This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
$0/
(min cost $0)
Login or signup to continue reading
There he sits, the elephant in the room. Meanwhile, emotions rightly stirred, we chatter on, desperate for answers, solutions, anything that will stem the tide of violence against women. Word salads are served by experts and advocates. Utterly meaningless political scandals erupt over who said what at a political rally, distracting us from the real issue at hand.
But the elephant? He's secure because he's somehow sacred. Endorsed by political leaders who wear the jersey or scarf in the pursuit of popularity and votes. Elevated as a role model for children. A national obsession and a licence to print money.
National cabinet will meet today to plot ways to address the unacceptable surge in violence against women. But it's unlikely to address the elephant in the room. A safe bet if one of the gambling agencies opened a book, which they won't. And that's despite years of evidence pointing to sport - and its ugly accomplices gambling and booze - being a driver of family violence.
Not all sport is culpable, of course. We saw how civilised it could be during the FIFA Women's World Cup until, of course, Luis Rubiales forced his kiss on Jenni Hermoso. Despite the occasional on-court outburst, tennis also manages to rise above the fray. Likewise golf.
But contact sports like rugby, rugby league and Australian rules football, by their very nature, celebrate the violence on which they're based. Hard tackles. Head knocks. Biffo. They all feed into a primal bloodlust, too often taken off the field into the home. They normalise violence.
NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics figures reveal a 40 per cent spike in domestic violence incidents during State of Origin. LaTrobe University research found a similar spike during the AFL grand final.
If men become brittle when their team loses, they're even more likely to snap when they've lost money on what they thought was a safe bet. That's why Melbourne Cup Day, traditionally soaked in alcohol and betting, sees Victoria's worst increase in domestic violence.
Drowned out by the offence taken at his decision to speak at the What You Were Wearing rally was the PM's correct assertion that violence against women was not just a problem for government, it was a problem for society. While governments can throw money at the symptoms, prevention is far more challenging.
Acknowledging sport as the elephant in the room is one small step but an important one. Changing the way it's promoted to focus more on the skill and dexterity than glorifying the clash of bodies, heads and fists might help. Reining in the betting agencies that flood social media feeds and make free-to-air commercial television unwatchable will help. And breaking that nexus between sport and alcohol - there should be no need for a Tooheys or two (or eight for that matter) - is essential.
Actual leadership over lip service would see those small steps added to the mix of preventative strategies. Money is power and the sport, gambling and alcohol industries are awash with cash. The test for Anthony Albanese will be to hold their power to account.
And while he's about it, he could spare us the Instagram selfies in the Rabbitohs jersey.
The test for the rest of us is to bring sport down a peg or two, to a more appropriate place in the hierarchy of our values.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Does our national obsession with sport inflame violent tendencies? Should the way football is promoted be toned down? Is it time to separate alcohol and gambling promotion from sports coverage? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Demand for Lifeline Australia has spiked to an all-time high as high-profile deaths of women and demands for action on domestic violence bring emotions to the fore. The crisis support service received 4371 calls, messages and webchats on Sunday, making for its busiest day on record and 20 per cent above the yearly average.
- The Prime Minister has expressed sympathy for a Perth grandmother violently assaulted during an alleged home invasion involving a recently freed immigration detainee. The 43-year-old man was one of three people arrested over the assault and robbery of 73-year-old Ninette Simmons earlier in April.
- The federal and Queensland governments will set aside nearly $1 billion in a push to build one of the world's most powerful quantum computers. The investment in tech company PsiQuantum is part of the government's manufacturing push in its Future Made in Australia Plan.
THEY SAID IT: "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." - Isaac Asimov
YOU SAID IT: The big culture shock for a visitor to Japan is the existence of good manners. The shock returning to Australia is the lack of them.
"Oh, how I would love to visit Japan," writes Deb. "I totally agree with your contrast between the two cultures. In fact, your description of the polite and peaceful nature of Japan makes me feel I can do better here. I don't make public phone calls, and I am not generally loud or gregarious, but I could improve on being pleasant to others and engage in more politeness. And, yes, to get out into nature and relish the peace and tranquillity more. Thanks for the reminder."
Arthur writes: "You do not have to go to Japan to find the utopia you described. Just travel outside of Australia's capital cities and you will find a beautiful paradise with helpful good mannered people."
With praise for Jenna and Steve in my absence, Scott writes: "There's always that thought, when descending in to Sydney airport after being overseas, that those wonderful and familiar 'home' vibes will be waiting for you. But that migraine-inducing jar of rudeness and grumpiness on leaving that pressurised cabin is a big, angry wake-up call. You described your recent arrival as if I was there with you. And being of country stock, trying to ambulate around the Sydney CBD is akin to stepping on to an alien world, where AI robots go about their thing, where those small pieces of handheld glass ensure species survival and where almost everyone has forgotten how to be friendly. I presume you have your return trip to Japan already booked."
"Not only impeccable manners but also impeccable handwriting," writes John. "Every child in Japan learns some English but they are also taught handwriting. Beautifully. And you can read it, unlike the unfathomable scrawl and weird pen-holding techniques evident in Australian kids."
Mike writes: "A lot of my early years were spent with my grandparents, and I still remember the importance they placed on good manners. Good manners were taught to us kids as an essential element of a functional family, community and society. It is quite a few years since I have heard of, or read about manners. I think we have replaced 'manners' with the word "respect", and this 'respect' has now become a 'human right'. I preferred the time when we were taught good manners and their importance, and respect was earned."
"I, too, have noticed a great decline in public manners," writes Elaine. "I think it is very sad when supermarkets, banks and other service providers have to preface interactions with an appeal to speak courteously and that any sign of aggression will terminate the transaction. This seems standard now in phoning any organisation and I think this is a sad indictment of our society. I put this down to the rise of social media and the proliferation of abuse, all anonymous of course. This has led to to an abusive interpersonal culture, seen too in the rise of domestic violence at all levels of society."
Another Deb writes: "I loved the quote from Fred Astaire about kids trying to learn good manners without seeing any. Many decades ago, I was hugely pregnant and lumbering towards a checkout at the grocery store when an older woman scurried in front of me to get to the checkout first. It meant that I had to spend extra time in the queue standing on my poor overloaded feet. I tried to be kind, thinking maybe she was rushing to catch a bus, but I think it was just bad manners."
Describing Japan, Erik writes: "It's also a world where women can fall asleep on the train journey home late at night and still arrive safely."
"My thoughts exactly after three weeks in Japan," writes Judy. "On a very serious note I wonder if 'male gendered violence' could be (partly) averted by the explicit early teaching of manners, respect and good social behaviour? The same week where terrible murders of women by men happened the schools are asked to teach discipline!"
Alan writes: "Your article is absolutely spot on. With many trips to China, Japan and Taiwan (plus Thailand, Singapore and lots of other places), Japan is the standout. And Aussies are the obnoxious, rude, English speaking people everywhere - and more particularly when on the phone in public places - a standout everywhere we go."
Four decades in the media, working in print and television. Formerly editor of the South Coast Register and Milton Ulladulla Times. Based on the South Coast of NSW.
Four decades in the media, working in print and television. Formerly editor of the South Coast Register and Milton Ulladulla Times. Based on the South Coast of NSW.
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Rami G Khouri
Donald Low
Mort Laitner
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Nikkei Editorial
visit website
