Racism is well and truly alive in Aus. - Ausbb

k_21 · 04-03-2010, 09:44 AM

I have to get this off my chest so here goes.

I was at the George Michael concert in Melb
yesterday with my wife and 4 other close friends.

All is good until I was talking to one
of our friends and I get this knock on
my leg from the ‘meet head bigot’ sitting
in front of me.

He proceeds to tell me that “I should speak
in English as we are in Aus and not in Mumbai”.
So as you can imagine I proceed to tell him to look
up the dictionary for the meaning of
“democratic & multicultural”. I added few choice words
before and after obviously but cannot be repeated here!!! lol..

I have lived in this country for 20yrs and truly that
was the FIRST time someone has been so overt about
their dislike to ‘migrants’; It’s ppl like this that gives
this amazing country a reputation for being ‘racist’!!!

It’s quite sad.

I encourage everyone on this forum, who I guess is
from vastly different backgrounds to stand up if this
happens to you.

We don’t need these narrow minded, bigots in this
great nation!!!

OK rant over

Devante.
P.S. If anyone was wondering apart that the concert
was fantastic. "By George he's still got it"!!! LOL...

katie · 04-03-2010, 09:59 AM

hmmm, interesting post.

I was born here but I tend to speak another language at home with my parents (even though they're both fairly fluent English speakers).

When I was growing up, my mum always tried to stress the importance of speaking in English when in public, rather than our native tongue, so as not to offend anyone.

Good on you for standing up to the guy, I think I would've cowered away and apologised profusely. (Which is what happened the last time I was racially abused, on a bus... apologised so much to the point that I burst into tears)

Actually I'm amazed that it's happened to you only once in 20 years, I seem to remember about 4 or 5 incidents when I was growing up (which was quite some time ago)...

apiewithhoboliftingaroma · 04-03-2010, 10:20 AM

Racism is ****ed.

Older generations - relating to your experience - I can kind of understand. The world over used to be different and it was just the way things were that if you moved to a new country, you assimilated. Spoke the language, ate the food, played the sports etc.

But the world is so small these days and people should know better.

I must admit, I hate when I'm with people and they speak another language I don't and then interact with that language in front of me, thus excluding me from the conversation - that's just rude and ignorant. But I don't hate people in general speaking in different languages, in fact I like them. The more it is around you the more you can understand.

brendon · 04-03-2010, 10:25 AM

ignore the boofhead loser that said that. hes obviously a complete dick anyway and probably has a man crush on george michaels.

k_21 · 04-03-2010, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apiewithhoboliftingaroma

Racism is ****ed.

I must admit, I hate when I'm with people and they speak another language I don't and then interact with that language in front of me, thus excluding me from the conversation - that's just rude and ignorant. But I don't hate people in general speaking in different languages, in fact I like them. The more it is around you the more you can understand.

The point here is that the conversation
was between me and my friends! Regardless
of what language I speak "by standees" need
not worry about it as I'm not addressing them
or the public!

I understand if anyone within the group didn't
understand the language I was speaking and yet
I continued it would be offending the person.

In any case this guy was just an ignorant person
giving all other genuine Aussie's a bad reputation..

Devante.

apiewithhoboliftingaroma · 04-03-2010, 10:30 AM

I didn't even realise this was set at a George Michaels show

hahahaha, my god, how weird does that make this scenario!

I was thinking some Big Day Out going, flag-as-a-cape wearing, I'm-not-racist-but saying drop kick.

Kyle Aaron · 04-03-2010, 10:30 AM

I am just stunned that such a racist person was... at a George Michael concert.

I mean, I have never met a blatant racist who was not also homophobic.* GM had sex with strange men in public toilets. If you're not offended by that, why would you care if some stranger spoke their language near you...

k_21, the usual response to them saying, "speak English, man!" is to say, "My English is better than yours, little man." Because let's face it, the sorts of people saying this are not exactly university grammarians, they're lucky if they can spell their bogan names - Sharyn, Bylinda, Shontall, Shane, etc.

* Well, except for the bogan lesbian single mum at my PT school, but she was just crazy.

apiewithhoboliftingaroma · 04-03-2010, 10:33 AM

meh. edit. not worth it.

puff · 04-03-2010, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apiewithhoboliftingaroma

meh. edit. not worth it.

national pride and automatic hatred / fear of others do not necessarily go hand and hand.

TrentZor · 04-03-2010, 10:49 AM

I used to cop it all the time before i started training in the teens. Being of viet/chinese descent and born here im as aussie as the next person. Still after i started training and sported big 20 inch guns (im dreaming here LOL) people never said anything to my face. Then again u hear em say "thats a big asian"

moral of the story get bigger guns!!!

