simpletons gnashing their teeth or worrying that the white people of Australia are being oppressed, singled out or otherwise demonised by the Black Lives Matter movement, have a look at the Eddie Betts interview on Fox Footy this week.
Anybody whingeing and whining about “all lives matter” should take a look as well. And in passing, has anyone said, anywhere, that all lives don’t matter? Has anyone said “only black lives matter”? As far as I can tell the very point of black lives matter is to ensure that all lives, in fact, do matter because for too long that has not been the case.
Back to Betts. We all know Eddie Betts. A remarkable footballer who, in more than 300 games for Carlton and Adelaide, has played with a skill and joy few have ever matched. An indigenous man from Port Lincoln who, by his own admission, could have fallen off the tracks as a youngster but has become one of the most loved players in the game.
Yet, for some, that is still not enough. But then again, whatever he does would not be enough for some. Last week he suffered yet another racist attack on social media.
“It’s just tiring,’’ Betts told the AFL360 television show this week. “Just fighting, fighting, fighting. And it keeps happening every year. The last 10 years. The last six over in Adelaide. I have been racially abused every year. Online. I have had a banana thrown at me.’’
“I’ve got to set up barriers every day when I leave the house, thinking I’m going to get racially abused when I’m driving or when I go to a supermarket.
“All I want to do is rock up to training, play and enjoy the game of footy.’’
Betts, of course, is not alone. Former Collingwood player Heritier Lumumba was nicknamed “chimp” while at Collingwood. And Sydney player Adam Goodes was hounded out of the game by industrial-scale racism and racists.
The hope then is that, despite another attack on Betts last week, society is at some sort of turning point. That the obvious justice demanded by the Black Lives Matter movement all over the world leads to better outcomes, better lives for all.
Yet, there is still that nagging doubt that this is a wave that will roll over us all and no real progress will be made.
That in a month or two it will be back to normal, until another George Floyd is murdered and another conflagration starts.
That feeling of pessimism was fed this week by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his announcement that January 26 would be a day of thanks for all the people who helped the nation through the COVID-19 crisis.
So, Australia Day then. That’s the day Morrison wants. He had 365 choices in 2021 for a day to acknowledge the efforts of COVID-19 workers and that’s the one he chose? Australia Day.
No matter whether you are for or against celebrating our national day on the date of colonisation, that is an odd choice. At best.
The most generous interpretation of Morrison’s decision is that it’s completely tin-eared to the moment.
Otherwise, we have to believe it’s another sad, vicious shot in the culture wars of which the Liberal Party have been such eager participant in recent years.
A clumsy effort to head off discussion about the appropriateness of January 26 because it would be “disrespectful” to the COVID-19 “heroes”.
Perhaps, Morrison needs to watch that Eddie Betts interview as well. To develop some appreciation for the “barriers” aboriginal people deal with every day.
A little empathy may not go astray.
It takes a lot of courage to speak up like Betts has. He knows Adam Goodes tried.
In 2016, Betts said “Goodesy is a person who stands up for what he believes in. A real powerful, passionate person that believes in his culture and people don’t like that. People can’t stand that.’’
It is to be hoped Betts is not similarly vilified for standing up for himself and his people.