Imaginary Spear Outrages Australia. Slap On The Wrist For Hit And Run Death Of Black Child Doesn't

The outrage about the invisible spear throwing/war dances of these players makes no sense to me at all.  Why can't we be like the Kiwis and embrace our indigenous culture into our sporting life?  Everyone loves the Haka. 

Personally I hate the Haka, but each to their own, 

I have posted this elsewhere as well but for what it’s worth (and I don’t expect everyone to agree), I have booed the following players for years at every game they played against the Bombers:
Carey
Koutoufides
Buckley
Ricciuto
Tredrea

Goodes – since about 2002
Stevie J – circa 2007/08

Hodge & Lewis (I have a special dislike of the Hawks) – since 2008

Why???? well because they rubbed me up the wrong way at some point with their conduct on the field, (nothing to do with their off field actions, for example I actually really like Carey’s view of the game now) but in my eyes they all have an arrogance on field that I didn’t / don’t like, they all played marginally within the rules of the game constantly pushing the boundaries of fair play (in my opinion) and finally they are all happy when its going their way but whinge when it’s not.

I will continue to boo all these players (given the Bombers don’t play the Swans again it won’t be against Adam and I am sure that over time I will add more new players to that list (I already have my eye on a couple), also if it gets under the oppositions skin I think I will be more inclined to continue (it adds enjoyment to my game day).

I hope that makes sense, they are all probably great blokes but I like to have a villain to hate when I am at the footy. 

White supremacist ideas are still very strong in a small redneck section of the population. It is not a defining characteristic of our people but it will grow while we have political opportunists like Abbott in a leadershio role. Under Howard and the Pauline Hanson hysteria, verbal and physical assaults on non-Anglo immigrants mounted. When these morons are made feel that their ideas are acceptable to the leaders they admire, they feel mightily empowered. The Reclaim Australia rallies by white supremacists and their stooges are a case in point.

Remember that racist murder was acceptable within living memory.

As late as 1929 there were reports of the murders of indigenous Australians in the outback by white pastoralists and their henchmen. The Federal Board of Inquiry constituted to inquire into several such shootings in 1929, consisted of a police magistrate, a police inspector and the Government resident of the district. No independent person was appointed despite demands from some churches. No lawyer was allowed to appear on behalf of the indigenous people. The Board relied heavily upon the word of  “reputable settlers” who were present at the shootings and had apparently take part, one admitting he had fired eight or nine times at the Aborigines. The Australian Board of Missions, a church body, in a resolution sent to the Prime Minister Mr Bruce, expressed its dissatisfaction with both the composition of the Board and its findings. “Among the causes given for the dissatisfaction of the aborigines there had been no reference to injustice and wrongdoing on the part of any whites.” Indeed one of the causes of dissatisfaction, according to the Board of Inquiry was “unattached missionaries wandering from place to place, having no knowledge of blacks and their customs and teaching a doctrine of equality.”   This was the only wrongdoing of whites that came up.

All of our neighbouring countries are aware of this history even if we are not. Incidents like this reported by Amy are not ignored. We have to do much more to defeat these poisonous ideas and the political philosophies which nurture them.

This is an excellent article, Amy. I was appalled to read how the victim's family were treated in court.

In the NT, a white man is sentenced to 6 months home detention and a $2,000 fine for a fatal hit and run.

Meanwhile, how many Aboriginal Australians are locked up in NT prisons for drive unlicensed or unpaid fines?

And this is what NT Attorney General Elferink calls a "just" legal system that "works well".

Isn't it interesting that some posting chose to focus on the booing issue rather than the issue of the loss of life of a young child and the grossly inadequate sentencing handed down to this young man.  Every person Indigenous or non-Indigenous should be appalled at this decision which legally is supposed to relate to the extent of the offence committed.  I too would have yelled in the court if there was no feeling of understanding of the unbearable grief being experienced by the Sultan Page family. As for the comments by this judge, they are simply disgraceful and a sorry indictment on the judicial practices in the NT.  This decision needs to be reviewed by the DPP in the Northern Territory immediately - does anyone know if this is indeed happening?  Thank you Amy for this article, as it certainly puts into perspective the lack of media coverage for such an important issue.  That is not to say the other issue raised in your article is unimportant, but seriously the mainstream media once again prove their gross inadequacy to provide the public with coverage on an issue as important as the hit and run death of a child and the grossly insubstantial sentencing received by this man.

