PM unable to say sorry or racist.

December 13th, 2005

"But I’m not going to put a general tag [of] racism on the Australian community, I do not accept that there is underlying racism in this country." – John HoWARd.

Really. Even in the wake of one NATION‘s  popularity. The findings of the Palmer report. The hatred of middle-easterners. Issa’s harrowing experience where the mob accused him of having a bomb.

As someone who is other (although born here), has antecedents who are other, lives with people who are a different other – I disagree.

This event has shattered Australia’s idyll. I now understand my father’s protection (and fear) for us.
I wonder where/if this will end? Or will we always have the fear of this racist violence being just behind the next wave.

and numb 

Image from here   

Update: PM’s avoidant behaviour escalates.   

Suki’s Utilitarian Knitting Service

September 27th, 2005

As a very young girl I was taught to knit by my Oma for the ‘boys on the front’.
I remember wondering why they might need woollen socks and scarves in Vietnam until I understood the finer points of Dementia.

I have recently reclaimed my ability to knit and have made a sock (for an amputee I know) and 3 hot-water bottle polo-neck covers.

SUKS is up and running

Put your orders in for a SUKS original now…

Welcome

September 24th, 2005

Hello and welcome to the new home of suki has an opinion.

This will be fun 
Image from here  

Come on over, we’re having cake

June 6th, 2005

The beautiful baby the world knows as Suki has an opinion was conceived during a particularly fertile I-hate-the-fucking-coalition cycle in mid April 2004.
Once again, I found myself in a room with too many conservatives and felt that something had to be done.

By early June, SHAO was fully formed and on 6 June 2004 a girl was born.
I named her Suki and, my, oh my, is she a handful!

As any proud matriarch would understand, I love my Suki unconditionally and have to share her presence with you all.
So sit back, relax and settle in for the slideshow.

Early on I had trouble with Suki taking things that didn’t belong to her. She would forget to acknowledge sources and take home pictures without asking.
One time a playdate got very upset and changed a ‘stolen’ picture to this one…

Suki has been to paediatric counseling and is now cured of her kleptomania. However, as with any youngster, I am ever vigilant for the inevitable ‘slippage.’

Suki’s most popular post was when she made a picture of Alexander Downer.
His mum doesn’t let him come over anymore since Suki ran him over with her mini chopper.

As with any beautiful baby, Suki had unwanted attention from a very naughty playmate. I had to call security on Marcel White and he has wisely respected a mother’s warning.

I am most proud of this.

Happy first birthday Suki!

Accented English

May 10th, 2005

Absolutely every one of my relatives speaks English with a noticeable accent.
My father jokes that after 50+ years here he still sounds "fresh-off-the-boat."

With the recent revelations of DIMIA policy and process, I tell my family that this is no laughing matter.

The mindset of DIMIA, and by extension Australian society, is clearly to begin from a starting point that anyone ‘other’ = ‘illegal immigrant.’
There seems very little capacity in this government, or in the wider community to accept that accented English or non-anglo features, could begin from a point of Australian and then widen into diversity.

At my work, when anyone with an accent phones, I will be called because I am the only ‘foreigner’ who has family who speak English as a second, third, fourth or fifth language. Therefore, it will be clearly for me or understood by me.
It wouldn’t occur to anyone that my grandmother is in fact an accomplished linguist who speaks two languages fluently and three others conversationally.
No, accented English in my little workplace corner of Australia is a deficit and
a difficulty to be quickly moved onto Suki the foreigner.

In DIMIA, with these new revelations we can see that similar thinking occurs. Foreign is difficult, send it away…

I am so sad and angry that after all this time my beautiful family, and many like us, are still made to feel other, inferior and unwelcome.


Image from here