We will decide

It is interesting to hear various insights on the Cronulla riots over the last few days. Without too much editorialising the following points, some profounder than others, have caught my attention.

• the crowds on Cronulla streets echo other sentiments when they say "We decide who belongs here." They are echoing a language and a sentiment that issues from the very highest halls of power.
• Government should be aware that they can validate very undesirable aspects of human nature by emotive rather than rational language. This terminology issues from the mouth of Prime Minister Howard himself with regard to the way those other outsiders "the refugees" were talked about. It now issues from the mouths of yobbos whose jingoistic attitudes are not too far from the hearts and minds of traditional Australian fears about being overtaken from outside.
  
• the obvious point is made....what does "an Australian" actually look like.... I could suggest they have brown skin and striking features with surnames like Wanganeen and Coulthard, Karpany and O'Donohue. We could equally well say they are called Carozza, Mario, Bergman, Smolicz, Hamdorf, Jones, Mc Tavish, Menzies, Inge, Ng, Tran, Van, Nguyen, Yengi, Maria, Horst, Florian and so it might go on. It is our nature to be multicultural and polyglot.
• However much some might regret the multicultural nature of our society, and I do not, our nation now reflects what the world is like.
• On wit rang Matt and Dave and said...when discussing what it means to be a real Australian.."I ride a bike, read books, have long hair and care for the environment.....can I stay?"