Apparently...........
This is the article........
ANTHONY Mundine has revealed why he
plans to boycott Australia's national anthem tomorrow - he wants to to
'educate and unite Australians', it has been reported.
After The Daily Telegraph last week revealed his plans to boycott
the anthem at Wednesday's IBF world title clash with Daniel Geale,
Mundine has spoken about his reasons for the protest.
"I don't mean to incite any racism or anything like that," Mundine told Fairfax Media.
"I am just trying to make people aware and educate them because most of them don't know the story.
"The
truth is, that anthem was composed in the 1800s when Aborigines were
considered fauna. From 1901 to 1973 there was a White Australia Policy
to make Australia white, and guess what the theme song of that policy
was - Advance Australia Fair. So what are they really singing, Advance
Australia White.
"I am a guy who has always stood up for what I believe in, and if
people were educated on that and knew the facts they would say 'let's
change it for the better - for all Australians'," Mundine said.
"I
am not trying to divide people, I am trying to unite people. I have got
white brothers, I have got white friends that I grew up with from
school, but I want Australia to recognise the injustices and the wrongs,
and it is an injustice that it still is the anthem.
"I want
something that represents all Australians, not just something that
represents the white Australia, which back in those days was very
racist. There is still racism today but let's try to breed it out and
move forward."
Last Thursday, a curt Mundine arrived at a public training session refusing to talk to media after The Daily Telegraph revealed his plans to boycott the anthem.
However television reporters closed on Mundine following his public sessions to ask if he "denied" the story.
"I got nothing to say, baby," Mundine said.
Asked again if he denied the story, Mundine again replied: "I got nothing to say."
Then asked if he would protest the anthem, Mundine said: "I may, I may not."
The open answer has thrown preparations into a spin, with nobody sure what Mundine plans to do.
Subsequently, nobody is sure what the reaction will be. Already
extra security has been hired to avoid the judges potentially being
abused, as happened during their first fight, but they will now also be
on heightened alarm when the anthem begins.
While Mundine is
aware of the outrage it will cause not only ringside but around
Australia, he is also acutely aware that the fight is being televised
live across Australia and New Zealand and beamed on delay into America
and the United Kingdom.
While its effect as a political statement
will be debatable, he undoubtedly sees it as an opportunity to
underline his role as an Aboriginal activist.
Last October he
kicked off this fight with Geale by raising his concerns and, with the
fight near, is revisiting his political statements about the plight of
Aboriginals.
Mundine's camp believed they had convinced him to
back down from plans to protest the anthem after conversations drifted
back and forth on Wednesday, when Mundine began the day adamant he would
carry through with the protest.
By the end of the day, though, he had begun to waver on his plans and Team Mundine believed he planned to drop the protest. The
to and fro continued last Thursday when Mundine arrived at the public
training session and told the crowd over a microphone to ignore the
newspapers.
"They're trying to sidetrack me, take me off my game because they know they're in trouble," he said.
Yet
by the time he had finished training he was again clearly considering
the protest, leaving everybody unsure what will happen on fight night.
Pay-per-views
figures are expected to reach somewhere between 80,000-100,000 homes
with thousands more watching in pubs and clubs. With American
Kimbo Slice on the undercard, a large pickup is expected overseas,
commanding Mundine an audience of potential millions to make his point. The
threat has lit a fresh fuse ahead of Wednesday's world title fight, the
first time two Aboriginals have fought for a legitimate world title. Geale
refused to be sidetracked, saying: "He has tried every little thing he
can to try to throw me off my game, but no matter what he does it's not
going to throw me off my game."
Mundine trained yesterday in a black T-shirt with an Aboriginal flag printed across the front.
Sadly - This bozo who beats up people for a living is a role model for indigenous youth.
Yes - a role model.
And he comes out with this shite and people listen coz he is Anthony "The Man" Mundine.
Personally - I am so sick of reverse racism that I could vomit. I don't think I need to say anything else except "My Fair Lady" - I believe they were using the word FAIR in the same context as our national anthem - My Beautiful Lady - Advance Australia Beautiful.
Oy vey......
D
xox
4 comments:
I was shaking my head as I was reading your post. The guy has always got something to say about something and I wonder how many people actually take any notice of him these days?
I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was all for the sake of putting his opponent off but I've also always suspected his arse didn't work and therefore he was subsequently prone to flatulence of the mouth.
I am pro indigenous Australia, I am pro generational Australia and I am pro new Australia but whatever the case, I'm sick of people bitching about our anthem. Personally, I love it and on the rare occasions I do sing it, I sing it with pride.
You know that fair is an adjective, well so is gay so perhaps we could change it to "Advance Australia Gay" and then remove the Union Jack from the corner of the flag and replace it with a rainbow? That should give him something new to expel hot air over.
His comments are a touch outré, but they are true. The forced separation of children, government policy to exclude non-whites from immigration and the fact that indigenous people were not constitutional citizens until 1969, Mundine has many legitimate points. I'm not quite sure what parts of his comments constitute "reverse racism".
Scott - where r u from?
I live in London now, but I am from Adelaide (via Sydney). Although my origin shouldn't be important, as what I said is true.
Post a Comment