Total Rantage
Feb. 17th, 2008 02:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
heystasa One of the problems with working, I think, is that it is generally frowned upon to be rude to, or to punch, customers. Which is a shame.
Last week the government finally apologised to the stolen generations. That is a fantastic thing, something that meant so much to so many people. Indigenous Australia deserves something good to try to even out some of the bad done since colonisation, and there are still so many suffering from the irreparable displacement and destruction that child removal policies brought. It was a truly beautiful and moving thing to see just how deep the power of an apology goes, to see people that had been through something so unfathomably upsetting, so happy.
But there are always people who don't see that.
Last week the government finally apologised to the stolen generations. That is a fantastic thing, something that meant so much to so many people. Indigenous Australia deserves something good to try to even out some of the bad done since colonisation, and there are still so many suffering from the irreparable displacement and destruction that child removal policies brought. It was a truly beautiful and moving thing to see just how deep the power of an apology goes, to see people that had been through something so unfathomably upsetting, so happy.
But there are always people who don't see that.
There is one particular customer who I hate having to put up with. An absolute nit, my impatience for whom arose the day he thought I would be interested in his thoughts on World War Two. Apparently, see, Japan only joined WW2 because Hitler threatened them into it. The fact that I had done extensive research and written two separate papers on the subject, and that another customer there at the same time had actually been alive at the time and knew a thing or two about the circumstances was not enough to dissuade him that that was complete rubbish and that Japan had been on the warpath for some considerable time before the start of the WW2. He is an idiot and a bore, who does not listen to sense or reason, and who doesn't seem to understand that an eighteen-year old shop assistant does not want to be talked at for twenty minutes.
So. The day after the apology, the front page of all the newspapers had extensive reports and photos of the event, as you'd expect, and he comes in. I was busy, so didn't hear what bollocks he was going on to the poor other customers about over by the door. But, when they had left and I looked up to serve him, he pointed to the front page of The Australian. The photo on the cover of the only nationwide broadsheet was of an elderly aboriginal woman and Kevin Rudd, the PM, standing closely together, him smiling, her speaking to him, emotion clear on her face. A lovely shot, I thought.
So, this bloke points to the cover of The Australian, and he says "What's with these white people passing themselves off as bloody abos."
I was dumbstruck. I don't think I'd ever heard something so stupid. Not to mention astoundingly ignorant and offensive. So filled was I with things I could say, that I couldn't say anything. Besides, one mustn't be rude to the customers. I did however, give him the filthiest, most disgusted look. It felt good. Didn't even try to hide it. He noticed too, looked a little scared, just brought his cigarettes and left. Ha.
So, people are discriminating against aboriginals for their skin not being black enough now? Not only is he completely oblivious to the importance of the apology, and to the affects child removal had on those taken and on their families and cultures, but he choose the most ridiculous of things to pick at. The woman was most likely of mixed-descent, and IT WAS MIXED-DESCENT CHILDREN THAT THE GOVERNMENT TOOK IN AN ATTEMPT TO BREED THE BLACK OUT OF THEM. Could he possibly have said anything stupider under the circumstances?
The stolen generations were a human rights issue, it goes beyond race-relations. Culture and heratige and history and human rights are not defined by the amount of brown in someone's skin. Also, the derogatory language ("bloody abos" ) was not at all apreciated. There were so many things I wanted to say to him then. And there was an incredible urge to head butt.
Based on previous incidences with him though, I doubt any amount of sense would have made a difference. It's sad, but people like that are often pretty much stuck that way. The poisonous look seemed to have a good effect though. Loved seeing him realise he had said the wrong thing to the wrong person. Maybe if I had punctuated it with a simple "My great-great-grandfather was aboriginal," the effect would have been even better. (Not something I bring up often, or like to cash in on, but oh god, imagine his face.)
So, this bloke points to the cover of The Australian, and he says "What's with these white people passing themselves off as bloody abos."
I was dumbstruck. I don't think I'd ever heard something so stupid. Not to mention astoundingly ignorant and offensive. So filled was I with things I could say, that I couldn't say anything. Besides, one mustn't be rude to the customers. I did however, give him the filthiest, most disgusted look. It felt good. Didn't even try to hide it. He noticed too, looked a little scared, just brought his cigarettes and left. Ha.
So, people are discriminating against aboriginals for their skin not being black enough now? Not only is he completely oblivious to the importance of the apology, and to the affects child removal had on those taken and on their families and cultures, but he choose the most ridiculous of things to pick at. The woman was most likely of mixed-descent, and IT WAS MIXED-DESCENT CHILDREN THAT THE GOVERNMENT TOOK IN AN ATTEMPT TO BREED THE BLACK OUT OF THEM. Could he possibly have said anything stupider under the circumstances?
The stolen generations were a human rights issue, it goes beyond race-relations. Culture and heratige and history and human rights are not defined by the amount of brown in someone's skin. Also, the derogatory language ("bloody abos" ) was not at all apreciated. There were so many things I wanted to say to him then. And there was an incredible urge to head butt.
Based on previous incidences with him though, I doubt any amount of sense would have made a difference. It's sad, but people like that are often pretty much stuck that way. The poisonous look seemed to have a good effect though. Loved seeing him realise he had said the wrong thing to the wrong person. Maybe if I had punctuated it with a simple "My great-great-grandfather was aboriginal," the effect would have been even better. (Not something I bring up often, or like to cash in on, but oh god, imagine his face.)
