One-way radio plays by its own rules by David Marr.
David Marr is one of the few journalists I really do admire, and I'm glad that he's been the one to point out what people like Allan Jones have been doing and saying on their radio programs.
Individuals like Allan Jones, John Laws and Stan Zemaneck (or however it is that his name is spelled) are an embarrassment to Australia. Anyone who's different, anyone who thinks things through reasonably, anyone who isn't part of the all-Australian stereotype comes in for a bashing on their programs. Not only is it stupid and narrow-minded, it's also divisive.
Yes, there *are* problems with gangs in Sydney. But that isn't an excuse to encourage people to attack others. Really it should be a time to call for people to work together to find solutions, think about working with the laws that we have more, enforcing tougher sentences for gang-related crimes, encouraging understanding and tolerance of other cultures and working to dismiss these stupid stereotypes that seem to have been building up for years that relate to Arabic people or immigrants in general.
We also need to look at the ways in which this stereotyping is alienating people in our communities and creating ignorance in others.
I think it's stupid that people are blaming Islam for the problems that Lebanese young people in gangs are having. The majority of Lebanese people in Australia are Christian anyway. A lot of their gang issues stem from a lack of education (usually dropping out of school early) and the subsequent problems with getting jobs because of this. The majority of those involved in gang stuff are apparently not practicing Muslims, anyway.
This comment was made on the Sydney Morning Herald by a Lebanese man: The Lebanese community must tackle the issue of angry young men, with little respect for authority, little appreciation for education, and an overall very poor global intellectual capacity.
These articles are also quite good:
Name-calling casts wide, unjustified net by Nadia Jamal
Where the 'other' fears to tread by Clifton Evers
Yobs dishonour all the Anzacs fought for (letters)
4 comments:
David Marr just won another fan!
My driving instructor listens to Alan Jones and now I understand where he gets those attitudes towards Muslims and Lebanese.
Goodness me, one wonders why people like Alan Jones are even given air time.
And even more shocking is the fact that there are so many people out there who support his point of view.
*sigh*
David Marr is definitely a good journo :) I like his pieces because they're balanced and make a good investigation into things, they're not just something fired off in a moment.
Mmm-hmm, the right-wing people love Alan Jones and Alan Jones loves the right-wing people. He makes efforts to seem tolerant at times, but mostly comes across as an ignorant old goat.
Don't know why they get air time, honestly. But then I guess everyone should be able to express opinions... still, there needs to be a balance, which I think is lacking in talk-back radio world. Probably because no-one with normal, non-extreme views on the world would ever bother to listen to Alan Jones and Co!
I nearly had a coronary while reading that article... methinks Jones should be prosecuted under sedition laws, would be somewhat ironic...
or at least, as someone pointed out to me this morning - prosecuted under anti-stupidity laws.
Jones really should have someone to answer to with it, but I don't think he ever will - the right wing radio w@nkers always seem to get away with everything (just like old Golden Tonsils who's defamed pretty much everyone from here to Broome).
Still, there's the media freedoms and whatnot... but there is a difference between reporting on something and saying, "Get along on Sunday and take part."
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