GrodsCorp

Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees…*

Monday 21 April 2008, 10:49 pm

Bron

Categories: Media, Society, Sydney, The internet

Tags: racism, StupidComments, TheDailyTelegraph

Well, well, well. I want to talk about that fantastic Daily Telegraph (online), the Sydney NewsLtd staple rag. You know, the one where Tim Blair is the Opinion Editor (with emphasis on ‘editor’).

Last night in Granville, a western suburb of Sydney, a young man was stabbed and sadly died sometime later. The Daily Telegraph duly reported the crime, with updates as to the identity of the murder victim later in the day.

I read the article and when I got to the final paragraph, which said, in part:

Police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident or noticed a group of black/African males in the vicinity…

Here we go, I thought. If the calibre of the Telegraph’s target audience is anything to go by, surely the comments will contain some elements of racism and xenophobia. Oh, and maybe Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, NSW State Premier Morris Iemma and the soft-on-crime judges and magistrates and the whole legal system might get a mention as well.

I’m going to show you some of these comments. Editing and bolding mine for length and emphasis respectively, and typos left alone for posterity. Let’s have a look at the first comment, shall we?

Another stabbing takes place, while this Iemma government sits on its backside and absoluutely refuses to ramp up legislation in reviewing the laws involving the use and/or carrying of knives. Tearful Magistrates and Lawyers who would tell the community that the attacker is misunderstood and would be given a menial sentence or another Good Behaviour Bond allow these people to attack again. legislation that takes away the discretion of the judiciary to refuse to impose very very hefty Jail time for these cretins is needed…NOW.
Posted by: Mike Knowles of Sydney

Ah, Mike Knowles of Sydney, alarmist extraordinaire. Expert opinion on how to run everything: schools, unis, prisons, courts, parliament, you name it, he knows how it should be run.

That aside, BINGO. Morris Iemma gets the blame, as do ‘tearful’ magistrates and lawyers. What’s the go with the capital letters for ‘Good Behaviour Bond’, though?

Crime is the biggest concern for this country.
Posted by: Paul of Central Coast

Young gangs –not global warming, not tax evasion, not money laundering and not war on terrorism–will soon create havoc and fear in Australia unless the government and justice system clean up their acts and get tough on these crimes.
Posted by: huskies of Parramatta

Gulp. Seems to me that Paul and huskies are diagnosing the country’s problems in two short paragraphs, with no regard for statistics, evidence, proof, studies, nothing. But they’re right, you know. When I catch the train home from work, I stand on the platform in a semi-orderly fashion with other commuters, allowing passengers to disembark before boarding. When I walk to the shops on Saturday mornings, I am assaulted by the chattering of a diverse group of people enjoying brunch. When I withdraw money from the ATM, people stand a decent distance behind and don’t wrestle me for my cash and shoes.

Oh it’s a big, huge, massive problem blighting the nation, alright. AND I’M A VICTIM!

I wonder if they have heard of the term moral panic, just out of curiousity? Hmm. Ya reckon they have? No? OK, then.

another life taken through crime - when is this going to end. I think the Rudd government should do something about this before it happens again. we have seen enough crime and violence in this country..
Posted by: jr of nsw

Yeah, so get cracking, PM Rudd. Just ignore all that state intervention and constitutional stuff, and crack down on crime, pronto!

Zero Tolerance is well overdue for NSW. If it worked for New York city, it’ll work here. Considering the utter incompetance of the Carr/Iemma Governments on Policing, I’m surprised the Liberals have not picked up this ball and run with it yet.
Posted by: Pacman of Ryde

Sigh. How little ‘zero tolerance’ is understood. For a start, although crime rates in NYC may have dropped under Giuliani’s ‘zero tolerance’ era, “many criminologists question the precise part played by the police in this process. They point out that the reductions in crime in New York City must be viewed in the context of a general reduction in the major US cities in recent years. A diversity of causes are said to lie behind these developments, including the sustained period of economic growth in the US in the 1990s and the changing nature of the drug market in this period…”

Not only that, but as criminologist Chris Cunneen has argued, implementing a ‘zero tolerance’ policy in Australia would lead to, inter alia, civil liberties violations, court jams, more people in prison (which are already overcrowded, as it is), and there is little evidence to suggest that it would reduce crime and drug use. The get-tough tactics of the New York police look a lot better from a distance. It doesn’t mean that the alleged success of ‘zero tolerance’ in NYC would be just as successful in NSW, or elsewhere. (1)

