Susie O’Brien: Fraser Anning doesn’t deserve protection over racist, bigoted first speech
SENATOR Fraser Anning is a racist bigot who doesn’t deserve the liberty advocated by right-wing free speech advocates — or any protection whatsoever over his hateful comments, writes Susie O’Brien.
Susie O'Brien
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FRASER Anning is a racist bigot who should be censured for his hate-filled spray in Parliament yesterday.
The Queensland crossbench senator doesn’t deserve the liberty advocated by right-wing free-speech activists. When you are a democratically-elected official spewing hate and misinformation, you don’t deserve any protection whatsoever.
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It’s not enough for Anning to dismiss criticism by saying people are just trying to “shut down debate”.
“Good men died for our right to say whatever we want to say and use whatever words we want to use,” he said.
These “good men” would turn in their grave if they could hear what Anning is saying now.
Free speech is not a constitutional right in this country. Free speech brings with it great responsibility.
Elected officials like Anning have more responsibility than most to speak with compassion, fact and respect because of the platform they occupy.
For a start, Anning is factually incorrect on many key points.
Anning says most Australian Muslims live on welfare (they don’t) and that all terrorists are Muslims (they aren’t).
While some vile acts of mass terrorism are committed in the name of Islam, most are not.
We didn’t condemn all Christians when Anders Breivik slaughtered 77 people in Norway to further his anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, and pro-Christian Europe. And nor should we close our borders to Muslims here because of the acts of ISIS overseas.
In any case, Muslims are also some of the biggest victims and targets of terrorist acts, especially in the Middle East.
When Anning claims that “we have to protect Australian citizens”, he’s forgetting one vital fact.
Many of the people he’s targeting were born here, or grew up here.
We can’t close our borders to our own citizens.
While there are some issues in the Muslim community, they do not deserve to be singled out as a whole religion and denied entry to this country or portrayed as idle murderers.
While I support measures to ensure migrants learn English, have useful skills and don’t live in enclaves, I do not support any kind of ban on immigration.
Australia depends on migrants to keep our population growing and keep the economy strong.
A return to an all-white Australia with closed borders and limited non-Anglo outsiders is neither possible, nor desirable.
Anning has rejected his use of the term “final solution” was a reference to Nazi plans to kill millions of Jews yesterday.
And yet his failure to apologise suggests he intended to cause offence.
It’s not surprising that Anning’s views have been rejected by people on all sides of politics, including both major parties.
We should be very clear about one thing: the reaction to this speech cannot be reduced to the left trying to shut down the immigration debate.
It’s not a question of censorship, it’s a bid to ensure those in public office are factual and respectful.
Let’s not forget that Anning was elected on just 19 primary votes on the One Nation platform, although he left the party earlier this year.
Today, One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson distanced herself from Anning’s comments, but she should take some responsibility.
Australia is a proud multicultural nation and speeches like this give other bigots and racists a green light to express their views.
I’m with Labor’s Penny Wong who had this to say about Anning’s comments: “Those of us who have been on the receiving end of racism know what it feels like and know what leaders say matters”.
Originally published as Susie O’Brien: Fraser Anning doesn’t deserve protection over racist, bigoted first speech
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