I was working away at repairing a machine in a shopping center at work when two guys approached us, asking how long it would be until they could use it.
My guard answered them saying it would be quite some time sorry, to which one of the two commented to the other, in a negatively worded fashion, that the ATM was always breaking down and proceeded to make a comment about my skin color and how I can’t fix… you get the idea. My guard quickly moved them on in a professional manner and I finished the job.
I thought about these comments for a while afterwards and told my guard I felt that was actually really racist of them to make that comment, that was not something I would ever dream of saying to anybody for any reason.
My guard, who regularly does other guarding work such as night clubs and catching thieves at retail stores, said in his experience, it is common for people of color to make those kind of statements and he gets it quite regularly before stating ‘that’s just the way it is mate.’
To be OK
Fast forward a few days and I am reading the morning paper, and how Pauline Hanson, whom I would consider an Australian right wing politician with interesting ways of doing things, put up a vote in parliament asking members of parliament to vote on ‘It’s OK to be white’.
The vote was initially slightly defeated, by 31-28 in the senate, after which almost everybody who voted ‘yes’ changed their votes to a ‘no’ blaming an “administrative process failure” for accidentally voting the wrong way.
What?
Although I felt this whole vote to be a little ridiculous, it was quite interesting to read and I recall Lauren Southern making headlines a while ago for wearing an ‘It’s OK to be white’ shirt upon arrival in the country, to see what people’s reaction would be.
Why is it not okay to be white? Or black? Or any color? And why did our politicians just ignore the vote rather than make a point of voting no? Were they afraid they would be labelled racist if they voted yes? And how is voting yes even racist? And lastly, if the vote was ‘It’s OK to be black’ would have they voted no?
This summarized to myself that for some strange reason, it is totally ok, and approved by our own government, to say anything of a racist sense towards the majority in Australia – a white skinned person.
Isn’t this more than just a little hypocritical?
I used to disregard the likes of Canadian Lauren Southern and Australian MP Pauline Hanson’s comments on racism against white people, thinking it to be largely nonexistent, but I am not so sure any more.
Again, when I look around and even reflect on the occasional personal experience, it is definitely there, being perpetrated by those who claim to despise racism – hypocritically that it is still seems ok against certain people. Other than reinforce no racism is acceptable; it still seems to be acceptable against some.
Going deeper
So why would this be? Were white people more violent or racist in the past? It certainly feels like some sort of ‘revenge’ against white people – white racist people of the past maybe? History is plagued with people of all races enslaving others, being racist and bad to each other so I can’t see how it is that.
Whenever I ponder such things such as this, I am reminded of the scripture in Matthew chapter 4, verses 8 to 12: ‘Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”’
This reminds me that the devil is in the world, controlling and directing worldly activities and probably the architect behind such hypocrisies.
Jesus’ reply to being offered the world? ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’ is gold.
This reminds me that we Christians are just passing through this world and should not be distracted from serving our God. Times will come when we will be persecuted, John Chapter 15 verse 18, ‘If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.’
I feel this is just another piece of the framework being setup by the world to try and eliminate us Christians and put us into persecution – by essentially turning things that are labelled bad from God, into things that are good by the world and make God’s standard in some cases even illegal for Christians to follow. The recent attacks on marriage, gender, abortion etc. just reinforce this – the world setting itself in complete opposition to God’s word and standards set out in the Bible.
I can’t help but wonder if one day a Christian will be labelled a bigoted, sexist, homophobic, pro-life, xenophobic… racist?
References
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/why-would-government-vote-its-not-ok-to-be-white/video/c736f1b665e9b99b6e373c654eef782c
Michael Dahlenburg is an Electronics Technician currently working in the ATM industry. He is non-denominational and has previously been involved in church plants and assisting those in ministry. His interests include; enjoying family, home DIY, gardening, most things tech-related and driving his wife crazy with a constant stream of inventions! He lives with his wife Michelle and three children in God’s own land of Southern Adelaide, Australia.
Michael Dahlenburg’s previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/michael-dahlenburg.html
Michael Dahlenburg is an electronics technician. He is non-denominational and has previously been involved in church plants and assisting those in ministry. His interests include; enjoying family, home DIY, gardening, most things tech-related and driving his wife crazy with a constant stream of inventions! He lives with his wife Michelle and three children in God’s own land of Southern Adelaide, Australia.Michael Dahlenburg’s previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/michael-dahlenburg.html