Opinion Jeff Kennett News, Media etc.

Plenty of people knew what he was trying to say without going all 'Racist Jeff'.

“Close enough, near enough, almost” is never going to cut it. You want to settle, you go right ahead
 
Plenty of people knew what he was trying to say without going all 'Racist Jeff'.
What he was trying to say was not quantified by anything other than “they look a particular way, therefore they’re not fit to be security guards”. Unless you’re a mind reader?
 

Bumps"N"Grins

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Someone insert, Simpsons old man walks in door then turns and leaves.

All been said before.
 

Pessimistic

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The security guard who got stabbed in the neck in the last bourke st incident. Muslim. Probably came here to get away from that stuff.

Cant help but sfellow at those presenting the simplistic argument that keeping muslims out = security
 

Carl Spackler

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What he was trying to say was not quantified by anything other than “they look a particular way, therefore they’re not fit to be security guards”. Unless you’re a mind reader?

So, he was correct but he said it the wrong way? It’s more important that he walk politely in the right circles that he call a spade a spade?

Got it. Style over substance.
 

flinchfree

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Interesting read from some here.
From Jeff: "I intended to be racist, but by view of some divine hilarious turn of events my words proved prophetic. Soooooo....I'm in this awkward position of admitting my racist thoughts and apologizing for them, but my supporters are desperate to prove me right and reclaim my place to judge people by the color of their skin and not by the truth of their existences.
So many choices, what to do what to do....."

We won't have to wait long, the interesting thing that happens is that when you out your truth it becomes impossible to not live it. So Jeff will clearly show where his heart and mind lie in coming years and those closer to his thinking will rejoice in his honesty and occasional blindfolded - spun thirty times - dart throwing acts of observation.
Lets Goooooooooooo!
 

Carl Spackler

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Interesting read from some here.
From Jeff: "I intended to be racist, but by view of some divine hilarious turn of events my words proved prophetic. Soooooo....I'm in this awkward position of admitting my racist thoughts and apologizing for them, but my supporters are desperate to prove me right and reclaim my place to judge people by the color of their skin and not by the truth of their existences.
So many choices, what to do what to do....."

We won't have to wait long, the interesting thing that happens is that when you out your truth it becomes impossible to not live it. So Jeff will clearly show where his heart and mind lie in coming years and those closer to his thinking will rejoice in his honesty and occasional blindfolded - spun thirty times - dart throwing acts of observation.
Lets Goooooooooooo!

Yes, very interesting read:

“We’re so desperate to claim RACIST! at every opportunity that we’ll ignore the plain facts in front of us, fingers in ears going Nah! Nah! Nah! in order to maintain our detached air of moral superiority. We may be wring in every point of substance, but I’ll be damned if we aren’t more enlightened.”

But I have to say, it’s classic. “Hes a dead set racist who’s just fortunate the facts are on his side.” Whatever floats your boat.
 
So, he was correct but he said it the wrong way? It’s more important that he walk politely in the right circles that he call a spade a spade?

Got it. Style over substance.
Kennett arrived at a conclusion by skin colour and looks alone.
 
So, he was correct but he said it the wrong way? It’s more important that he walk politely in the right circles that he call a spade a spade?

Got it. Style over substance.
If this is what he meant to say, why didnt he say it? Why, why didnt he back it up at any stage when people were crying out for it?

He chose not to. He chose the racist comment.

Interesting to watch the handbags and crows tonight.
I see David Rodan as a goal umpire, he's doing his job, but it has me wondering ... would he have been fit to wear a security vest 2 weeks ago? Still cringie when I think how injuries cruelled his game.
 

flinchfree

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Yes, very interesting read:

“We’re so desperate to claim RACIST! at every opportunity that we’ll ignore the plain facts in front of us, fingers in ears going Nah! Nah! Nah! in order to maintain our detached air of moral superiority. We may be wring in every point of substance, but I’ll be damned if we aren’t more enlightened.”

But I have to say, it’s classic. “Hes a dead set racist who’s just fortunate the facts are on his side.” Whatever floats your boat.

