I'va Worn Smith

You've just gotta love this.

Trac expressed what being part of Melbourne means to me and I suspect all of us right now. His emotion was clearly genuine. For years we have copped the jibes, the stereotypes and the piercing jokes. Now it's our turn to give it back. For those who can remember, Norm Smith's mantra was all about team. I feel we have got this back in spades. I just hope we can get there and I think if we can harness that sense of team, we will make it. Right now, lets be proud to be part of the red and blue and despite any differences we may have on, here let's stick fat Together, we are strong.

No you are not. You are appeasing him by engaging in such a fruitless discussion, which is off topic. Stay out or take it off line. Like I said previously, the "debate" between you and Macca has become tedious and is less than edifying.

Correct, I am not. But the essence of indigenous villification cannot be compared to verbally abusing umpires. The perpetuation or tolerance of racism through the agency of the likes of Trump is relevant to this topic. I do not have the power to shut you down. i am just asking that if you and Macca want to debate the relativity of umpire abuse to racism - as is the title of this topic - then have your own debate through personal messaging. It devalues the essence of the importance of racism that you continue to equate the 2 issues.

Then simply send each other personal messages, so that you can both understand, but get it off here. It's becoming tedious now.

As well as the Australian policy, proffered by the late Harold Holt; "All the way with LBJ". Aussie kids died as well, a number of them being conscripts

Abuse of umpires and endemic, systemic and institutional abuse of indigenous people do not warrant comparison. In fact, any comparison is odious.

So true. I was against the war and was 2 years short of being conscripted. Even being against the war, I will always admire those brave men and women who were told by their Government to go. They did not deserve the treatment they received when they came home, even if the war was morally wrong. Politicians, as so often is the way, drove this appalling travesty.

Guys, please get on topic and take your other debate to DM.

Me too. Yet it is now a beautiful country, with beautiful people. Why did so many people die for a cause that was no more than trying to stop imaginary dominoes from falling?

The references to Trump were about his acquiescence to racism. Therefore, the references are relevant to this topic. In terms of the rest of your observations, I wholeheartedly agree.

Then just say no. Nothing more needs to be said on this topic. Your commentary on umpires and nuance are no more than a distraction to the import of the title of this thread. Stick to the topic title please.

As a footnote on Donald Trump. His former Republican colleague, Senator John McCain, was a fighter pilot in the Vietnam war, who was shot down over North Vietnam. He became a prisoner of war and endured incredible pain and torture, culminating with his broken leg being re-set, with not even an aspirin. ( just imagine that) After the Republican Senator passed away from a brain tumour, Trump said this How can anyone defend such a despicable person, regardless of political persuasion?

The fact is that Tuck Frump acquiesced to the white supremacists, when asked to condemn them. Rather he chose to deflect to the perceived left wing movement known as Antifa. His reticence resulted in a female law enforcement officer being fatally wounded. The man is anathema to anything that approaches reasonableness. He became a parody of himself. His words and inaction caused this. Never forget, Black Lives Matter.

It starts with you, me and the rest of us. We simply no longer accept it. I am old enough to remember shows which portrayed white actors and musicians with blackened faces. See Al Jolson. Sweets sold to kids with black faces on the wrappers. The "N" word used as brand names on consumables. Where are they now? Consigned to the dustbin of history. Things evolve and change for the better. We need to be part of that re/evolution. Get with the program son. Stop providing the way out for bigots. There is no place for it anymore, regardless of whether you are white, black, brown or brindle. Only good people can make the change. We should not accept racism as simply being part of the human condition. As we do with the Big Freeze, I would be happy to March to the 'G - when we we can - as a public statement against racism and if my arthritis allows me, I would even take a 'knee'.

I look at my grandchildren with their little mates. Their smiles, as they embrace their friends of various races, creeds and colours, fills my heart with joy. Children's hearts - as has always been the case - are pure and unadulterated, until, as they grow, elders seek to poison their minds with things such as racism. We are not born racist, rather it becomes a manifest of perverted and misguided views, based on innate prejudice and bigotry.

This is a national crisis. These are extraordinary times, which require national leadership. Under the Constitution, the Commonwealth has the power to introduce Laws, in such grave times.

Are not the Feds charged with the responsibility to protect our borders? It is not too far to extrapolate that they could also protect our internal borders. States are not geared to do this and as pointed out, we should not be straining our state police forces to fill this crucial role.

That's precisely my point. Who has relevant jurisdiction over Australia's airports? At every Australian airport there is AFP presence. The AFP falls under the purview of the Commonwealth. Over and above that, this is a once in a lifetime global crisis. As with world wars, I would want my Federal Government to co-ordinate strategies to combat such crises and not leave it to the individual whims of state premiers. To meet the challenges on national basis, we need a uniform approach, operated out of a national 'war' room.

Which is administered by the Federal Government. Is there a common theme occurring here?

To use an analogy. If I travelled overseas, without the appropriate visa to travel to that country, the airline which carried me to that destination would be fined. We have a Commonwealth Department known as the Department of Home Affairs. Under its auspices, Australian Border Force operates. Go figure!!

How is it that 2 women are permitted to board a flight in Sydney, while still infectious and travel to Melbourne? Who should have jurisdiction of our airports across Australia?

Let's stop arguing. Let's try and work together, to STOP racism. Do we at least agree on that?

That's the point. We no longer have 'real' politicians. No leadership, no conviction of principle. Both sides are more worried about the 24 hour news cycle and reactions on social media. Politicians mouth platitudes, which deplore racism, yet at the same time, they proffer policies which appease the xenophobes. Unless, we, as the great 'unwashed', drive change,the politicians and the political machine, will not heed, nor listen. Change will only come from us - the citizenry. If we have the will to drive it. Racism is intrinsic and those who remain silent give it currency. As CBF said in an earlier post, we no longer have bipartisanship and until such time as we do, the political machine will cause little change, if any, in this area. At the risk of sounding like an old hippy, it was 'people power' which changed the then popular opinion on the Vietnam war, which killed millions; not the politicians or their apparatchiks.

Really? Really!!!!!!