Cody Walker refuses to sing national anthem at State of Origin

[flamebouyant]

I cant help but think that a thread like this probably should have been locked a while ago. But I guess when certain people have an agenda they allow things to slide.

 

[flamebouyant]

Yeah maybe but at the end of the day you can’t help anyone who doesn’t want help. How did you go in life ?

What exactly does that mean? I have probably done more in my life then you ever will.

 

[Dawgfather]

Lol just read an article where now Blake Ferguson is saying the anthem ‘unites no one’.

This coming from a guy convicted of indecent assault.

The day we start taking lessons from footballers on societal issues is the day this country is fkd.

 

[Dawgfather]

I think the line, 'young and free' is one of the issues. I'm not Aboriginal but I assume that referring to Australia as young means that it does not include the thousands of years that Aboriginals were here. I assume free is also an issue because of the over representation in lock up and stolen generation history. These are things I've heard from talking to other Aboriginal people. Not sure what Walker and the boys think, I don't think they made a specific statement.

Of course it's accurate to say we are young and free. Australia as a nation has only been a nation since 1901. So of course it's young.

lol @ saying people born in Australia aren't free.

If you end up in jail it's because you made bad decisions. No one else is responsible for those decisions except you.

Blake Ferguson is part aboriginal - why did he end up being convicted of the indecent assault of another woman? Was it because Australian's are awful to him, or because he's an awful person?

 

[Mr Invisible]

Well you certainly can’t help people by telling them they are second class citizens and shouldn’t have a voice in society. Maybe some people can’t be helped.... but what about those that can? You really don’t think they exist?

Nothing is stopping those who want to be better and do better, from doing and being better.

Lol just read an article where now Blake Ferguson is saying the anthem ‘unites no one’.
This coming from a guy convicted of indecent assault.
The day we start taking lessons from footballers on societal issues is the day this country is fkd.

Well fingering unites two people as one.

 

[Flanagun]

Nothing is stopping those who want to be better and do better, from doing and being better.

Typically simplistic nonsense.

 

[CaptainJackson]

Typically simplistic nonsense.

With that simplistic nonsense, I'm guessing everyone on the kennel is a multi billionaire because it's just about choice right?

I also like how folaus history is now being re written. Apparently the money means nothing to folau, it's all about his beliefs!!!! Which is why he continued playing last year when he was first warned and is now exploring the avenue of taking RA to court for compensation.

 

[Dawgfather]

Typically simplistic nonsense.

Really? So instead we should tell people they are victims and that they should find others to blame for their poor situations?

 

[The DoggFather]

No, it's just creating awareness about an issue that many aboriginal people have with our national anthem. Its just part of the process.

You call it creating awareness, I call it widening the divide. I understand both sides have passion for this non-topic but both sides have uneducated snowflakes that just want to bicker over it.

 

[Flanagun]

Really? So instead we should tell people they are victims and that they should find others to blame for their poor situations?

Not at all....but we should stop sneering at and looking down on people.... which only perpetuates their feelings that society is out to get them.... if you don’t want to encourage people to feel victimised and make excuses, showing respect and willingness to listen to their point of view is the best way to go it..... the superior and judgmental attitudes of many Australians (including a number of commenters on this thread) only gives Indigenous people more reason to feel disrespected and marginalised.

There is grey area in life... it is absolutely possible to acknowledge the challenge people face and the hurt they feel without condemning them to perpetual victimhood.

 

[Mr Invisible]

Dear PC brigade,

You are being played like the "fiddle for fools". The old "can I have a biscuit" trick you used as kids. One biscuit becomes two, which becomes 3 or 4 or 5, and before you know it the entire packet is eaten.

The intelligent ones will fully understand that comment.

Typically simplistic nonsense.

If it's simplistic nonsense, kindly advise everyone how much exactly it costs to turn ones life around, because clearly you are insinuiating that money is required.

If it's not, then I refer back to my comments... change is a choice.

