I have an Inkling

Racist

I would like to believe that we live in a world of tolerance, but watching, listening or reading any mainstream media shows that I am naiieve in this hope. Even so, I think that I have been personally sheltered from any real expressions of racism. I see things on TV, and while I am disturbed by what is obvious racist behaviours- it does not affect me personally.

Until recently.

I had my first encounters with racist sentiments that I can remember.

I recently returned to work at the Podiatry firm I worked for before my baby was born. Since leaving, the dentist across the hall retired and sold his practice to another dentist. On Friday last, a gentleman cam into our office (because the dentist was closed) and asked if I knew anyhting about them.

Now I have seen the dentist- she seems a rather nice lady, but I don't know much about her. He asked me the usual questions- What happened to the old dentist? (he retired) Was this new dentist the lady who worked there before (no she was a different person altogether) and then the one that threw me- Is she Australian?

I answered that I could not tell him. He responded- her name does not sound Australian (it's Sabriman). Now this took me aback. Australia is a multicultural nation, full of immigrants who have since had children in this country who are AUSTRALIAN. What a surname's origin is does not define your nationality necessarily. In fact my surname is scottish in origin. One of the podiatrists is an Australian born and his surname is Sri Lankian.

So how did I respond to this. With veiled disgust (I was at the front reception of my work and could not afford to be rude). I told him that she was not of Anglo-Saxon descent, but that I could not say whether she was Australian or not.

The same day I overheard two patients talking at the front desk. One was relaying her recent visit to Melbourne and would you believe her taxi driver was BLACK!!!!!! the horror!
I could not believe that soemeone could still be so closed minded as to express that.

So my sheleted little world has been intruded upon by the opiniond of racists- whether they consider themselves is beside the point- their comments shocked me.

I the immortal words of Nigel Powers - There are only two things I can't stand in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures... and the Dutch.

posted by Capital Mum @ 5:07 PM