Anyway, back to the pathetic comments. They get nastier, the comments (admist all the blame Rudd/Iemma/legal system). Like this one:

What nationality (or background) this time? Western Sydney is a Crime Capital - thuggery criminal behaviour that has proven in the past will spread to other innocent suburbs! Be assured, these people are low life scum and do not care who they hurt. Crime is not being managed at a state or federal level….but wait……we had the 20/20 summit and we may get our not wanted republic!
Posted by: hazy of Chatswood

‘What nationality or background this time?’ Did s/he really ask that?! What if the answer came back as Caucasian, white, pure as the driven snow? You know, like the Morans or the Williams, those murderous white boys.

Fuck you, hazy, for even asking.

But there’s worse:

Well, considering where it happened and who the police are looking for, I can’t say I’m terribly surprised… Guess who’s moved in? Any guesses why I’ve moved out?
Posted by: Michelle

Come on, Michelle, say what you really want to say.

Wow, I thought the africans in our country were generally pretty cool and peaceful. Racial gangs have to go. Its not worth it.
Posted by: PW of Surry Hills

An incident in Granville involving a small number of ‘blacks/Africans’ and all of a sudden, all the Africans in ‘our’ country are not cool and peaceful anymore, is that what you’re honestly saying, PW?! And just WHAT THE FUCK are ‘racial gangs’? And when you’ve answered that, they have to go where?

C’mon.

Anyway, as bad as all the above comments are, this one has to take the cake for sheer stupidity:

…Why won’t Dr Brendan Nelson do something to help the crime? He ought to be struck off the register.
Posted by: Wassa

I’m the last person to defend Dr Brendan Nelson (actually, The Editor might be the last in the line), but this comment is just so obviously asinine and ridiculous, I’m sure I don’t have to point out why.

I think I’m going to have to give up reading the Daily Telegraph online, for my sanity.

(1) Cunneen, C. 1999. Zero tolerance policing and the experience of New York City. Current Issues in Criminal Justice 10 (3):229-313.

*Title of this post is a line from the Billie Holiday song, “Strange Fruit” - a song that condemned American racism and lynching.

UPDATE: Yes, I know it’s a long post. There’s a LOT OF SHIT TO GET THROUGH ON THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, OKAY?!

UPDATE II: Almost Always Wrong reckons this post is too scholarly for Grods. Bollocks, I say. One, it’s not scholarly - not if you’re critiquing a tabloid’s online comments. Two, if them RWDB from you-know-where are pissed off by my leftist rant (or in the very slight chance that they rethink their silly ideas on crime and race), then I’ve reached nirvana.

59 Comments

Bridgit Gread (Monday 21 April 2008, 10:56 pm) #

The most alarming thing is that this is the first Grods post to contain footnotes.

If this continues, I may have to blog elsewhere.
Bron (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:00 pm) #

Yes, I’m very sorry about that. I didn’t know where else to put the reference, because it’s not an online link.

I’ll whip myself with the cat’o'nines tonight, Bridgit.
Almost Always Wrong (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:05 pm) #

All good points, and I’m sure its a scholarly work that belongs in a place taken seriously, ie not here.
Bridgit Gread (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:06 pm) #

Don’t be telling John, Ray or Chuck that, Bron… they’ll be rummaging around for the ole Fleshlight.

I’m always impressed at the capacity of tabloid commentators to extract and extrapolate all the ills of the world from a single event. A woman wears a burqa to Safeway —> the Western tradition is under attack. A girl is caught shoplifting —> social disintegration is complete. A few drunks run amok —> our streets are in a state of lawless anarchy. We cop it here in Melbourne too, though perhaps to a lesser extent.
Bron (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:09 pm) #

AAW, it’s not scholarly work. And, um, with all due respect, who are you to say what belongs on Grods?

Just asking.

Bridgit, thanks for the reminder - a bit late though, I imagine.

Your examples of sudden doom and gloom are spot on too.
THR (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:10 pm) #

I’m always impressed at the capacity of tabloid commentators to extract and extrapolate all the ills of the world from a single event.

Ministers broker deal - ‘meeting’ underway.
THR (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:30 pm) #

This is a pretty good post. If this keeps up, Grods will cease to be a blog, rather, becoming an ‘internet journal’.
Chuck A. Spear (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:32 pm) #

Don’t be telling John, Ray or Chuck that, Bron… they’ll be rummaging around for the ole Fleshlight.

