Aboriginal Victimhood

[Rorschach]

Shareena Clanton Q&A appearance: The Mocker’s take
The Australian
12:44PM February 22, 2018

As far as loaded Dorothy Dixers go, this one on ABC’s Q&A last Monday was a doozy.

“Is this the sign of a leader who sincerely wants to close the gap on indigenous disadvantage,” asked audience member Mick Scarcella, after reciting a long list of indictments against Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. “Or of holding his colonial foothold on the throat of the oppressed indigenous population, which has been the case for 230 years?”

“Thank you, brother,” said co-panellist, indigenous woman and actress Shareena Clanton, after the audience — yet again apparently composing a large number of Coalition supporters — had finished applauding. “Aboriginal people,” she asserted, “are still struggling to have a voice.”

Exactly how Clanton herself is denied a voice is not obvious, especially given she was permitted an uninterrupted near four minutes to answer the question. But much of her melodramatic response was filled with self-indulgent non sequiturs.

Her mother, she informs us, studied law and was the first indigenous female state prosecutor in Western Australia. One of her siblings is “in medicine.” Her other siblings have also studied at tertiary level. All very well, but what did this have to do with the question?

“I am about to go into my honours at Curtin University,” she continued. Was she trying to score an own goal in demonstrating examples of indigenous disadvantage?

By this stage the entire audience was no doubt praying that Clanton would experience a ‘Sorry, what was the question again’ epiphany. Host Tony Jones belatedly intervened and reminded her of the question, and eventually he sought a response from federal minister and co-panellist Josh Frydenberg.

Unfortunately Frydenberg, who had shown Clanton the courtesy of remaining silent throughout her lengthy response, struggled to have a voice. He began by pointing out, not unreasonably, that indigenous Australians already had equal rights. This lasted all of nine seconds before Clanton interrupted him and continued, what had become by this stage, a rant.

“My mother was born in 1965 and she was not considered a human being until the referendum came through (sic) to the Flora and Fauna Act in 1967,” said Clanton, angrily taking issue with Frydenberg’s remarks. This is nonsense. Admittedly, she is but one of many people who have misconceptions about the substance of the 1967 constitutional referendum. It had nothing to do with either giving Aboriginals the right to vote or bestowing them with citizenship (rights which they already possessed well before 1967).

But Clanton’s assertion takes this ignorance a step further. “The myth that the Constitution included a reference to the Aboriginal people under a ‘flora and fauna’ section is entirely erroneous,” notes Professor Helen Irving, a constitutional law expert at the University of Sydney. “The words ‘flora and fauna’ do not appear anywhere in the Constitution, nor did they prior to 1967. There was no ‘Flora and Fauna Act’ either. No legislation referred to or classified the Aboriginal people in such terms.” Our history regarding the treatment of indigenous people is shameful enough, and does not need such fictions to illustrate it.

One can only hope this subject matter is correctly outlined in Curtin University’s honours curriculum. No such correction came from Jones, who would be well aware of what the 1967 referendum entailed. Nor did it appear in ABC News’ account of Clanton’s appearance on the show, which praised her “passionate speech”.

Clanton was indeed passionate, but at times her behaviour was rude, overbearing, and verging on obnoxious. Nothing better demonstrated this than her successful attempt to shut down Frydenberg, who was attempting to explain the reasons for the government’s rejection of the proposal to add a constitutionally-enshrined indigenous ‘advisory’ body to Parliament.

As Frydenberg tried to point out, indigenous man and former ALP president Warren Mundine had disagreed with the proposal, saying “it is a solution looking for a problem”. That unpalatable fact proved too much for Clanton. “Can you stop”, she interrupted condescendingly. “I’m really tired of non-indigenous peoples making commentaries about indigenous Australia — yourself included,” she said, pointing at Frydenberg’s face.

You might think Jones should have remonstrated with Clanton and insisted on Frydenberg being allowed to finish his statement, but by this stage he had temporarily forgotten he was supposed to be controlling this show. “They should all learn to keep their mouth shut and start engaging Aboriginal Australia,” said Clanton in a raised voice. “I think ... that effectively did draw a line under that conversation,” said Jones. What conversation?

Now compare Clanton’s behaviour with a Facebook post by her last November in which she provided an example of “everyday micro-aggressions I receive as a woman of colour working in this industry.” Apparently a “white woman” had sent her a message saying “In order for racism to stop we need to stop looking at people by their race or skin colour, we need to move on as a human nation ... not as different races.” This person, who had prefaced her message with “I loved your acting”, also said “I will also be unfollowing you, as you seem to use your celebrity status to constantly bring up the race card...”