Thanks for this, Amy. I live in Darwin but rarely read or watch the news because it's 99% BS. Lucky I read NM.

Just a small but significant typo, though - the offender's name is Matthew Alexander. Perhaps you got mixed up with Jack's father Michael.

The sentencing remarks can be found here - http://www.supremecourt.nt.gov.au/remarks/2015/07/Alexander-%20final.pdf

I found it disturbing that the offender was under the influence of meth (had it that morning), but the judge said "It is accepted however, by the Crown that the offender’s driving in no way contributed to the tragic accident which resulted in the death of the victim"

Maybe I mis-read, but that just doesn't make any sense to me..

The infuriating thing about this sentence, is that it doesn't surprise or shock me, anymore. It's what I have come to expect when the death of someone is caused by a vehicle operator, on our roads.

It is within the normal parameters of of sentences handed down for cowards run, causing death, in Australia.

Footie players throwing imaginary Spears generate media space, than the appallingly lenient sentences given for cowards run on our roads

I was in Katherine about 15 yrs ago and hitchiking back to WA, this guy picked me up and offered me a place to stay and a weeks work. They were a kind family and took me in and I would even describe them as 'alternative' in a way. After being there a while we were sitting around the dinner table and they began to talk about things - and then revealed that their son was doing time - a relatively short sentence for manslaughter. His son and two mates had kicked to death an Aboriginal man for late night entertainment - and I could tell by the way the father spoke that there was a racism inside of him that had contributed to what had happened. Racism in these areas is pretty much across the board, systemic. This guys son should have been on a murder charge, not manslaughter. You don't accidently kick someone to death while they are unconscious on the ground.

In WA we recently had a Warburton elder cooked to death in the back of a prison transport van while on transfer to Kalgoorlie - nothing happened to the drivers - they even tried to cover elements of the crime up when they scrapped some of the cooked flesh off one of the metal seats - this from staff hired by the government - thats altering evidence, obstruction of justice - they didn't even check to see if the guy was OK, that should mean the maximum manslaughter charge. Its not only overt racism but also littles bits of innocous bias occurring at every level of the legal food chain and guess what, when an Aboriginal man commits the crime it can often all flow in the other direction. All police, public officers and contractors need to have the capacity for empathy for Aboriginal people in certain communities and advanced training in related areas to balance the cultural bias. It would make a huge difference - our police force and public servants have some elements of the racism described in the article, when its a football it doesn't matter much, when its a magistrate, judge or police officer...it changes lives and society - no matter how much 'Closing the Gap' takes place, if you have racists determining what happens to Aboriginal people you are missing a big part of the problem.

To change the context a bit what if Adam Goodes was a golfer or a tennis player and was playing in the Australian Open. Anyone booing if he was lining up a putt or winding up for a serve would be kicked out on the spot. Doesn't that say something about AFL - as someone said, they could stop the game until the booing stops. That would at least be a start. 

If this was a boy from Mosman the perpetrator would probably be serving 10 years. It's not right.

While this is obviously a far more important event than the booing of Adam Goodes, I think the injustice of it comes from the same place. A society that found it unacceptable to boo football players for racist reasons would also seek justice for a young boy recklessly knocked down and left to die, regardless of his cultural background or the wealth and influence of his family. It's easy to miss news such as Jack's death (I haven't seen it reported elsewhere) or the multitude of injustices that occur due to racism in Australia that don't receive broad media attention. It's harder to ignore events that occur in front of cameras and tens of thousands of observers which are subsequently broadcast to millions more. I'm hoping that for that reason, what has been happening to Adam Goodes might be a catalyst for more fundamental change. Maybe that's naive, but something's got to give. 

Amy I don't think for a moment that racism, particularly against Aboriginals, is not rife in Australia. Of course it is and no one can seriously deny it BUT

I read the sentencing remarks and it is clear from the evidence that the offender was not responsible for the child's death but he was responsible for the cowardly leaving of the scene and he was sentenced for that.

