Sunday, December 11, 2005

Cronulla

Race riots were not something I expected from Sydney.

Reading about the violence that started in Cronulla made me realise how sheltered my life was in Australia.

When I was 16 I changed from a comprehensive to a selective high school. That was pretty much the end of my exposure to any racist or violent behaviour. Attending one of the most multicultural universities in the country (world?) probably gave me the false impression that Australia had moved past all that.

The events of the weekend were a shock to the way that I remember Sydney. I hope that the subsequent response gives Australian people something to be proud of.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I read about it in the Singapore's papers this morning and was pretty shocked that this is happening.

Anonymous said...

Yes, it seems a long way from the Sydney that we were studying and teaching in.

Anonymous said...

I remember taking Joan a couple of years ago to the very beach (North Cronulla) where all the trouble has now erupted. Shocking!

Anonymous said...

Mmm... very different times. It's incredible to imagine the area being deserted official warnings to stay away from the beach.