Harry Sheezel who was drafted at #3 by North Melbourne at last week’s AFL National Draft is Jewish. I am also Jewish - I was his team manager at Ajax where he played his junior footy from the age of 7. He’s naturally talented but natural talent isn’t enough to get you drafted that high. He’s worked hard for years, shown dedication and resilience and copped some racist abuse along the way. Last week, he was subjected to plenty of abuse by anonymous racist keyboard warriors on the Age online newspaper (since taken down) to the point where the AFL intervened and brought in its Integrity Department. 

Unfortunately, a further instance of antisemitism occurred on Garry and Tim’s SEN breakfast show last Friday in a segment with regular caller John from Epping in which the caller brought out what is recognized as an antisemitic trope about Jews and money. History teaches us that language such as this has caused enormous pain and damage to innocent people in the past.

AFL greats Garry Lyon and Tim Watson fail to call out anti-Semitism on SEN Breakfast

Our game is rife with racism and intolerance. Just ask Eddie Betts. You can also ask the few Moslem and other minority footballers about what their communities cop from time to time.

 I hope that we get a swift and responsible response from Garry, Tim, John from Epping, SEN and the AFL on this one. 

And please take care with your comments.

Well said - unbelievable that Harry has to face up to this so early in his career. Abhorrent. As an Ajax man you will be familiar with the Rittermans who were at Melbourne High with me - great people.

I knew he'd cop online abuse (and unfunny garbage from John from Epping) once Cal Twomey wrote a good piece on the young fella mid-season, despite best intentions.

Pity everyone isn't talking about his potential as an AFL player, rather than this.

 

I came to Australia in 1949 and I learned to ignore comments like that because I was proud that my parents endured the Holocaust and survived.

We came to Australia with virtually nothing but the shirts on our backs and my father work 2 jobs and my mother worked from our rented flat to put food on the table and pay all the bills puting money aside to buy our first home in 1956.

Jewish people created their own wealth due to hard work and saving their money rather than going to the pub for a drink or the races to bet their wages hoping they could win a fortune.

These are facts todays generation of Jewish boys and girls have the luxury of the great grandparents, grandparents and parents who made sacrifices so they can have a better life than themselves.

So what I say to John from Epping try working and not complaining about others good fortune whether they are Muslim, Jewish or Christian.  

10 minutes ago, durango said:

I came to Australia in 1949 and I learned to ignore comments like that because I was proud that my parents endured the Holocaust and survived.

We came to Australia with virtually nothing but the shirts on our backs and my father work 2 jobs and my mother worked from our rented flat to put food on the table and pay all the bills puting money aside to buy our first home in 1956.

Jewish people created their own wealth due to hard work and saving their money rather than going to the pub for a drink or the races to bet their wages hoping they could win a fortune.

These are facts todays generation of Jewish boys and girls have the luxury of the great grandparents, grandparents and parents who made sacrifices so they can have a better life than themselves.

So what I say to John from Epping try working and not complaining about others good fortune whether they are Muslim, Jewish or Christian.  

You might like to re-think that post.

5 minutes ago, durango said:

I came to Australia in 1949 and I learned to ignore comments like that because I was proud that my parents endured the Holocaust and survived.

We came to Australia with virtually nothing but the shirts on our backs and my father work 2 jobs and my mother worked from our rented flat to put food on the table and pay all the bills puting money aside to buy our first home in 1956.

Jewish people created their own wealth due to hard work and saving their money rather than going to the pub for a drink or the races to bet their wages hoping they could win a fortune.

These are facts todays generation of Jewish boys and girls have the luxury of the great grandparents, grandparents and parents who made sacrifices so they can have a better life than themselves.

So what I say to John from Epping try working and not complaining about others good fortune whether they are Muslim, Jewish or Christian.  

Well said, Durango. Racial prejudice is unfortunately just one aspect of human nature. No amount of common sense or education will ever change people who are prejudiced, mainly because it has been drummed into them since they became conscious. Stupid people like John from Epping should be ignored and, in the end, neither Lyon or Watson will ever change the warped minds of the Johns. I've also learnt that arguing with prejudiced people is futile, as is attempting to get them to see the light. Remember, that until Copernicus came along, the Western world believed the earth is flat. Some of them still do. ( I also suffered racial prejudice at school, and I remember my father answering a question from one of his Aussie Co-workers thus: How come you new Australians can afford a house when you've only been in this country two years? My father answered, Because I know the difference between a bank and a pub. Our first home was built by a Jewish builder in 1958: he and my dad made a great team.)

