ANTHONY MUNDINE

‘People scorned him, even reviled him. Some feared him. Even when the ………… man proved himself to be what he claimed……….. as well as a black man who wouldn’t seek permission for his pride or submit to conventions of image and values, he was still too bold to be endured. He was an implicit threat. Some …..watched him just to see him knocked down, razed.’ M. Gilmore

I note that Anthony Mundine is the subject for ‘Anh’s Brush With Fame’ this week and Gilmore’s words seem apt. Mundine certainly sends many punters crazy with his views and opinions on various current issues. I’ve often wondered why.

I strongly disagree with Mundine regarding his thoughts on homosexuality and his initial reported reaction to the 9/11 atrocities could have been far better scripted.

Mundine has a lot to say but is it all ‘ratbag’ stuff? Of course, his recent call for Aboriginal footballers to boycott standing for the national anthem in the NRL and AFL grand finals garnered considerable vitriol. After all, how could anyone condone a First Nations’ footballer not standing for a tune that has as its opening two lines ‘Australians all, let us rejoice, For we are young and free’?

The fact that ‘young’ and ‘free’ just might not be as gripping to some first inhabitants as the rest of us must be seen for what it is…….. trouble-making and ratbaggery.

We display a curious duality of reactions to our Aboriginal compadres. When they’re warm and fuzzy and sing national anthems or streak around an athletics or football field, that’s cool. But when they step outside the ordained ‘acceptability’ paddock, place their thumbs in the ear lugs, twiddle their fingers and stick out their tongues, woe betide!

Adam Goodes found this out. So did Charlie Perkins, Nova Peris, ‘Pat’ O’Shane and Eddie Mabo on different ‘fields’ of endeavour………….. but it all amounts to the same thing.

I hope that Mundine has a few more ‘outrages’ left in him.

P.S. Propriety compels me to disclose that the Gilmore quote above isn’t about Anthony Mundine at all. Many of you will know who he is describing.