There is a tyranny that comes with age which is never more apparent when you're at a conference and people forget how to behave themselves. This is even more startling when you work out that the world has moved on and those people are left in a virtual wilderness of disdain, confusion and annoyance.
Today I bore witness to this.
It wasn't big. It wasn't clever. And if anything, it was offensive.
As somebody who takes the acknowledgement of country seriously when it is presented at the start of any event, small or large, today's first session at our conference did not go as expected.
"I'm told I have to give a welcome to country. This is my country. Australia. This is Adelaide."
There was a stony silence.
The person delivering this looked smug. They went back to their seat to assorted mumbles.
I don't want to go into a Julia Gillard "I was offended" rant. But I was offended. The Acknowledgement of Country has become an integral part of our public landscape, and it feels wrong to have this have happened. I'm the first person to say that people have a right to their opinions, however, with the Acknowledgement of Country, if you're not going to proffer it with a modicum of respect, then don't give it. Sit down, keep quiet and let the rest of the room get on with it.
And I get that there are people who don't see the value of the Acknowledgement of Country. I don't share their sentiments. I'm willing to discuss personally, at an appropriate time - not air grievances at a public event.
Later in the day, another speaker took the floor. The first thing they did was give another Acknowledgement of Country. This time, a short, respectful version.
As the speaker started to shuffle their notes, a comment from the previous speaker interjected. "Rubbish!"
The room went quiet.
The speaker, a little stunned, bristled and stated, "People are allowed to have a difference of opinion."
They went back to looking at their notes, before straightening and looking the interjector in the eye.
"You disrespect me. You disrespect my family."
The room fell silent.
If I'm honest, they disrespected the rest of the room with their remarks.
From there, the speaker gathered themselves and gave an excellent talk.
After the afternoon's talks, I approached the second speaker and gave them my support, checking in on them. They related that they have indigenous nieces and nephews. To have an acknowledgement of country to be disrespected in such a way is like urinating on his family.
Considering the space in which we found ourselves, where we uniquely dwell on the power of ritual and words, these interactions left a chasm.
I'm still ruminating over the overt disrespect.
It hurt that at a gathering which promotes brotherhood, equality and freedom, that such jarring attitudes, even from one person, can be present.
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