3 minutes ago, Monbon said:

Well said, Durango. Racial prejudice is unfortunately just one aspect of human nature. No amount of common sense or education will ever change people who are prejudiced, mainly because it has been drummed into them since they became conscious. Stupid people like John from Epping should be ignored and, in the end, neither Lyon or Watson will ever change the warped minds of the Johns. I've also learnt that arguing with prejudiced people is futile, as is attempting to get them to see the light. Remember, that until Copernicus came along, the Western world believed the earth is flat. Some of them still do. ( I also suffered racial prejudice at school, and I remember my father answering a question from one of his Aussie Co-workers thus: How come you new Australians can afford a house when you've only been in this country two years? My father answered, Because I know the difference between a bank and a pub. Our first home was built by a Jewish builder in 1958: he and my dad made a great team.)

Can you not see the hypocrisy in this ?

1 minute ago, Bystander said:

Can you not see the hypocrisy in this ?

No. Please enlighten me...I mean that in a friendly way.

 

Edited December 6, 20222 yr by Monbon

John from Epping is an [censored].

Lyons perhaps could have been more forceful.

But no need to stereotype "Aussies" as beer swilling wastrels. Generally very fair people who have done quite a bit over the past 250 years.

I'm over and out.

16 minutes ago, Monbon said:

No. Please enlighten me...I mean that in a friendly way.

 

I think I can see what Bystander is getting at but I will wait for his reply to your post before commenting further.

8 minutes ago, Bystander said:

John from Epping is an [censored].

Lyons perhaps could have been more forceful.

But no need to stereotype "Aussies" as beer swilling wastrels. Generally very fair people who have done quite a bit over the past 250 years.

I'm over and out.

Your comments could also be called into question as well but that’s not the point.

I listen in to SEN from time to time and I’ve found the segment with John from Epping rather cringeworthy. Let’s face it - the two comperes get regular laughs out of John’s broad Italian accent and even if it were funny the first time, it isn’t now. Ironically, John’s obvious Italian attributes make him the butt of laughs. 

I would have hoped that we, as a society had grown up but we obviously have a lot to learn.

Bit harsh to single out Garry and almost imply he is complicit with the racist remarks. I don’t see the role of a radio person to be the moral police for every moron that calls in. 
 

should he have said something. Yeah I reckon but the issue here is with the caller 

I take it john from epping made some comments about "jews and money"

I didn't hear it so i'm not sure about the context (nor am i familiar with this caller)

the trope about jewish people and money is also something widely sponsored by jewish comedians and jewish people in general in the context of comedy. So the context of john from eppings' comment would be relevant as to how/if racist it was.

nevertheless i personally  would avoid such comedy unless i was totally sure of my audience

can anyone enlarge on what john from epping actually said?

Edited December 6, 20222 yr by daisycutter

The AFL industry has a diversity problem amongst its broadcasters.

If you’ve been on the wrong end of the stick you know when to say ‘that’s not ok’. If you haven’t been this stuff slides, and people who aren’t smart enough to understand subtext assume that sliding means it’s ok.

Garry should have said something. It’s that’s simple.

10 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Bit harsh to single out Garry and almost imply he is complicit with the racist remarks. I don’t see the role of a radio person to be the moral police for every moron that calls in. 
 

should he have said something. Yeah I reckon but the issue here is with the caller 

The comperes and producers are responsible for what goes out to air and it needed nothing more that for one of the comperes to say that John’s comments were neither acceptable or funny. And being in control throughout means they can comment after the segment as well.

I understand that people have complained to the station and no action to date has been taken. The offending audio was still on their site this morning. Something should be done by the station and by the comperes sooner rather than later..

10 minutes ago, Bystander said:

John from Epping is an [censored].

Lyons perhaps could have been more forceful.

But no need to stereotype "Aussies" as beer swilling wastrels. Generally very fair people who have done quite a bit over the past 250 years.

I'm over and out.

I don't think he was stereotyping 'Aussies' as beer swilling wastrels - just making the point that such people are often in the front line of racists, blaming anyone else for their situation and being jealous of success in any migrant group.  Migrant and refugee families tend to work very hard - that's usually the reason they came here in search of a better life, especially for their kids.   Just after WWII it was possible to become well established here if you worked hard.  

