Rapper 360 — aka Matt Colwell — is wrong to call racist

 OCTOBER 24, 2014 4:05PM

Hip-hop artist 360, aka Matt Colwell, feels Australia is a racist country. Photo: RICHARD JUPE

I AM sick of being told that both the Australian flag, and the Australian people, are racist. While it might be fashionable in certain circles to criticise our country thus, the truth is very different. Compared with just about anywhere, Australia is one of the most tolerant, diverse and welcoming places on Earth. Those who think otherwise need to travel overseas and have a proper look around.

On last Monday’s Q&A local hip hop artist 360 (aka Matt Colwell) made some predictable criticisms about our country. When asked how Australians were perceived abroad, he said our flag was racist and far too many people wrapped themselves in it while abusing minority groups. After the show he also demonstrated an appalling lack of historical understanding by describing the Australian flag as a “ … sort of swastika symbol in my mind”.

To compare Australia with the Nazi regime suggests either extreme stupidity, wilful naivety or a good measure of both. Under Hitler, Germany began the most destructive war in human history, slaughtered millions in death camps and imposed an extreme racial ideology. And what did Australia do at that time? Like most other free and democratic countries, we fought against German (and Japanese) totalitarianism so it was soundly defeated in 1945. Hardly the actions of a racist state.

In the present day, moody introspection about Australia’s culture and place in the world leads far too many of its citizens to criticise their own nation. If you look hard enough, of course, examples of racism can always be found.

In May last year, for example, Swans star Adam Goodes was called an “ape” by a 13-year-old Collingwood supporter. On its own this undoubtedly was a racist act. But have a look at the response to the insult: The fan in question apologised; both the Collingwood Football Club and the AFL condemned what occurred; and Goodes himself was subsequently made Australian of the Year. No systematic prejudice there.

The Cronulla riots were also trotted out by Mr 360 as an example of ugly Australia. Undoubtedly the violence that took place between groups of Lebanese and Anglo- Saxon Sydneysiders was regrettable. But has it reoccurred since 2005, almost a decade ago? No. Was anyone killed, as routinely happens in racial clashes overseas? Again, no.

For a man who claims to despise racism, some of 360’s lyrics are perplexing. In his 2014 track entitled Sixavelli he proclaims: “Whole world on my shoulders didn’t think that I could balance it. But it’s lighter than you think just like Michael Jackson’s kids.”

Now my memory isn’t what it used to be. But wasn’t my Herald Sun colleague, Andrew Bolt, dragged through our courts under anti-discrimination laws a few years ago for making similar remarks about certain high-profile Aborigines?

Perhaps if Mr 360 were to open his eyes while touring other countries he’d learn what constitutes genuine prejudice. In Malaysia, where he may or may not be allowed to perform, ethnic Malays are given cheaper housing, privileged access to public sector jobs and reserved university places not available to fellow citizens of Chinese ethnicity. In Japan, searches designed to uncover despised Korean ancestry are routinely carried out on prospective brides and grooms.

Far more confronting would be a visit to Rwanda, where tens of thousands of people are missing hands and arms — the result of a vicious ethnic war fought with machetes between Hutus and Tutsis just 20 years ago. And in present day Iraq, the barbaric thugs of the Islamic State enslave young Yazidi women and crucify their menfolk for the heinous crime of not being Muslims. That is real racism.

YET, not all the world is so bad. There are plenty of countries where people separated by ethnicity, religion and skin colour live harmoniously together. Those places are characterised by rule of law, democracy, a free and independent media and the treatment of all citizens as equals. Migrants are generally encouraged to settle and assimilate, while retaining elements of their original culture. There might be an official language, but many different tongues are spoken.

These nations are, of course, the US, Canada, most of Western Europe, the UK, New Zealand and, sorry to disappoint you Mr 360, Australia. Several of them still retain the allegedly swastika-like Union Jack on their flags, which raises the obvious question: Why do so many migrants bust down the door to get into such countries if they’re so terrible?

When we see the Australian flag, we should feel pride, not shame. Not because flag worship is compulsory or even encouraged in our often sceptical culture. Rather, because Australia provides most of its inhabitants with a decent standard of living, free education and good-quality healthcare. It also affords citizens the freedom to say and do pretty much what they want as long as this doesn’t harm others.

It even provides young hip hop artists a public and taxpayer-funded forum from which to bite the hand that feeds them. Would rapper 360 be brave enough to criticise the black-and-white Islamic State flag in front of its fanatical followers?

GREEN CAN ALSO MEAN GRINCH

SUPPORTERS of the Greens sometimes wonder why their party has failed to evolve much beyond a noisy pressure group in Australia.

The answer is simple. Too many Greens have wacky ideas completely out of touch with mainstream society.

And their latest is a genuine cracker: Christmas requires renaming because it’s apparently offensive.

Greens councillor Matthew Robertson, of ’s Woollahra municipality, claims much support from the community in his push to have “Christ” removed from Christmas. He argues that the term “Christmas party” unfairly excludes members of other religions.

What utter nonsense.

If there’s any celebration around the world that embraces all-comers, it’s Christmas.

Children love it because they receive presents from Santa. Adults enjoy a break from work, a big lunch and the chance to let off some steam at a variety of employer- subsidised celebrations. What’s not to like?

Yet to Councillor Robertson, the fact not all Woollahra residents believe in Jesus is a form of prejudice requiring municipal rectification. Yes, neither Muslims nor Jews accept Christ as the son of God. Yet no members of either faith with whom I’ve spoken want to deny Christians the chance to celebrate Jesus’s birth.

As to the majority of people for whom Christmas is no longer really a religious festival, but just a chance to have a good time, why meddle with tradition?

Inventing fictitious reasons for minority groups to take offence seems to have become an unfortunate pastime in Australia.

Too many kindergartens with just one non-Christian child enrolled already say “Happy Holidays” instead of Merry you-know-what.

Shopping centres focus on just Santa in December and bunnies bearing eggs in March/April each year so as to avoid these holidays’ religious origins.

It’s time to draw a line in the sand. If the non-Greens members of Woollahra’s council have any sense, they’ll commit ratepayer funds to a decorated fir tree in a public place accompanied by some sort of Nativity scene.

And the whole shebang should be labelled “Christmas” in big letters just to remove any lingering doubts.

TOM ELLIOTT IS DRIVE TIME HOST ON 3AW WEEKDAYS FROM 3-6PM.