Racism and violence are alive and well in the nation's capital - news from
Claire Bruhns, Canberra (02) 6288 0535 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Details of the
Convoy to Canberra and current status of the tent embassy down the end of
this email.
Here is a copy of the letter I faxed to the Canberra Times last Thursday.
I recognise your editor Jack Waterford's balanced contributions to the
recent rather one-sided public debate about the high levels of male
violence in some Indigenous communities. Something not really addressed in
this debate was the existence and consequence of the past and current high
level of institutional and personal violence perpetrated on Indigenous
people by the non-Indigenous community.
In March this year, a ten year old Indigenous boy was assaulted in a local
ACT shopping centre. The child and (two white peers) had enjoyed a
mutually teasing friendship with the staff of a local business for some time.
However, on this occasion the "funning" shifted a gear and it seems that
the staff perceived the child as "annoying and cheeky." Four men chased
the three children up the street. One man physically lifted the Aboriginal
boy off his feet and carried him screaming to the toilets behind the
business and held him upside down in the toilet bowl, flushing water over
his head. The child was then thrown into a rubbish skip and the lid crushed
down on his back. The other three men watched, laughed and encouraged the
main perpetrator. The two white boys were witnesses but were completely
untouched. The child suffered severe bruising and was unable to sleep for
some time. He was fully examined by two independent Doctors and a report
was produced on his injuries. Astonishingly, his bruising was so painful
that the child had failed to notice severe pain in his lungs. He had
sustained an infection from the toilet water. The workers appear to have
some form of immunity from the consequences of their actions, but the child
suffers an ongoing legacy of trauma and a sense of betrayal. He said to
the Doctor: "I thought I was going to die and I thought they were my
friends!" What happens if this beautiful, bright, talented, courageous
child receives no justice? If the message he receives from the community
is that it is acceptable to terrorise a child, whose fault will it be if
such a child reaches adulthood so bitter that he turns on those close to
him? Every racist injustice that continues against the Indigenous
community sows the seeds for another generation's pain and suffering. If
we as non-Indigenous people, take no action against racism and against the
violence perpetrated on the Indigenous community, we are implicated in the
legacy of that violence!
Claire Bruhns
I have asked Wadjularbinna's permission for this child to be identified to
your contacts as her grandson Joshua. People you know will have probably
met Wadjularbinna personally and naming the family will make the story a
lot more personal, and immediate. Also, I did not mention anything about
the "Justice For Joshua Fund" in the letter to the editor. Basically we
have set up a trust account with the ANU Credit Union called "Justice For
Joshua Fund" into which the first lot of donations has been deposited
($205.00).
The goal of the fund is to collect enough money to pay a good lawyer to
take on Joshua's case and also to provide other healing resources to
Joshua, such as personal counselling etc. The signatories to this account
are myself, Wadjularbinna and Joshua. Since the setting up of this
account, Joshua's mother has reported he is much more cheerful and positive
about his life. We hope that this whole exercise will enable Joshua to
receive justice and to be able to put this dreadful experience behind
him. Any person wishing to contribute to this fund can contact Claire on
62880535.
Details of the acct for direct deposits:
The Credit Union of Canberra, BSB 801009, (ANU Branch), Acct # 1141576,
Member # 3067930, "Justice For Joshua Fund.
Come to Canberra to build links with grass-roots indigenous activists, and
to discuss issues facing both indigenous and non-idnigenous communities
under the current system of society. CONVOY TO CANBERRA Weekend of Aug 31 -
Sept 2, departing melbourne with supplies and support for the aboriginal
tent embassy which has been under government attack over recent weeks with
police raids as well as fire engines dousing the fires with chemical sprays
attempting to brush indigenous issues under the carpet once again. But the
embassy is maintaining its strength and spirit, they have also recently
set-up a women's campsite on the other side of the lawns at parliament. for
more info call jess 0402 482 159 / kristin 9480 1819
--
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