a little empathy will be goode for everyone

Every time I see fb post about Adam Goodes being a “flog” or a “whinger” I have the urge to delete that person off my Facebook, not because they’re not allowed their opinions but because I wonder how people that lack empathy are my friends. Humanity requires empathy and compassion in order to achieve non-discrimination, respect and equality. The treatment of Adam Goodes which has occurred, and escalated, over the past two years clearly displays that.

Adam Goodes is just one of the 71 indigenous AFL players, but he is the most vocal about his aboriginality, and that is where the issue lies for most Australians. Because he talks out, he is a whinger, because dares to challenge the “majority” idea, he is flog. And those berating him use the excuse they don’t do it to all Indigenous players and don’t understand you don’t have to be directly racist. Racism isn’t just saying I hate a certain race; it is the belief that members of a race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races. Those that don’t like Adam Goodes don’t like him because he comments on indigenous issues and he calls people out for being racist. To people that makes him a whinger, but not allowing him his voice on aboriginal issues is saying his experiences and opinions aren’t as important as others. That as an aboriginal person you don’t get to comment on ill-treatment which is occurring now, or happened in the past, and that we don’t respect your opinion and experience as we do the next person.

This is not a phenomenon exclusive to aboriginal Australians, for example, women who talk out on sexism are also called whingers too. What the majority of Australians that have not been part of a minority or subject to discrimination must know is that calling people out on inequality and being proud of a group of people in which you belong does not make you a whinger. Calling someone a whinger for sharing their own experiences is essentially saying you do not have the right to speak on those issues or dislike that treatment. The fact they do not have the right to speak out is because it sits uncomfortably with the power majority, with those that have inflicted the discrimination.

Not only do some Australians have no willingness to embrace indigenous culture they are offended by a war-dance being performed in their sport. The white majority have decided how aboriginals should act and the opportunities they should have and it’s not ok when they stand up to it. That is something that all minorities will struggle with, finding their equal place in a society that deemed them as unequal. The only way through that for a society is with compassion and empathy and a belief that all people are equal. Adam Goodes was never a favourite player of mine, but I personally can’t be prouder of him as person now for standing up for his people and his culture. I am not aboriginal, so I would never dare to describe their experiences, tell them how they should feel or how they should act in celebrating their culture. The same as a woman doesn’t want to be lectured by a man on women’s issues, or a gay person’s rights limited by the straight minority, indigenous people must feel to express themselves, and the current Adam Goodes situation is the complete opposite.

On the weekend the booing towards Goodes in Perth at the West Coast v Sydney game was at unprecedented levels. The guy who told Adam Goodes to “go back to the zoo” said it wasn’t even racist. Yesterday, former Brisbane Roar and Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Griffin McMaster tweeted “Adam Goodes calls Australia Day invasion day. Deport him. If you don’t like it leave”. On one hand I realise you can’t reason with idiots and on the other the stupidity almost makes me want to deport myself. These types of comments are flooding my social media. How as a country have we become so uncompassionate? Yesterday with stories that Goodes is contemplating retirement from football over the saga people have decided to berate him some more and call him out for playing the victim. Goodes is still vilified for pointing out the 13 year old girl who racially taunted him. Apparently she didn’t know what she was doing was wrong; well that isn’t Adam Goodes problem. At 13 you are criminally responsible under the law for your actions, you certainly can be held socially responsible for your words.

There are no excuses anyone can give me that I will accept for the booing of Adam Goodes. He does not have a history of being a dirty player, and even if he did, the “dirtiest” player in history would not get booed as much as him.  The reason people boo and taunt him is that they don’t like him as a person, and seeing 99 per cent of them don’t personally know him, they are going off public perception. The issue in Australia is that many people dislike those that go against the grain, that talk about things we may not understand, that comment in an unfavourable way about Australia. But we must understand others before we judge. Opinions are the lowest form of knowledge; they are each person’s own set of beliefs on a set of circumstances. The highest form of knowledge is empathy as it requires us go past our own egos and ideas and understand another person’s world. That is something we are as a community are failing to do with the Adam Goodes situation. Those commenting that he is a whinger, and those further berating him for considering giving up the game, are not stopping to consider where Adam Goodes is coming from. Instead they form their own opinion based on their lives and circumstances and shout that out to anyone that might listen.

Nearly all people can stand adversity, but if you want to test character, give someone power. Adam Goodes will deal with this adversity as many others have before, but he shouldn’t have to. As a society we are given the power to be compassionate and tolerate, or to be selfish. We have the power to stop, think and understand before we speak. The current situation involving Adam Goodes speaks to a wider issue but we can start here by choosing to leaving the bitterness and anger behind and showing kindness and empathy for others. I hope the choice doesn’t reflect our fears, but rather the open-minded and tolerate country we profess to be.