No need to rummage around for a Fleshlight ladies because every real man keeps at least two Fleshlights with in reach at ALL times.

Maxwell Smart had a phone in his shoe, Dick Quest had a Fleshlight in his shoe and I have a Fleshlight up my arse with a shoe too.
Bron (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:39 pm) #

And then Chuck comes along and spoils the post with his Fleshlight revelations.

So much for trying to bring some CLASS to Grods (especially with an indoor soccer team being absolutely shithole. Have to find some way to salvage Grods’ dignity).
Almost Always Wrong (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:52 pm) #

…
Wah (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:53 pm) #

This is the sahe shit that happened in Noble Park in Melbourne where the Africans werebeing blamed for everything even though a stabbing victim was Sudanese and security camera footage of various crimes often showed white and Islander youths.

The media used to be subtle about singling out sertain racial groups in crime stories using masks like “Asian Squad Police are investigating” or “the defendent was represented by the Aboriginal Legal Service”.

They don’t seem to feel the need any discretion with Africans or Muslims.
Chuck A. Spear (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:53 pm) #

I was only being honest Bron.
Chuck A. Spear (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:57 pm) #

OK, back O/T.

I was attacked by two WHITE Aussie bogans with claw hammers on Saturday night and my bro-in-law was put in hosptial with a fractured skull and broken ribs. If you don’t believe me see RB post later this week (photos).

Yes, I am really pissed off about it. It was unprovoked and 20 metres from where we live.

Get fucked.
Bridgit Gread (Monday 21 April 2008, 11:57 pm) #

You are correct, Wah. When I started out on the heady power-trip that is journalism, there were strict rules about reporting ethnicity and race. Now it seems to be open slather, particularly in the mainstream tabloids.
Almost Always Wrong (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:03 am) #

Ed’s just trying to get you a job at the Hun
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:04 am) #

This is the sahe shit that happened in Noble Park in Melbourne where the Africans werebeing blamed for everything even though a stabbing victim was Sudanese and security camera footage of various crimes often showed white and Islander youths.

Yeah, that’s right, I’d forgotten about that. That was so stupid. A lot of comments on StormFront were banging on about Sudanese “gangs” and using that example, EVEN WHEN IT WAS POINTED OUT TO THEM THAT THE VICTIM WAS BLACK AND THE PERPETRATORS WHITE/ISLANDERS.

Stupid fuckers, those StormFarters.

And of course, Kevin Andrews tried to use the whole saga as a wedge in the lead-up to the election last year, by implying that we need immigration restrictions, especially from the *GASP!!! SHRIEK!!!* dark people from Africa!

Fortunately it didn’t go anywhere, but of course, it brought Pauline Bogan Hanson out to have her spray about the Africans apparently bringing in diseases..

Arrrgh, shut up, Bron. I’m getting too pissed off.
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:06 am) #

I was attacked by two WHITE Aussie bogans with claw hammers on Saturday night and my bro-in-law was put in hosptial with a fractured skull and broken ribs. If you don’t believe me see RB post later this week (photos).

Shit. Sorry to hear that, Chuck. I’ll look out for your post on RB, and I hope your bro in law is on a speedy recovery… but fuck, fractured skull and broken ribs? That’s serious.

(Please don’t make the photos tooooooo gruesome. This little wuss faints at the slightest bit of bruising and blood).
Bridgit Gread (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:10 am) #

Chuck, did they have beards and make their getaway in a dodgy low-slung sportscar?
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:11 am) #

Bridgit, I’ve noticed the trend too, particulary in the Howard years, where it became OK and even acceptable to be blatantly racist/xenophobic. We all know Howard hated political correctness, and we all know that he didn’t condemn Pauline Hanson in 1996 when she was being absolutely disgusting, and we know that Howard is on record saying that Asian immigration should be restricted (hello, Asian voters in Bennelong!).

And I think with him fostering that kind of culture, it certainly gave the more tabloid rags the implicit “OK, go for it, print whatever you want”.

Of course, RWDBs will just say I’m reverting back to my old “blame Howard for everything”.
Bridgit Gread (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:16 am) #

To be fair I think it’s more down to the internal politics of journalists and what owners/editors prefer to do. But the anti-PC brigade of the 1990s probably opened the floodgates, to some extent. There’s often a lot of wrangling between reporters and sub-editors about whether to identify a suspect as indigenous, African, Asian, etc. - and the police don’t often get this right either, I might add, which is an argument against mentioning it.
Chuck A. Spear (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:20 am) #

They would be easy to identify then Bridg but unfortunately, no, it was a white HQ Holden. I’m going to the cop shop again tomorrow to go through the mug shots.