Mate, you just don't understand what the word racist means.
People have explained it on this thread as well as can be attempted.

Kennett had NO IDEA the security guards were recent arrivals to Australia, he ASSUMED as much by their appearance.
How do you not understand that?????
And if there were any question of that fact, as soon as it was raised with him he would have said:

"Please. When I observed some of the actions by the security people working the game I couldn't fathom their actions as they seemed out of line with how we have generally administered our game for the longest time. I decided to give the Stadium manager a quick call and ask if it was a new crew of employees running security etc, whether they'd been given any particular set of instructions recently to change their interaction with the public or onfield playing groups, and to comment that things seemed to not be running particularly smoothly.
Unsolicited by myself, he remarked 'that not only were a number of the attendants fairly recent hires, but also recent arrivals to this country and that perhaps some communication shortfalls or comfort dealing in these high pressure confines led to the awkward interactions.'
Well, you could have blown me down with a feather! I hadn't really had that in my mind at all but it now kind of all came together and made sense.
On that radio interview the other day I hadn't really planned to make mention or aportion blame on those workers specifically, but hey, you know me, I had some knowledge and in that minute thought sharing might provoke some important thinking among the public and Administration as to why and how we could move forward with some sort of plan.
Anyone who knows anything about me also knows I'd never judge anyone's ability to be competent in what they do by as superficial an observation as their apparent ethnicity.
I wouldn't want anyone making that judgment about me or those I care about and would hope as a nation weve moved past that nonsense.
Now, any chance you journos could write something worth reading and with some sort of positive impetus so we could get the AFL honchos to move forward on the pressing needs this great competition faces?"

Radio silence.
 
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Kennett arrived at a conclusion by skin colour and looks alone.
Mate, you just don't understand what the word racist means.
People have explained it on this thread as well as can be attempted.

Kennett had NO IDEA the security guards were recent arrivals to Australia, he ASSUMED as much by their appearance.
How do you not understand that?????
And if there were any question of that fact, as soon as it was raised with him he would have said:

"Please. When I observed some of the actions by the security people working the game I couldn't fathom their actions as they seemed out of line with how we have generally administered our game for the longest time. I decided to give the Stadium manager a quick call and ask if it was a new crew of employees running security etc, whether they'd been given any particular set of instructions recently to change their interaction with the public or onfield playing groups, and to comment that things seemed to not be running particularly smoothly.
Unsolicited by myself, he remarked 'that not only were a number of the attendants fairly recent hires, but also recent arrivals to this country and that perhaps some communication shortfalls or comfort dealing in these high pressure confines led to the awkward interactions.'
Well, you could have blown me down with a feather! I hadn't really had that in my mind at all but it now kind of all came together and made sense.
On that radio interview the other day I hadn't really planned to make mention or aportion blame on those workers specifically, but hey, you know me, I had some knowledge and in that minute thought sharing might provoke some important thinking among the public and Administration as to why and how we could move forward with some sort of plan.
Anyone who knows anything about me also knows I'd never judge anyone's ability to be competent in what they do by as superficial an observation as their apparent ethnicity.
I wouldn't want anyone making that judgment about me or those I care about and would hope as a nation weve moved past that nonsense.
Now, any chance you journos could write something worth reading and with some sort of positive impetus so we could get the AFL honchos to move forward on the pressing needs this great competition faces?"

Radio silence.

I'm actually not sure if he did though

I have a theory (and it's only a theory) that he knew about the issues of the security guards and went with a line of "it appears that..." rather than "i've heard from a source that..." and then suddenly realised that he'd said something racist

Politicians and media people often theorise about things that they know to be true
 

Bumps"N"Grins

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Kennett arrived at a conclusion by skin colour and looks alone.
It called observation, we all make observations all of the time, sometimes our general observations keep us safe at night when walking home from a pub and staying away from certain groups on our travels, those observations from time to time get us home at night.

