racism

Never get sick. All yesterday my head hurt and my body felt steamrollered. And all yesterday I kept thinking "There is something I said I would do". I thought it was my article that had to be finished, so I finished it. I thought it was that I had urgent shopping to do, so I rang a friend and got some help, because my legs went wobbly when I walked. I thought a whole bunch of other things, too. The only thing I didn't think about, in fact, was blogging. Today I remembered: I had made a promise to myself I would join "blog against racism" day. Not happy with myself for missing it. I wrote an article once, which is here. It is part of a long and ongoing battle between me and an unkind world.

Racism is different in Australia to the US, so the patterns drawn by most bloggers don't fit us. I think of Australia has having a slightly hidden face. Occasionally politicians exploit that hidden face and its foul visage comes into the light for a little (Pauline Hanson did so, John Howard seems to delight in doing so and then pretending he is not responsible for the hurt than ensues), but mostly racism here is quiet and not much talked about. In my mother's childhood it was like the bigotry in the book "Gentleman's Agreement" (Hobson? - can't forget the book, always seem to forget the author, drabbit). If you can't get hold of the book, see the film: it would be worth it for Gregory Peck alone, but it is also worth it because it shows the elegant side of despite.