“MOST RESPECTFULLY”…
June 15, 2020
Dear Editor,
I have long objected to 2016 Australian of the Year David Morrison’s inference that there’s entrenched racism in Australia! So, as a bloke who has had more to do than most (but not as much as some) with Aboriginal people(s) for some 70 years, supporting them in many ways, including employment, plus, contributing/arranging funding for Carlton’s great Aboriginal Aussie Rules footy star Syd Jackson’s motor transport for his Indigenous Kids’ Aussie Rules Foundation, I’m well and truly irked by continued protests by “Aborigines” each Australia Day, which is not “Invasion Day” (in fact: should be considered “Salvation Day” by Aborigines)!
In 2015 as I walked through Melbourne’s King’s Domain on the way to the Shrine of Remembrance for the Annual Commemoration of The Battle of The Coral Sea, I stopped (just for 30 seconds or so) on the edge of a roped-off area in which Aborigines were protesting against wicked white-fellas. Suddenly, a great “warrior” (more white-fella than black-fella) rose up, and with a physically threatening manner, most profanely abused me! He was then joined by a “sista” (blotto out of her mind) who did the same! All this, though I’d never uttered a word and had been most respectful in my manner.
Piqued, I then addressed this question to them: “You’re just up the road from the Alfred Hospital. Now, if one of you suddenly goes down with a burst appendix, would you bother to call the white-fella’s ambulance or just dance around, chanting your mob’s healing spells over the poor bugger dying in agony? And if you did call an ambulance, just which doctor would you direct the ambulance to…the Alfred’s best emergency doctor or your mob’s best witch doctor?” (Perhaps David Morrison could ask what the answer was? Because I didn’t wait for an answer; I just ran like crazy!)
Yours,
Howard Hutchins
Victoria, Australia