The remarks did not describe the circumstances of the accident but there is no reason to believe the court would have not issued a far more aggressive punishment if he had been charged with and found guilty of being the primary cause of the death.

Reading the evidence backs up this view as there was no damage to the front of the vehicle, only where the child slammed into the side of the car, damage which the offender disgracefully tried to hide.

We employ judges to judge and we have an appeals system to check on their performance. From the evidence I cannot see how the judge could have punished the offender for more than that with which he was charged.

There is no evidence to suggest that the colour of the boy affected the judge's performance and I guess an appeal, if there is one, will arrive at the truth.

In the meantime, it is careless to assume you know better, however none of the above should be taken as endorsement for racist views, which are just as abhorent to me as they are to you.

The sentencing remarks can be found here - http://www.supremecourt.nt.gov.au/remarks/2015/07/Alexander-%20final.pdf I found it disturbing that the offender was under the influence of meth (had it that morning), but the judge said "It is accepted however, by the Crown that the offender’s driving in no way contributed to the tragic accident which resulted in the death of the victim" Maybe I mis-read, but that just doesn't make any sense to me..

I think it means that "the Crown" has accepted that the collision could not have been prevented by any driver, regardless of sobriety, speed or skill level. That could occur fairly easily - at 50km/h a car will take at least 35m to stop, from where it is when the driver first sees a problem. I don't know who would have made the decision that the collision that killed Jack Sultan Page was one of these 'unavoidable' accidents - maybe the DPP?

Amy,you must have the read comments pointing out that the offender was not charged with responsibility for the death of the child. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and sentenced, presumably appropriately, for the offence.

It is of no consequence who was driving, it was an accident and the driver's blood content of substances was not a contributing factor. It could just have easily have been an aboriginal elder driving for all the difference it would have made to the unfortunate death.

Your ranting about racim is just plain wrong and it would show some maturity if you accepted that you went off half-cocked and apologize to the judge while you are at it for the strong inference that he/she is racist.

If you are going to act as a journalist you should attend to lesson 101, check the facts before you race off to print your opinion. You may have written some fine pieces but this is not one of them.

Vale Jack Sultan Page. Thanks for your astute, clear observations and analysis of our racist society.

There are parallels between the collective acts of footy crowds and those of lynch mobs. Some participants may gladly hang Adam for being an uppity black, given half a chance, while others would spectate.

The murderous genocide, dispossession and incarceration of indigenous people seem embedded in our collective unconscious, to be acted out in the nastiest and most menacing ways. The limp finger wagging of media dupes will not fix this canker.

Some well-known commentators may also try to mask their own jealousy and hatred, bringing the Tall Poppy Syndrome into play. It must piss them off hugely that Adam's impeccable record and just rewards are not their own.

Amy was also with Waleed Aly on ABC RN. Listen by all means. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/theminefield/racism3a-do-intentions-really-matter3f/6656986

So Amy, you believe the judge is a racist because you believe he or she would not have made the remarks to a white woman. No evidence to support it of course, just your expert opinion about what a judge may have said to another person under the same circumstances. That’s enough to make him a racist is it? Fuzzy logic.

You acknowledge you knew the offender, a 17 year old kid, did not kill the child but went on to link his cowardly leaving of the scene to the fact the child was black. What?

Your reply included ‘By Australia’s apathy he is still treated as less than human’. Putting aside for a moment your sentence makes no sense in its own right, how is the actions of the person you describe as a ‘man’ (at 17 barely older than the child that died) tied to the attitude of ‘Australia’? More fuzzy logic.

I note that now you are no longer calling his sentence for leaving the scene ‘a slap on the wrist’. I suspect this may be because you had not read the sentencing remarks before writing your article.

No one seriously doubts your assertions that racism exists in Australia but manufacturing examples out of nothing does not help your cause. In fact it harms your cause when we read dishonest reporting.

Many people like me do not see racism every day but we still absolutely hate it when it does show itself. You on the other hand are highly sensitised to it and see it in every shadow. This is understandable but it does not give you the right to manufacture racism where there is none in evidence, nor to call a judge a racist because of your interpretation of a news report.

