National anthem protest

[davidc4430]

National anthem protest: 9yo refuses to stand because anthem is for 'white people of Australia'

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-12/national-anthem-kenmore-school-brisbane/10235792

[shoppingbag*]

This family are just a bunch of rabble rousers, intent on bringing up a troublemaker.

[springyzone]

I don't think a young child would think of this on his or her own, to be honest. It's part of what I see as the white apologist movement, where we dare not  talk about the race or sex of anyone and anything instigated by white people is automatically bad.

I can't see how anyone could claim it is a song only for 'white people'.
It says 'Australians all'.

The word young, as someone else explained, is referring to the age of the nation, not the age of individuals. The land has been here for eons, but that's pretty much the same for land anywhere in the world.

It's the actions of one child. 

I'm not sure why the news is giving this so much publicity. I would be extremely surprised if the school staff contacted the papers.So how did they get to know? This reeks of opportunism to me and I don't think it was the 9 year old behind it.

[tasfleur]

I have to say that I've met a few "girts" in my life.  It's like the "snoof",  meaning anything one wants it to, including being surrounded by ...

In all seriousness though, national anthems don't mean much to me no matter where they originate.  For me, it's only about where a person lives, moves to, comes from , and wants to be, so I respect that.

The national flags say a lot more (to me) as recognition of a culture/nationhood (good or bad).  I don't fervently salute them either, but in terms of geography and planet earth in general, that's where I live, flags, anthems or anything else, and all I need to do is respect the place I reside and my friends from all over the world.

I do stand for the National Anthem though, but don't 'sing' it.

Racism is taught not inherent, and always by adults.

[zanadoo_56]

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@ecar3483 wrote:

The National Anthem introduced a whole new word to my vocabulary...

Girt...

That evening I asked my parents what a girt was...

Dad said it's like a nanny, only younger, and made a bleating noise...

It took Mum about five minutes to get over her fit of giggles...

They were good value, my folks... ha ha.

🙂

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My favourite Adam Hills quote:

(On the Australian National Anthem): It's just not the most inspiring anthem in the world is it?

I mean, the words are alright: 'Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free', except for that last line 'our home is girt by sea.' 'Cos 'girt' means surrounded.

How many of you have ever used the word 'girt' in a sentence in your life? Seriously, you never see a policeman and 4 police cars outside your house saying : 'Come out of there with your hands up, we have you girt.'

[springyzone]

Now I notice the media are complaining the girl is being harrassed by online trolls.

I'm not supporting bullying but really, could her parents have not predicted there would be a backlash? Why put your 9 year old in the firing line?

[lyhargr_0]

So she choose not to stand and sing the National anthem, no biggie   ..... 

[twyngwyn]

I remember having to participate in this:

Schoolyard assembly

Once a week, we would all stand lined up and to attention, on the signal the flag would be "run up". The boys would salute and the girls stand to attention. Then we would place our right hand on our heart and recite "I love God and my country, I honour the flag, I will serve the Queen, and cheerfully obey my parents, teachers and the law".

[lyhargr_0]

Whn theu sed to plat God Save The Queen" at the flicks, I refused to stand up and pay homeage to some bird I had never met   

[lyhargr_0]

oops must learn to re read before I post lol

[springyzone]

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@lyhargr_0 wrote:

So she choose not to stand and sing the National anthem, no biggie   ..... 

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I'm not suggesting it was.

What i am suggesting though is that one kid in a school of what-300? 400? 700? is hardly going to be seen except by her classmates & teacher & I'd be willing to wager the teacher didn't rush out to inform the media.

So who did? Any parents watching would have been around the perimeter, not able to hear what the teacher or child said.

I've been to hundreds of school assemblies in my day & i promise you, one child standing up would be more noticeable than one sitting when all others are standing.

And why would the media think it was such a big deal what one little 9 year old did or did not do at assembly that they felt fit to publish it and rush the child in for radio interviews?

There's a hidden agenda here and I think it is being pushed by adults. I think adults sought the publicity & the bottom line with that is-if you play for media time by pushing a social issues topic, and you expect adults to take notice of it, you also have to expect adult comment and disagreement.