I'll say what others have said, we get the gist of what he was saying, in general he was right in what he said. The message was articulated poorly and become fodder for those whom carry and race card at every turn. Screech!!!! For those playing the card constantly, play it wisely, pick your target carefully, ask if this particular issue furthering your cause or creating ambivalence to it, is the constant din creating awareness or resistance. Is playing the card about the cause or the debate/argument.

A a reworded statement of what Jeff was meaning to say with out the general observation would have looked like a Pulitzer prize winning essay on PC hogwash.
 

flinchfree

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It called observation, we all make observations all of the time, sometimes our general observations keep us safe at night when walking home from a pub and staying away from certain groups on our travels, those observations from time to time get us home at night.

I'll say what others have said, we get the gist of what he was saying, in general he was right in what he said. The message was articulated poorly and become fodder for those whom carry and race card at every turn. Screech!!!! For those playing the card constantly, play it wisely, pick your target carefully, ask if this particular issue furthering your cause or creating ambivalence to it, is the constant din creating awareness or resistance. Is playing the card about the cause or the debate/argument.

A a reworded statement of what Jeff was meaning to say with out the general observation would have looked like a Pulitzer prize winning essay on PC hogwash.

Sorry Bumps, it's called profiling, not observation.
 

Bumps"N"Grins

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Sorry Bumps, it's called profiling, not observation.
Look you are probably in a unique position with your overseas life experience to comment but I would have thought its a very fine line between the two, with one needing a clear intent and the other applying a level of learnt behavior.
As I say a fine line.:thumbsu:
 
It called observation, we all make observations all of the time, sometimes our general observations keep us safe at night when walking home from a pub and staying away from certain groups on our travels, those observations from time to time get us home at night.

I'll say what others have said, we get the gist of what he was saying, in general he was right in what he said. The message was articulated poorly and become fodder for those whom carry and race card at every turn. Screech!!!! For those playing the card constantly, play it wisely, pick your target carefully, ask if this particular issue furthering your cause or creating ambivalence to it, is the constant din creating awareness or resistance. Is playing the card about the cause or the debate/argument.

A a reworded statement of what Jeff was meaning to say with out the general observation would have looked like a Pulitzer prize winning essay on PC hogwash.
Nah mate, he made an assumption, not an observation.

I'm trying to reconcile the racism thing & where I position on the matter & how my privileges & prejudices & biases etc. influence my day to day thoughts (as everyone should) so I'm with you on the need for discussion as opposed to immediately labeling someone racist as doing so stifles sharing which can lead to growth & understanding, but what Jeff did was make an assumption based solely on people's appearance.

And the 'staying safe at night' thing. That's profiling. Seeing a bunch of people at night & crossing the street based on colour - that's profiling. You should be crossing the street based on behavior. If colour is a determining factor without supportive behaviour, your thought has been prejudiced by a preconception.
 
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This whole thing makes me very sad, whilst Tasmania is small, it is extremely passionate - the North and North-West in particular are full of die-hard AFL towns - cricket in summer, football in winter; with no thought given to emerging sports like soccer, hockey, slam poetry etc.

To see the AFL so blatantly turn its back on a place like this really typifies the commercial mentality, without acknowledging that it's these types of communities that embedded AFL in our culture such that it CAN be leveraged commercially. If the AFL keep loading up the top end of the organisation, it's going to get too heavy and tip over, unless they go back and strengthen the foundation!

You take that back, heretic! Soccer is NOT a sport, any more than rolling around on the ground pretending you are on fire is a sport.
 
It called observation, we all make observations all of the time, sometimes our general observations keep us safe at night when walking home from a pub and staying away from certain groups on our travels, those observations from time to time get us home at night.

I'll say what others have said, we get the gist of what he was saying, in general he was right in what he said. The message was articulated poorly and become fodder for those whom carry and race card at every turn. Screech!!!! For those playing the card constantly, play it wisely, pick your target carefully, ask if this particular issue furthering your cause or creating ambivalence to it, is the constant din creating awareness or resistance. Is playing the card about the cause or the debate/argument.

A a reworded statement of what Jeff was meaning to say with out the general observation would have looked like a Pulitzer prize winning essay on PC hogwash.
Racial profiling is just observation. Got it.
 
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