  Sadly, there are many racists who are not beer swilling wastrels.  SEN should act.

52 minutes ago, drysdale demon said:

I think I can see what Bystander is getting at but I will wait for his reply to your post before commenting further.

I think it's all about contexts and of course it's true that there is no need to stereotype Aussies as beer gluggers and no more, but, for example, in my father's context, the question asked of him was a stereotypical Aussie attitude in the area I was brought up in, and if I counted the number of times I was called a reffo and told to go home, if you see what I mean....And, I assure you, to be a 'wog' in the 50's and 60's was no fun, nor was it fun to be among the first boatload of Vietnamese, and it wasn't all that long ago that Mister Dutton was telling Australians that it was unsafe to walk the streets of Melbourne because of African gangs, nor was it all that long ago that Calwell said, 'Two Wongs don't make a white'. 

That's the context...

Whe I first read the article in THE AGE focusing mostly on Harry being Jewish rather than his football talents, I thought here we go.  Not unexpectedly antisemite comments followed. Was it necessary to print that article? He is Australian as well as not the first Australian of Jewish heritage to play the game. Media threw him under a bus as they do with others from non Anglo Christian European cultures. As for Lyon and Tim, they are not the sharpest or fastest wits around and in hindsight they perhaps regret not being on the ball.

Talkback sports radio tends to have a very low bar when it comes to what passes for intellect and humour so this revelation is hardly a surprise. 

Edited December 6, 20222 yr by Rab D Nesbitt
Typo

2 minutes ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

Talkback sports radio tends to have a very low bar when it comes to what passes for intellect and humour so this revelation is hardly a surprise. 

Talkback radio is best described as " a pooling of ignorance".  I cannot listen to it.

When i hear “John from Epping” I turn off the wireless immediately 

Con the Fruiterer was far more intelligent 

41 minutes ago, Monbon said:

nor was it all that long ago that Calwell said, 'Two Wongs don't make a white'. 

That's the context...

And before you go much further with Arthur Calwell you should point out what role he had in immigration, and his sponsorship of WW2 refugees.   His comments need to be explored in the context of the times, your words as quoted, if I remember are not quite right, and not as straight forward as they seem.  There was a speech in parliament, that they came from that had other inferences and again If I remember, were a play on words.

I will concede that the above words have been ascribed to him as such, by both sides of the political fence, and immigration debate, both to denigrate him and to praise him.  And in my opinion neither is fully correct.  But others may disagree.

27 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Talkback radio is best described as " a pooling of ignorance".  I cannot listen to it.

I hear ya BBO. I can actually sense my brain cells dying if it's on in a mate's car. That said someone at SEN hasn't done their jew diligence on this one. 

1 hour ago, Monbon said:

I think it's all about contexts and of course it's true that there is no need to stereotype Aussies as beer gluggers and no more, but, for example, in my father's context, the question asked of him was a stereotypical Aussie attitude in the area I was brought up in, and if I counted the number of times I was called a reffo and told to go home, if you see what I mean....And, I assure you, to be a 'wog' in the 50's and 60's was no fun, nor was it fun to be among the first boatload of Vietnamese, and it wasn't all that long ago that Mister Dutton was telling Australians that it was unsafe to walk the streets of Melbourne because of African gangs, nor was it all that long ago that Calwell said, 'Two Wongs don't make a white'. 

That's the context...

Yes, I thought that is what he is getting at, i do agree with durango's post though.

Unfortunately gambling affects people of all nationalities and having worked with the financial advisors of the Salvation Army from their Melbourne city mission for a number of years assisting problem gamblers I know all the stories only too well. Growing up in the Western suburbs I also know that all the pubs around there were mostly frequently by the one group.

20 minutes ago, 640MD said:

And before you go much further with Arthur Calwell you should point out what role he had in immigration, and his sponsorship of WW2 refugees.   His comments need to be explored in the context of the times, your words as quoted, if I remember are not quite right, and not as straight forward as they seem.  There was a speech in parliament, that they came from that had other inferences and again If I remember, were a play on words.

I will concede that the above words have been ascribed to him as such, by both sides of the political fence, and immigration debate, both to denigrate him and to praise him.  And in my opinion neither is fully correct.  But others may disagree.

Yep: once again, context is everything. And, yes, he was a magnificent advocate for post war immigration, however, the context is called The White Australia Policy, which existed until very recently in our history.