My bro-in-law is pretty messed up. I sustained a less rock’n'roll type of injury: a twisted ankle and bruised ego for thinking they would listen to reason and leave us alone. I should have just shoved the hammers up the arse’s. Silly, stupid me.
Bridgit Gread (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:23 am) #

Not that I’m stalking you, but what suburb did this happen in? And was it unprovoked, or were you singing parody lyrics at high volume?
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:29 am) #

Watch out, Chuck. Bridgit’s on the prowl.
Chuck A. Spear (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:33 am) #

It wasn’t in the news. A glassing and shooting story took priority instead. If I tell you what suburb then people will know where I live so I will narrow it down to the Eastern suburbs.

We were at Maroondah Hosptial.
Bridgit Gread (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:36 am) #

Righto, thought it might’ve been out on my side in the westies (we had some assaults here on the weekend too). I hope your bro-in-law recovers quickly.
Bridgit Gread (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:37 am) #

Bron you whore, I was just about to get his address and post up a Google Maps image.
Chuck A. Spear (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:45 am) #

Yeah thanks, the poor bugger is in a bit of pain. But I am going to post pictures of him on the internets so that should cheer him up. Being a westie you should be used to that kind of drama most weekends Bridgit.

However, I thought he was dead for a while or going to die — hammer to the head and all that. I would have had to tell my sister who is 8 months pregnant. Gutless CUNTS.

Anyhow, feel free to post my address with a Google Maps image Bron. I will send you a bottle of scotch.
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:49 am) #

But that was Bridgit who said she was going to post your address with a Google Map, Chuck.

However, send me the bottle of scotch, regardless.
Bridgit Gread (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:51 am) #

Nothing says ‘get well soon’ like a loved one posting your image in the Internet. Your attention to your bro-in-law’s needs is touching.
Chuck A. Spear (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:57 am) #

Nothing says ‘get well soon’ like a loved one posting your image in the Internet.

I’d just better make sure it’s him first.

OK Bron, just post your address and I will send you six-pack of Woodstock and cola.
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:01 am) #

I prefer JW Black Label, if you don’t mind.

My address is:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Chuck A. Spear (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:03 am) #

If that’s your address, I will send a dictionary and a pair of handcuffs then.
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:04 am) #

And a gram of coke.
Bridgit Gread (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:06 am) #

And a pretzel.
Chuck A. Spear (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:12 am) #

O/T, but it looks like Andrea The Giant has unbanned me from Blairville. I guess she finally worked out what McDonald’s restaurants were.
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:16 am) #

“O/T”? These comments haven’t been on topic in the longest time.

Do you people ever go to bed?!

No? Well, I do, in about 2 minutes. Night, and thanks for the laffs tonight!
Chuck A. Spear (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:20 am) #

Do you people ever go to bed?!

Only with a Fleshlight and tub of marg.
Zombie Mao (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:34 am) #

Christ, this almost becoming lavatus prodeo.

almost.

LP could do with more fleshlight references and stories about shite amateur indoor soccer teams (I use the word team with great caution).
Damian (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 2:46 am) #

Bron, I reckon this post is a good one. I don’t consume much local media, so thanks for drawing my attention to this item and the response.

If you are indeed of the scholarly bent (as all good elitists should be) then I would recommend keeping an eye out for Kids, Kebabs, Cops and Crime by a gaggle of Sydney sociologists, published a few years ago. Back then we were all afraid of the Vietnamese gangs first, the Mussoes second. And the media played a similar fear-mongering role. It’s an invaluable read. In retrospect, I see it as a call for what is now known as “peace journalism” on a local (as well as international) level.
The Editor (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 7:50 am) #

Fantastic post, Bron. On the one hand The Tele honestly can’t be held responsible for their readers’ comments — and the comments say more about the readers than it does the paper — but The Tele and others are awfully guilty of whipping up this moral panic in order to sell ads for bigger bucks.
Damian (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 8:03 am) #

Ed, Bron: I was thinking about this since I left a comment earlier. Blair is always on about how the lefties in the media suppress the parts of a police report which describe (loosely) the ethnic appearance of alleged criminals.