It costs nothing to be a better person (or in this case not rape kids or be a criminal).

 

[Flanagun]

Dear PC brigade,

You are being played like the "fiddle for fools". The old "can I have a biscuit" trick you used as kids. One biscuit becomes two, which becomes 3 or 4 or 5, and before you know it the entire packet is eaten.

The intelligent ones will fully understand that comment.


If it's simplistic nonsense, kindly advise everyone how much exactly it costs to turn ones life around, because clearly you are insinuiating that money is required.

If it's not, then I refer back to my comments... change is a choice.

It costs nothing to be a better person (or in this case not rape kids or be a criminal).

What are you on about? This conversation is about empowering people to be better by showing them respect and belief in their abilities, not about money.

It doesn’t cost anything to listen to someone’s point of view without implicating them in crimes they haven’t committed due to simplistic generalisations about their cultural group either.... if you think every person who takes issue with the anthem is a criminal.... or that having a respectful discussion about it is going to exacerbate those problems, you’re a few Tim Tams short of a full packet, mate.

If change is a choice, why don’t you work on becoming a better person yourself by adopting attitudes that are less dogmatic and judgmental?

This thread is a perfect example of the challenges facing Indigenous people. If you were a young Indigenous kid and saw all these people saying horrible things about your people whilst shedding crocodile tears over the serious and real problems that affect their communities, you’d probably feel less inclined to try and make the most of yourself too.

Just because there are successful Indigenous people out there who have overcome societal stigma to make successes of themselves, doesn’t mean it’s easy or that everyone is going to be able to do it..... and when successful Indigenous people use their influence to say something you don’t like or agree with, you just shout them down and show them the same contempt you show those who do end up resorting to drugs or crime.

To expect Indigenous athletes to show unity while expressing contempt for their feelings and culture is just plain ridiculous.

 

[Mr Invisible]

*golf claps*
You've COMPLETELY missed the point.

Well done sir.. well done.

 

[Flanagun]

*golf claps*
You've COMPLETELY missed the point.

Well done sir.. well done.

I don’t think so.... kindly enlighten me as to which point you think I’ve missed?

I think it’s you who missed my point, tbh.

 

[Mr Invisible]

I don’t think so.... kindly enlighten me as to which point you think I’ve missed?

I think it’s you who missed my point, tbh.

Player decides not to sing anthem because he claims it doesn't represent him.
Side arguement (by me) is that they should be doing more to raise awareness for REAL issues in indigenous communities.
I'm saying that the real issues in indigenous communities are their own doing, and they have a choice about doing things that plague remote communities, you are stating that it requires money.
I'm saying that it doesn't require money to create change, and that the problems in remote communities are all due to choices being made.

Somehow you are trying to tell me that money IS required to resolve those problems. I do not believe it is.

 

[Precise]

I've gone backwards to much on this thread to much, good to see a big political discussion on here at the end of the day it's a great argument to have and would love to be pissed with you blokes down the pub so we could have it again this time just louder as we yell to speak over each other

For those who haven't seen it we have a tongue in cheek poll now for everyone to vote in.

https://www.thekennel.net.au/forum/...-we-change-the-anthem-to.112981/#post-3550824

 

[Flanagun]

Player decides not to sing anthem because he claims it doesn't represent him.
Side arguement (by me) is that they should be doing more to raise awareness for REAL issues in indigenous communities.
I'm saying that the real issues in indigenous communities are their own doing, and they have a choice about doing things that plague remote communities, you are stating that it requires money.
I'm saying that it doesn't require money to create change, and that the problems in remote communities are all due to choices being made.

Somehow you are trying to tell me that money IS required to resolve those problems. I do not believe it is.

Dude, I’m not even talking about money. Money does make life easier, there’s no doubt about that, but my central point is about respect and self esteem. It’s like you didn’t even read what I posted.

There are plenty of Indigenous players past and present who do good work with Indigenous communities. There’s no reason they can’t do that and still have an opinion on the anthem.

