Since when has flying the Australian flag been a sign of disrespect for ones country? I find it amusing when universities publish “research” that is dubious in nature. It makes me wonder why research as shoddily obtained as this would even be needed. Apparently researchers at Curtain University have concluded that people who have Australian flags on their car are apparently more racist that people who don’t have an Australian flag. What a load of nonsense!
Thanks to a miniscule 513 people in the sample group, it has been determined that the majority of the population is more racist if we have an Australian flag, because those surveyed believed Australia had less problems under the now defunct “White Australia Policy” than today. This has to be one of the most preposterous findings I’ve ever heard. Not being an “academic” I would have thought more qualified research would have been required before conclusions like this could be entertained by an establishment such as this.
As an Australian I’m personally sick and tired of the politically correct brigade calling Australians “racist” because they have an Australian flag or for whatever other reason appears popular at the time just because they want to pander to some minority group. Now I don’t have an Australian flag on my car, at my house, or even wear Aussie flag undies, but if it’s racist to love your country, than call me a racist.
Here in Australia we’ve always had certain freedoms to say what we think or how we feel without persecution. In fact you’ll find that this is the main reason many refugees come to our country also. But herein lies the problem. While refugees come to this country for freedom, in turn our freedoms are being threatened due to the fear of offense we might cause to these refugees and in turn these divisions grow and cultures clash due to modern immigrants not wanting to assimilate into the culture they now live in.
Whatever peoples modern thoughts are on the “White Australia Policy”, history shows that it worked. There was much less cultural conflict between ethic groups such as the Italians and Greeks during the 50′s, 60′s 70′s than there are now, because they did want to fit in with the Australian way of life as best they could and in turn, they introduced us to some wonderful parts of their culture as well.
Today though things are much different, with newer ethnic groups not wanting the assimilate into the Australian way of life, it creates a divide between all parties that is only going to grow deeper thanks to “research” like this. If its racist to think that people should adapt the Australian values when living in Australia, then I must be racist, but I’m sure there are many millions of others who must be racists too.
