TOPIC:

I see up to 10 indigenous players in last night's rugby league state of origin refused to sing the national anthem because they take exception to some of the lines in it including "young and free" and "wealth for toil". Apparently they feel because of incarceration rates for young Aboriginal people and the fact only 1 in 10 are financially secure the song isn't appropriate. All I can say is they're entitled to their opinion but when they deliberately bring it into the public domain by going to the press then they should expect counter arguments. I personally think it's nonsense as Aboriginal people are in prison because they offend...not because they're Aboriginal and with all the programmes and tax payers money spent on advancing indigenous causes there's no reason for the bulk of adult indigenous people to be unemployed as the fact remains, most are unemployable. It's only a matter of time before that lunatic Pettitt and the City of Freo jump on board and ban playing the anthem at civic events.

I've never really liked it either.
Perhaps they have a point and it needs changing? It's been around a long time and is old.
And then a question needs asking of what's "fair" about anything in our so called modern society?
After we all wake up in the morning and sing advance australia fair tomorrow, we'll all continue to get scammed and ripped off by big business and governments.
But I can also understand people wanting to keep it because we are a relatively young country since federation took place.

Last night's game just explains the big problems this country still has with racism & dysfunctionality amongst it's human population

The anthem was introduced in 1984 by Hawke to take the place of God Save the Queen. It was voted on by all adult Australians in a plebiscite...do I like it? not particularly but until we get alternatives and we are able to choose something different it should be respected by all.

Southerner wrote: Last night's game just explains the big problems this country still has with racism & dysfunctionality amongst it's human population

What's racist and dysfunctional about a national anthem? We could have the theme song from the Sound of Music and someone would find something to complain about.

westaussieguy wrote: I've never really liked it either.
Perhaps they have a point and it needs changing? It's been around a long time and is old.
And then a question needs asking of what's "fair" about anything in our so called modern society?
After we all wake up in the morning and sing advance australia fair tomorrow, we'll all continue to get scammed and ripped off by big business and governments.
But I can also understand people wanting to keep it because we are a relatively young country since federation took place.

Depends on how one interprets the use of fair in a song.


fair1
/fɛː/

(of hair or complexion) light; blonde.
"a pretty girl with long fair hair"
synonyms: blond(e), yellow, yellowish, golden, flaxen, light, light brown, light-coloured, strawberry blonde, tow-coloured, platinum, ash blonde, bleached, bleached-blonde, sun-bleached, peroxide, bottle-blonde; fair-haired, light-haired, golden-haired, flaxen-haired, tow-headed
"she had fair curling hair"
pale, light, light-coloured, white, cream-coloured, creamy, peaches and cream;
light-skinned, fair-skinned
"Belinda's skin was very fair"

My interpretation is that the term "fair" relates to beauty such as a "fair" maiden remembering the original was written back in the 1800s.

It's taken a long while for people to "notice" this boycott.
Just watch the anthem at ALL AFL games.
Been going on for years.

One suggestion has been to tinker with some of the wording such as "strong and free" instead of "young and free" as apparently the young bit doesn't recognise the 80,000 years or so the first inhabitants have been here for...I don't have a problem with that personally but don't think it's going to change anything.

Why is it racist or dysfunctional to have differing opinion or sense of values to each other individually or group.

Personally I don't like it due it not representing ALL Australians whether by birth, heritage or even birthright.

One thing that does annoy me is the need to continually have arguments with 3% of the population abt what is right and wrong for them, it is abt the whole not the individual parts!