04-03-2010, 09:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
k_21 Regular Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Melb. Gender: Posts: 395	Racism is well and truly alive in Aus. I have to get this off my chest so here goes. I was at the George Michael concert in Melb yesterday with my wife and 4 other close friends. All is good until I was talking to one of our friends and I get this knock on my leg from the ‘meet head bigot’ sitting in front of me. He proceeds to tell me that “I should speak in English as we are in Aus and not in Mumbai”. So as you can imagine I proceed to tell him to look up the dictionary for the meaning of “democratic & multicultural”. I added few choice words before and after obviously but cannot be repeated here!!! lol.. I have lived in this country for 20yrs and truly that was the FIRST time someone has been so overt about their dislike to ‘migrants’; It’s ppl like this that gives this amazing country a reputation for being ‘racist’!!! It’s quite sad. I encourage everyone on this forum, who I guess is from vastly different backgrounds to stand up if this happens to you. We don’t need these narrow minded, bigots in this great nation!!! OK rant over Devante. P.S. If anyone was wondering apart that the concert was fantastic. "By George he's still got it"!!! LOL...

04-03-2010, 09:59 AM	#2 (permalink)
katie Active Member Join Date: May 2009 Gender: Posts: 1,130	hmmm, interesting post. I was born here but I tend to speak another language at home with my parents (even though they're both fairly fluent English speakers). When I was growing up, my mum always tried to stress the importance of speaking in English when in public, rather than our native tongue, so as not to offend anyone. Good on you for standing up to the guy, I think I would've cowered away and apologised profusely. (Which is what happened the last time I was racially abused, on a bus... apologised so much to the point that I burst into tears) Actually I'm amazed that it's happened to you only once in 20 years, I seem to remember about 4 or 5 incidents when I was growing up (which was quite some time ago)... __________________ Rock climbing since 2005; running and resistance training since May 2009

04-03-2010, 10:25 AM	#4 (permalink)
brendon Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ACT Gender: Posts: 983	ignore the boofhead loser that said that. hes obviously a complete dick anyway and probably has a man crush on george michaels. __________________ Current BW 98kg ,height 5ft 11 : Bench: 130kg x1, Squat: 200kg x1 Deadlift: 240kg x1 Clean: 125kg Overhead: 110kg All lifts 100% raw

04-03-2010, 10:30 AM	#7 (permalink)
Kyle Aaron Active Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Melbourne Gender: Posts: 3,682	I am just stunned that such a racist person was... at a George Michael concert. I mean, I have never met a blatant racist who was not also homophobic.* GM had sex with strange men in public toilets. If you're not offended by that, why would you care if some stranger spoke their language near you... k_21, the usual response to them saying, "speak English, man!" is to say, "My English is better than yours, little man." Because let's face it, the sorts of people saying this are not exactly university grammarians, they're lucky if they can spell their bogan names - Sharyn, Bylinda, Shontall, Shane, etc. * Well, except for the bogan lesbian single mum at my PT school, but she was just crazy. __________________ Recent clients' best results: BW +10kg/-27kg ... BF-11% ... ♀/♂1RM/kg SQ65/145 OHP30/65 DL75/170 "fitness and lifting is just an interest I have. Plain and simple. Some people like music, others like shopping, I like deadlifts." - a client[/SIZE]

04-03-2010, 10:49 AM	#10 (permalink)
TrentZor Active Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: PTC Sydney Gender: Posts: 3,630	I used to cop it all the time before i started training in the teens. Being of viet/chinese descent and born here im as aussie as the next person. Still after i started training and sported big 20 inch guns (im dreaming here LOL) people never said anything to my face. Then again u hear em say "thats a big asian" moral of the story get bigger guns!!! __________________ WWW.PTCSydney.com.au Strength and Conditioning Gym Trent ASCA level 1 Coach - 0421 790 933

04-03-2010, 10:20 AM	#3 (permalink)
apiewithhoboliftingaroma Elite Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sydney Gender: Posts: 890	Racism is ****ed. Older generations - relating to your experience - I can kind of understand. The world over used to be different and it was just the way things were that if you moved to a new country, you assimilated. Spoke the language, ate the food, played the sports etc. But the world is so small these days and people should know better. I must admit, I hate when I'm with people and they speak another language I don't and then interact with that language in front of me, thus excluding me from the conversation - that's just rude and ignorant. But I don't hate people in general speaking in different languages, in fact I like them. The more it is around you the more you can understand.

04-03-2010, 10:30 AM	#6 (permalink)
apiewithhoboliftingaroma Elite Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sydney Gender: Posts: 890	I didn't even realise this was set at a George Michaels show hahahaha, my god, how weird does that make this scenario! I was thinking some Big Day Out going, flag-as-a-cape wearing, I'm-not-racist-but saying drop kick.

04-03-2010, 10:33 AM	#8 (permalink)
apiewithhoboliftingaroma Elite Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sydney Gender: Posts: 890	meh. edit. not worth it.