I get that you’re saying these problems are of their own making, I disagree. I think we’ve played a part in it too and I’ve outlined my argument what feels like 100 times now. We’ve histotically treated them like second class citizens and many of us continue to do so. That is going to have a destructive influence on ANY cultural group. We are all responsible for our own behaviour, but external factors often have an influence too....any behavioural psychologist will tell you that.

Anyway, I’m getting tired of the circular argument, tbh. At the end of the day a group of players will choose not to sing the anthem on Wednesday and we all have two options - accept it, or sulk about it.

 

[flamebouyant]

What are you on about? This conversation is about empowering people to be better by showing them respect and belief in their abilities, not about money.

It doesn’t cost anything to listen to someone’s point of view without implicating them in crimes they haven’t committed due to simplistic generalisations about their cultural group either.... if you think every person who takes issue with the anthem is a criminal.... or that having a respectful discussion about it is going to exacerbate those problems, you’re a few Tim Tams short of a full packet, mate.

If change is a choice, why don’t you work on becoming a better person yourself by adopting attitudes that are less dogmatic and judgmental?

This thread is a perfect example of the challenges facing Indigenous people. If you were a young Indigenous kid and saw all these people saying horrible things about your people whilst shedding crocodile tears over the serious and real problems that affect their communities, you’d probably feel less inclined to try and make the most of yourself too.

Just because there are successful Indigenous people out there who have overcome societal stigma to make successes of themselves, doesn’t mean it’s easy or that everyone is going to be able to do it..... and when successful Indigenous people use their influence to say something you don’t like or agree with, you just shout them down and show them the same contempt you show those who do end up resorting to drugs or crime.

To expect Indigenous athletes to show unity while expressing contempt for their feelings and culture is just plain ridiculous.

Mr I clearly has an agenda here. Maybe he is just racist. Maybe he just has it stuck in his head that his view is right and everyone else is wrong. In any case, a thread like this would probably have been shut down a long time ago, but because it suits his agenda he leaves ot open so that he can just shout down guys like you and I for having our opinions. What a clown.

 

[Nate DAWG]

Of course it's accurate to say we are young and free. Australia as a nation has only been a nation since 1901. So of course it's young.

lol @ saying people born in Australia aren't free.

If you end up in jail it's because you made bad decisions. No one else is responsible for those decisions except you.

Blake Ferguson is part aboriginal - why did he end up being convicted of the indecent assault of another woman? Was it because Australian's are awful to him, or because he's an awful person?

So if the anthem is accurate when it says Australia is young because it became a nation in 1901 then you must agree with the protest because Aboriginal people were here long before then. So the anthem represents Australia, just not Aboriginal Australia.

You can lol all you want but Aboriginal people have not always been free, it wasn't that long ago that they were classed as animals and weren't allowed to vote. Is that free? The people who experienced this are still alive, you think they haven't passed this info onto their kids? Even if they happened to have children with white people, it is still passed down through the generations.

 

[Kaz]

Mr I clearly has an agenda here. Maybe he is just racist. Maybe he just has it stuck in his head that his view is right and everyone else is wrong. In any case, a thread like this would probably have been shut down a long time ago, but because it suits his agenda he leaves ot open so that he can just shout down guys like you and I for having our opinions. What a clown.

FMD

We all complain when threads are locked & when they aren't it's an agenda.

I don't know @Mr Invisible from a bar of soap, but to even hint that he is racist is beyond believe or that he has an agenda.

Yes the aboriginals were treated badly years ago, but so were other races.

You don't see them protesting at a drop of a hat.

I remember years ago in the NRL a black player called a white player a white **** & the white player responded with you are a black ****.

Guess which player got into trouble, yep the white player for using the word black, nothing mentioned both used the word ****.

I am probably racist for saying black instead of indigenous.

People bitch about how tough the admin/mods are on here, I can tell you they are extremely fair compared to other forums.

Though @Nabsolutely Fabulous might disagree.