So just to clarify, it is okay for Clanton to raise her voice at those co-panellists she disagrees with. It is fine for her to interrupt, speak over, hector, and make them struggle to find a voice. It is also okay to tell them they should “keep their mouth shut” and point her finger at their face. But God forbid someone tell her on Facebook that she should ease up on identity politics. That is a “micro-aggression”. Are we clear on that?

Did it ever occur to Clanton, when she angrily alleged her mother “was not considered a human being,” to glance outside her victimhood bubble? She need look no further than the man who was sitting next to her that night. Frydenberg knows only too well about this. His Jewish mother, Erika Strausz, was born in Hungary during WWII, and escaped the Holocaust only through fleeing to a displaced persons’ camp. The Nazis did not consider her a human being. Frydenberg could have severely embarrassed Clanton by reminding her of this, yet to his credit, he refrained from doing so.

And on what basis does Clanton assert that indigenous people are struggling to have a voice? As Mundine points out: “No one speaks for indigenous people as a single group.” Mundine does not struggle to have a voice — he is not afraid of a robust debate — but he cops a lot of hate for pushing views such as insisting that the biggest impediment to indigenous disadvantage is the failure to ensure Aboriginal children attend school. For this he is frequently savaged — often by indigenous people — and called racist terms such as ‘coconut’ and ‘token Aborigine’.

Indigenous woman and former member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Bess Price and her daughter Jacinta Price know a lot about abuse. Only last month Bess defended Jacinta from vicious online attacks. What had outraged the offenders? Well, Jacinta had publicly stated we should continue to celebrate Australia Day on January 26. Bess did not hold back, slamming those “who want to remain in their victimhood mentality”.

“I’m appalled,” she said. “All the ‘Welcome to Country’, all the ‘smoking ceremonies’ and all the made up bullshit rituals about ‘pay our respects to elders past and present’ is just one big lie! Shame shame shame!”

It brings to mind the words of the great African-American, former slave, and political leader, Booker T. Washington. “There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public,” he wrote in 1911. “Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”

If Clanton wants to hear more indigenous voices, then bring them on. Let us hear from all those who wants a say, including the likes of Mundine, the Prices, the Anthony Dillons and the Dallas Scotts. Like Clanton, they too have a voice that should be heard. Unfortunately too often they are drowned out by certain indigenous activists who love the sound of their own voice.

[Rorschach]

I turned Q&A off halfway through this idiot woman's ranting... clearly Aborigines will get nowhere and gain no friends as long as idiots like this have the public stage and claim to speak for them.

[The Mechanic]

I turned Q&A off halfway through this idiot woman's ranting... clearly Aborigines will get nowhere and gain no friends as long as idiots like this have the public stage and claim to speak for them.

100% right...

the only thing holding down the abbo's are the Greens and Socialists...

and

the abbo's themselves...

but while they can still get away with playing the "victim" against the white man they'll continue to do so...

[cods]

reminds me of mothra.... have you ever had a debate with her...

its all about meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee......

oh wait a minute aboriginaies sadl lye they never ever do get a speaker that people want to listen too...

all they get are grievances that go back years that not a soul can undo...

isnt she lucky to have so many Uni educated members in her family.....did she mention if they were special courses for aboriginals ONLY?....maybe where they even have computers to ONLY be used by aboriginals.... ..

someone needs to remind her that aboriginals are free to wander Australia at will.. whitey isnt....

they also get free health whitey doesnt even pensioners still pay for scripts and so they should....but our aboriginal friends dont if they go to the right health clinic......

wouldnt it be wonderful if one day an aboriginal got on to one of these programs and gav e whitey a wrap told us how grateful they are for living in this great country...............I realise they were here first............but I often wonder how many would be alive still if it was left to them.....

I doubt they were known for living to a ripe old age...


we all have a grievance here and there but do we get up on TV and rage about it at every chance....

[The Mechanic]

PEOPLE like Stan Grant (fake Abbo) don't help..

he's is making big money on Aboriginal misery...

absolutely disgraceful...

[The Mechanic]

BTW..

some years ago while Touring outback australia I said to the Mrs that the only way to help these people is to cut off the money... full stop..

just deliver them fresh food parcels from Australian farmers...

eat that or eat nothing...

Health Problems solved..

..........


BTW x 2...

Donald Trump is now exploring the same thing for the hopeless welfare ridden losers in the US...

cut off the cash and deliver food parcels from Local Farmers...

win win...