Alwyn Poole
From being so long in education I tend to think about what we are saying to our young when adults make decisions and how much we encourage them to think deeply about issues.
Apart from the stupidity of our current economics, I heard Grant Robertson regarding Olympic protests and he described banning “taking a knee” as “tone deaf”.
The Olympic movement has had very good reason to attempt to distance itself from being a platform for political perspectives:
- 1936 in Berlin when Hitler left the stadium rather than shake hands with Jesse Owens. Also, there were the comments made by Goebbels after the events.
- The effect of apartheid on someone like Precious McKenzie in 1960 and 1964.
- The Black Power salutes in 1968.
- The 1972 Munich terrorism.
- The 1976 Olympic African boycotts due to the All Blacks touring SA.
- The 1980 boycotts due to USSR invading Afghanistan.
- The 1984 counter-protests from Eastern Europe that allowed NZ to win 8 golds.
The IOC has issues with corruption but the athletes generally believe deeply in the Olympic ideals.
If they in some way shape or form took a political/protest stand, where is the philosophical limit? Could someone protest human rights in China? Can people take a pro-life/pro-choice stand? Could a white nationalist take a stand? Could people oppose Joe Biden on their uniforms? Protests against plastic? Protests against Greenpeace? Grant Robertson may have called them “tone deaf” but they would have been asked and simply stated their clear and long-standing policy. From a Christian perspective bowing a knee is actually an act of worship — so conflicting for many people as an act of protest.
Also terribly worrying is our current lack of understanding of time and place for literature, arts and film. I understand that some platforms have withdrawn Gone with the Wind (and not just because it is the most boring film I have ever tried to endure). Where do we stop with that? Huckleberry Finn with the repetitive use of the word Nigger?, To Kill a Mockingbird or Harper Lee’s second book — criticised for the apparent racial tone of the older Atticus Finch? The Right Stuff because people of colour are under-represented in this keystone movie on space travel? The Bible where Paul is misunderstood to have advocated slavery? The Koran where the subjugation of non-believers is a clear theme? Forrest Gump with how Bubba is depicted? The list is endless. Do we work with our children and wider culture for a true understanding of the arts — or scrub it like a blackboard and decide that only texts (etc) that are 2020 approved make the canon?
As for humour – I was never into Little Britain but do we also ditch Larry David? Ricky Gervais for the Samuel L Jackson episode? Inglorious Basterds (or any other Tarantino movie)? Robert Downey Jnr (and all associated) or Tom Cruise for “cultural appropriation” in the same movie (Tropic Thunder)? Will Smith in Bad Boys 2? Life is Beautiful?
Also the continuum between ethnicity and religion — with humour —
The huge Jewish thread in American sitcom and movies from SNL to Seinfeld.
The BBC had withdrawn the Fawlty Towers — Don’t Mention the War classic but sanity has prevailed and they have reinstated it. It was so close to the death of satire.
Billy T James? John Clarke?
Just my thoughts but I think that social media is driving so much and that our shallow/populist politicians from both sides of the divide are doing more than chasing cars and barking.
The young people of our nation desperately need the adults to call time – and genuinely discuss the past, present and future. I hate to agree with Winston Peters but his comments on statues being torn down are accurate. No person is perfect. I have been to DC and seen the MLK tributes and those for JFK. Neither man achieved moral perfection but they achieved enough to be remembered.
Instead of tearing down the past, honour the achievements, recognise the humanity (“all have sinned”) and, through full discussion, move forward. We are not Cambodia in Year Zero (1975). We should be adding statues to deepen our story and update it – maybe Dr Ranginui Walker, Dame Tariana Turia, Dr Pita Sharples or Winston Peters.
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