I’m in two minds about it. I don’t think that details contained in a police statement should be omitted at the discretion of the media. That said, the response of the Terrorgraph’s readership as exemplified here is a pretty strong case for not printing ethnic descriptions of suspected criminals.

What do you reckon? Is it political correctness gone mad? Or is a bit of censorship worth the cost if it might prevent these kinds of attitudes getting an airing? I tend to think that the xenophobes should be allowed to mouth off, to remind us all that those views are still around.
The Editor (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 8:09 am) #

I reckon leave the details in because they are valid pieces of information. However, the news organisation should not, in their wider reporting of these matters, place sly emphasis on certain things to whip up moral panic. (Hello, Tele and Hun!)
keri (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 10:01 am) #

Chuck, sorry to hear about your Bro-in Law. Hope he gets well soon. And sorry to hear you had to end up at Maroondah as well.

Damian, whilst I agree that scaremongering is not ethical, neither would leaving out details you would include if the person was not of a certain ethnicity.

Great post, Bron.
Dave from Albury (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 12:19 pm) #

I say leave the details in, if for no other reason than it may help find the person they’re looking for. There is often a lot of pressure within minority communities to appear to be doing the right thing, so naming ethnicity often leads to that community getting their own house in order.

The comments from the crazies are also useful. These hateful bigots need to be exposed, letting their bile into the public gaze actually works against them. It’s when they are underground and can claim to be oppressed that these fuckers get really dangerous.
Damian (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:21 pm) #

And meanwhile, good ole KG shows those amateur Tele commenters how it’s really done.
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:42 pm) #

I also say leave the details in — if the police are trying to track down “persons of interest”, well, it goes without saying that the more detail is provided, the more luck someone reading the item may have seen or know those possible “persons of interest”. The first point of interest should be about catching the perpetuator.

It’s when, as the Ed pointed out, it’s worded in a certain way, designed to whip up fear and anxiety that it goes beyond merely a call for help, it becomes a race/ethnic driven call to moral panic.

Also, what struck me this morning, why did the Daily Tele allow the comments to be turned on after that particular article? Not all articles have the comments function on at the end of it, but the ones that do are fairly predictable (sex, drugs, crime, and gangs).

Damian, I do have that book you mention - somewhere. I haven’t really had the chance to sit down and read it in full, only snippets when I was at uni, majoring in - surprise surprise - the criminal justice system and criminology! That probaby explains my interest in this topic.
keri (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:45 pm) #

I’m awaiting your thesis, Bron. “Criminology and reporting from the viewpoint of the Fleshlight”
The Editor (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:46 pm) #

Oooooh, la-de-dah! “I’ve got a major in the criminal justice system and criminology!”

Well let me tell you something, sister. I’ve been to the University of Life and useful knowledge doesn’t come out of a book.
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:47 pm) #

Re KG’s take on the murder, it’s a bit ironic that “YoYo” leaves this comment: Messiah and pansophist RJL Hawke said something like “multiculturalism will enrichen the tapestry of the Australian way of life”. I wonder if the Spowart family is feeling enrichened today.

…despite the fact that Spowart was a Fijian.
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:49 pm) #

Mr The, you are such a wanker.

Did you know I’m doing Masters in Criminology next year too?!
keri (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:49 pm) #

Bron, there’s a pandemic of irony-deficiency on the internets.

I blame those damn vegetarians.
The Editor (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 1:52 pm) #

Bron: “Did you know I’m doing Masters in Criminology next year too?!”

Perhaps a Masters will cure you of the dreaded conjoined exclamation/question mark disease.
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 2:05 pm) #

Ahhhh, so that’s what annoys you, is it, Mr The?!

Excellent bit of news I’ve received all day. Your Achille’s Heel has been found. I shall endeavour to milk it till it runs dry.

?! ?! ?! ?! SUCK THAT, THE ED!
keri (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 2:07 pm) #

Get down and dirty with the apostrophes, Bron.

Thats really popular around here.
Dave from Albury (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 2:08 pm) #

Perhaps a Masters will cure you of the dreaded conjoined exclamation/question mark disease.

Watch out, it’ll be the red pen next.
The Editor (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 2:16 pm) #
Damian (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 2:19 pm) #

And how about a comma after “year”, too? Or am I going too, far?
keri (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 2:20 pm) #

No, I agree. But then, I’m know to like a comma or two.
Bron (Tuesday 22 April 2008, 2:22 pm) #

Pedantic fascist, thy name is The Editor. Am I right, or am I right?!?!