Mark Latham proposes we test the DNA of those claiming Indigenous Blood.
This is meant to IMPLY Indigenous Australians enjoy privileges over and above those enjoyed by the non-Indigenous majority, though nothing could be further from the truth. Funny how genetic testing was never required when taking stuff from Indigenous Peoples in the first place, like land, way of life, children and – let’s face it – lives, in fact.
This is just blatant race-bait electioneering which, sadly, will probably be rewarded. Let us add this tool and his proposal to Australia’s growing shame file.
Okay, point 1
the human genome project is not yet complete and is inadequate, and won’t correctly identify the true genetic ancestry of many of those tested at all.
Point 2
cultural identity in this country is not based on DNA. To change this basis of identification would involve some sort of retrospective legislation – a dangerous thing for any nation to play with.
I am a white, anglo-celtic Australian – although only 6% Irish genetically, I was raised 100% Irish Catholic. Does this make me some kind of con merchant? Can anyone presume to dictate or know another person’s cultural identity based on appearance or bloodlines?
Point 3
race is a social construct, not a biological one. It is a real construct, but not necessarily a moral one. The whole point of race always has been and probably always will be to assess a person’s socioeconomic and political class.
As for the notion Indigenous Australians are somehow privileged – I beg to differ: Karma is rarely instant but it is on its way.
Here’s something that should concern any white citizen of Australia.
Section 51 of our constitution is a shameful pox on our history.
Seriously. I am not just taking the piss now, I really want to know - in how many other countries on earth is there a constitutional provision giving the government the right to make laws with respect to:
"The people of any race
for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws".
Every time someone tells me the government gives a free Rolls Royce and other special treatment to Indigenous Australians I wonder in what fucking sane universe they imagine everyone who is Indigenous even ticks the box on forms? I know one shire where I used to have some workmates who were Indigenous yet the Census figures said there were none in the area at all. Obama granted amnesty to some “illegal immigrants” in America, for example, and his successor is using the list of those who registered to round them up and deport them.
Latham’s proposal is a good example of why, given S51 of the Constitution, we should all be afraid. The Constitution does refer to “any race”.
Yes, there have been and sometimes still are one or two schemes that did not apply to whitefellas.
The earliest of these focused on rounding Indigenous People up and murdering or torturing them. In more recent times, some of them were kinder schemes or even favoured Indigenous People.
There have been and sometimes still are one or two schemes that do not apply to blackfellas, such as when rich private schools get money to build things like auditoriums or pools. Just a few years ago this happened in my old electorate while the local public schools - also attended mostly by whites - only got a tied grant to fix their toilets. Okay, the grants were not made using the race powers of our constitution, but it's not hard to look at the colour of the students as they walk through the gates. Financial favouritism always has been and always will be practised by politicians - it's how they buy votes or feather their own nests.
Should we blame the rich white schoolkids who attend classy schools? Should we vilify them simply because some politician chose to favour them? Assault them? Hate them for these policies?
Just look at Latham's face in the photo above - he seems inordinately proud of how pissed off he appears.
This would just be more "special treatment" using a Constitution that would have made Hitler dance.
Often today, though not always, benefits paid to Indigenous and white people are the same but simply have different names - this is usually an accounting thing with some government advertising thrown in. "Aren't we wonderful we paid income to Indigenous People and can claim we are trying to close the gap".
To our shame, there are also negative programs deliberately aimed at Indigenous Australians. There are also "non-racist" government programs aimed at "all" Australians that are only ever tested in areas where huge numbers of Indigenous people rely on benefits, like the Indue Card program. And "tested" repeatedly.
We have such a deficiency of provisions in our constitution for anything that matters, but s51(xxvi) this gobsmackingly blatant piece of racist engineering, survives! It could be used for good...
In Australia our Systemic Racism is sometimes subtle but if we look it's not really hidden or hard to find - for starters our Systemic Racism is right there in black and white in our Constitution and laws as much as in the outcomes these laws deliver. What is most telling is that most of us can't see what is under our noses or don't care enough to look.
But the whole of Section 51 of our Constitution is not just about making laws with respect to Indigenous Australians - this section is so bad on so many levels it's hard to know where to begin - it certainly gives an enormous amount of power to a handful of undemocratically elected people who rarely do anything to inspire trust.
What checks and balances? "Tradition" you say? Excuse me while I go to the bathroom so you won't notice I just PMSL.
--oo0oo--
(This is an edited version of a larger post on my other blog, where I discuss what systemic racism is and what we need to do to fix it.
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