Your stubborn refusal to countenance an apology by citing an ABC news item is school-girl petulance. Amy you don’t need to write another article to explain your point, you’re already shown me very clearly what you are about. It is an unhappy situation that your point is not more about solving a problem than wallowing in self-pity.

Great article Ms.McQuire couldn't agree with you more. I'd like to add further, that its also astonishing how indie media and aboriginal media and journalist, academics, historians, and civil rights leader both white and aboriginal can champion land rights, dismantling the caste system, and complain about the gross ignorance of their fellow countryman and woman and want to celebrate aboriginal history and commemorate their history of dispossession, and trail of tears yet none of them are speaking out against the closure of the Dumbartung Aboriginal Corporation/Kyana Gallery in Perth. With the exception of The Stringer's Gerry Georgatos, and one interview on Indymedia Perth, one or two blog posts, and 98.9 FM, there hasn't been much passionate public outcry, civil disobiediance, people constantly posting the petition to Save Dumbartung which I spent a whole year doing online activism which luckily succeeded but now their's a crowdfunding effort the CEO Robert Eggington is doing since their healing centers and museum and memorial rooms have been closed and their operations halted and quarantined. So I beg everyone and plead mercilessly to New Matilda as well as Green Left Weekly, NITV, SBS Living Black, Koori Mail, Henry Reynolds, Gary Foley, Rosalie Konth Monks to help and get people You can make a donation to Dumbartung at https://www.patreon.com/dumbartung?ty=h and for those who've seen Utopia and are familiar with John Pilger's other documentaries the shed a huge light on the mistreatment of aboriginal people please help Robert Eggington and aboriginal people by doing the following. Dumbartung a memorial/historical/cultural/and healing center is still under threat of closing down despite records signing the petition to save it. Support Dumbartung by contacting the Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion for funding from the extended introduced IAS funding offers at PO Box 6100 Senate Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600. Telephone 02 6277 7780 Fax 02 6273 7096 or e mail senator.scullion@aph.gov.au this is an urgent request and a way support can be shown! one of the few grassroots aboriginal healing centers to help people cope with suicide and the apartheid that causes it as well as celebrating aboriginal culture and teaching people the true history of Australia. you can contact the ILC The Indigenous Land Council or Indigenous Land Corporation directly to express your concern not to close Dumbartung down. ilcinfo@ilc.gov.au help the Nyoogah people and all aboriginal communities by helping Dumbartung/Kyana stay conserved and not have its operations halt over a stupid rental agreement you can contact the ILC by phone at the following numbers ILC Public Affairs Branch – 08 8100 7100 and Free Call: 1800 818 490 You can make a donation to Dumbartung at https://www.patreon.com/dumbartung?ty=h and for those who've seen Utopia and are familiar with John Pilger's other documentaries the shed a huge light on the mistreatment of aboriginal people please help Robert Eggington and aboriginal people by doing the following. Dumbartung a memorial/historical/cultural/and healing center is still under threat of closing down despite records signing the petition to save it. Support Dumbartung by contacting the Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion for funding from the extended introduced IAS funding offers at PO Box 6100 Senate Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600. Telephone 02 6277 7780 Fax 02 6273 7096 or e mail senator.scullion@aph.gov.au this is an urgent request and a way support can be shown! one of the few grassroots aboriginal healing centers to help people cope with suicide and the apartheid that causes it as well as celebrating aboriginal culture and teaching people the true history of Australia. you can contact the ILC The Indigenous Land Council or Indigenous Land Corporation directly to express your concern not to close Dumbartung down. ilcinfo@ilc.gov.au help the aboriginal people by helping Dumbartung/Kyana stay conserved and not have its operations halt over a stupid rental agreement you can contact the ILC by phone at the following numbers ILC Public Affairs Branch – 08 8100 7100 and Free Call: 1800 818 490

PETITION at change.org: Public Prosecutor Jack Karczewski - appeal this ridiculously light sentence for killing a child!

https://www.change.org/p/justiceforliljack-public-prosecutor-jack-karczewski-public-prosecutor-jack-karczewski-appeal-this-ridiculously-light-sentence-for-killing-a-child